by Noam Steinerman
This year at New York Comic Con, The Beat attended the “Behind the Comics Pages with Scott Synder and Co.” panel on Sunday to listen to comic creators discuss concepts, stories, art design, coloring, and comic book collaborations.
Moderated by Will Dennis, this exciting NYCC panel included special guest collaborators: Tula Lotay, artist of the Eisner Award-winning and Harvey Award-nominated series Barnstormers, and Jock, artist of Book of Evil.
Award-winning Batman writer Scott Snyder teams up with his son Jack Snyder and acclaimed artist Valeria Favoccia in their new Comixology Original series, By a Thread, about a world taken over by a deadly black ooze.
A horrible, bubbling substance covers the entire Earth’s surface, causing mutations and infecting the terrain. In this post-apocalypse setting, humankind is forced to live in communities above the ground level. The story follows a group of kids searching for a safe haven. These resourceful youths must venture across the wasteland in search of hope as the world hangs by a thread.
Snyder reached out to Favoccia via Twitter to pitch the idea he and his son were writing. Favoccia’s art is fresh, dynamic, and has a unique blend of manga and superhero comics influences. Favoccia and Jack share an interest in manga which is expressed beautifully and energetically on the page. The storytelling team is bringing a great book that has action inspired by video games and manga. Favoccia mentioned Death Stranding as an influence on character design and concept art.
Lotay has collaborated with Snyder on All-Star Batman as well as Barnstormers. She says that what’s cool about Snyder is how he really puts effort into meeting his collaborators where they are: “The whole book is built together. We push each other to places we have never been.”
Snyder and Jock also talked about a new project, Book of Evil, which they have been discussing since they worked on Wytches back in 2013. Snyder shared his story of getting Jock to partner up on their first collaboration, Batman: The Black Mirror. He says he flew out to San Diego on his own dime to pitch Jock.
By a Thread is Snyder’s first collaboration with his son and is available to read digitally via Comixology. The series will soon be available in print.
