Review Fix Exclusive: Gilbert Deltres Talks ‘Under the Flesh’

Review Fix chats with comic book writer Gilbert Deltres about his series, “Under the Flesh.” A lifelong fan of zombies and comic books, Deltres’ tale, which is currently looking for funds via Kickstarter, combines inspirations of such series as The Walking Dead, Y: The Last Man and Captain America and merges them into a cool grind house experience.

For more information on the series, click here.

Check out ’s Kickstarter Video Below:

Review Fix: What was the inspiration for the series?

Gilbert Deltres: The true inspiration behind Under The Flesh stems from my fervent love of zombie culture. Since I was a kid I’ve been entranced by zombie lore. Whether it be movies, video games, or books, there was always an element of the undead genre that fascinated me. Being exposed to so many different mediums of zombie goodness also left a sour taste in my mouth, mainly from the lack of closure in most narratives. There was always that guarantee that you were always going to be left with more questions than answers. With Under The Flesh, I felt I could bring something fresh to the zombie genre, while using the narrative as a platform to tackle those ambiguous aspects in a fun way.

Review Fix: What did you read growing up and how do you think it influenced you as a writer?

Deltres: Comic books were a huge passion of mine growing up. Sundays were big for me, because after church my mother would take me to the corner grocery, where I would eagerly swing by the spinner rack to see the latest mess Spidey had gotten himself into, or what the Dark Knight was up to. Comics fueled my imagination to such an extent, that it greatly influenced my decision to become a writer. If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine the amount of storyline contained within the artistically detailed panels between comic book covers.

Review Fix: What do you think makes this comic special?

Deltres: What makes Under The Flesh special is that it’s a fresh take on the premise. It’s kind of like a Grindhouse mashup between The Walking Dead, Y: The Last Man and Captain America. It’s also a very diverse comic in that it features a minority lead and a colorful supporting cast, as well as unique twist on the standard zombie trope, since the featured virus only infects males, degenerating them into savage cannibals. So we’re not dealing with undead zombies. Also, our protagonist isn’t your average human, he’s a genetically enhanced soldier who doesn’t know the extent of his abilities, because the pathogen hit at the same time of his experiment.

Review Fix: What’s it like working with JL Giles?

Deltres: Working with J.L. Giles has been awesome. He’s a talented individual who I’ve been fortunate enough to have met. We established a great working relationship that’s blossomed into a true brotherhood. We share a love of comics that we hope can be experienced through the blood, sweat, and tears, layered within our work of Under The Flesh

Review Fix: What are some of the rewards for the Kickstarter?

Deltres: Our rewards are pretty neat. We offer two physical copies of UTF #1 with two variant covers. The standard cover, and Kickstarter limited edition wraparound cover. We also offer a digital Creator’s Cut Edition of UTF #1, which is a complete B&W edition with bonus content and a 3rd exclusive variant cover. We also threw in some extra UTF prints, some from guest artists, and a neat Bronze Age retro print inspired by the 80’s. Some of the immersive rewards, like flesher likenesses, and business ads featured on abandoned buildings, will be featured in UTF #2.

Review Fix: Bottom Line, why should someone read this series?

Deltres: If you’re a lover of comic books, indie comics, horror comics, zombie comics, you won’t be disappointed when you see the potential within UTF’s premise, and where it could be headed. Especially when you consider the fact that such a top-quality comic was put together by 2 passionate comic book lovers.

Review Fix: What are your ultimate hopes for the series?

Deltres: My true desire is to see Under The Flesh continue to grow. To show that an independent comic book can grow outside the margins of big corporate publishers. To remain true to the readers if they take a chance and support us. It’s not easy trying to finance an ambitious first issue with a lot of promise, because readers will be skeptical. I’m sure many similar projects fell dead in the water. Unless readers back us up, Under The Flesh won’t be that project. I put my word on it. And so far, that word is in the form of weekly page updates of Under The Flesh, which can be read totally free at undertheflesh.com. It’s hard to finance this comic alone, and J.L. Giles is very deserving of a respectable rate, so I’m hoping readers can see what we’re offering, and help shoulder some support to keep UTF going.