Review Fix Exclusive: Inside ‘Karma Police’

Review Fix chats with “Karma Police” writer Chris Lewis and artist Tony Gregori, who give us the inside scoop on more on this nifty indie comic book series.

For more on “Karma Police,” and their current Kickstarter campaign, click here.

Review Fix: What was the creation of this comic like?

Tony Gregori: I loved every minute of it! Working with Chris was a real treat, I believe he has a unique voice and isn’t afraid to use humor to touch on serious subject matters. I enjoy his writing immensely, and I think we were tailor-made for each other. Jasen Smith (colorist) is my art-brother and great friend, I love working with him. And Nic Shaw (letterer) is a creative machine with an amazing eye for design. The four of us became great friends during the production of the book and I hope it shows in the pages.

Chris Lewis: Smooth and satisfying. All I had to do was find the Traveling Wilburys talent that is Tony, Jasen, and Nic, and the rest was easy. We even ended up changing some artwork and our entire approach to the colors about halfway through issue one, but everybody was so determined to make this the best story it could possibly be, that it didn’t even slow us down. Well, except for those few weeks when it did. But the end result is beautiful!

Review Fix: Why is this comic special?

Gregori: For me, it was a labor of love that stretched out over 2 years and both coasts. I hope readers find it special for the message behind it, and the dedication put into it. I think it’s quirky, unique, charming, and funny, and for better or worse, I don’t believe you’ll find anything similar to it on the shelves.

Lewis: This project involved a ton of input from all sides of the creative team. I’ve never had the situation before where all members were in the same email chain discussing the dialogue, panel layouts, balloon placements, even the location of the shrubbery that was designed to hide some demon-junk in issue 3. This shows me that everybody was interested in the story we were telling. As the writer, my job is to first engage the creative team, and I’m proud to say that I was successful. Then they turned around and made it 100x better than I ever imagined.

Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy it the most?

Gregori: Hopefully folks that are tired of the grim-dark themes that seemingly permeate our pop-culture these days. Also, people that battle their own demons on the daily might get something out of this tale. And those that want to read a story about 3 friends that get sucked into an ethereal “other” dimension to confront their reincarnations will really get their monies worth!

Lewis: Anybody who is looking for a strong female lead to help humanity get out of a cycle of violence and eternal suffering. And all those who enjoy reincarnation, psychedelic buddhas, and luchador shenanigans.

Review Fix: What did you read as a kid? How did they inspire this comic?

Gregori: I read a lot of Neal Adams and Norm Breyfogle’s Batman, anything by Frank Miller, the original Secret Wars, Ambush Bug. I would read any comic I could get my hands on. I’d go with my parents to the mall and go to Waldenbooks and sit under the rack reading until they were done shopping. I’d have to say, though, that Looney Tunes was my biggest inspiration for this book. Looney Tunes and Miller’s Ronin probably sums it up best.

Lewis: Whoa, Looney Tunes? I can totally see that. My lifelong comics binge began with the X-Men, and if I try really hard I can almost see some goofy mutie drama in the pages of KP. But that is really, really pushing it.

Review Fix: What was it like to work with Tony?

Lewis: Tony effortlessly glides from moments of serene reflection to fight scenes containing eloquent lines of dialogue such as “bodhisattva bull-busting.” He knows when to be more subdued and when to exaggerate the human form for dramatic effect. And best of all he’s a passionate believer in what he’s doing. What was it like to work with Tony Gregori? Enlightening.

Review Fix: What makes the artwork special in this comic?

Gregori: Jasen’s colors make this book what it is, visually speaking. The vibrancy, his color choices, the guy’s freakin’ great! Nics’ interior cover designs make me feel serene and calm, so smooth and pleasant. And he did a wonderful job squeezing all the dialogue in the tiny spaces I allocated for him.

Lewis: What Tony said. Well, that and what I said about Tony. Yeah, Jasen totally rocked the colors on this thing. He and Tony have worked together on quite a few projects, but I feel like they entered a new phase of their creative partnership on KP. Nic found a very subdued color scheme that just made everything, including my eyes, pop. Nic is the master letterer / designer that brought everything together while gently explaining to me the meaning of the word “wordy,” and why I might want to avoid being that in the future.

Review Fix: What did you learn about yourself through this work?

Gregori: I learned that if you love what you’re doing, with people you enjoy, it can help you get through the ups-and-downs of life. I drew each of the four issues in a different locale, #’s 1,3, and 4 were drawn in different places here in Montana ( I finally found a studio to my liking last year), and issue #2 I drew in my parents’ living room in Florida while helping care for my mother after cancer surgery.

Lewis: Surround yourself with good people and good things will happen. Happiness is a journey and not a destination. And many other quotable things that I thought of myself.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Gregori: Writer Ricardo Mo, Jasen, and I are going to be working on a series that’s set for release in June 2017, more info will be released around SDCC this year but I can’t say any more about it. I’m also working on a project with my frequent collaborator and baldy brother David Crispino that we will be shopping around soon, and I draw Dr Crowe for 215 Ink and Corey Fryia. Anyone that’s interested in my work can find me at @tonygregori on Twitter.

Lewis: First up, Emerald City Comic Con with my buddy Tony Gregori! Then finishing up a 3-issue mini-series, and pitching pitching pitching. If anybody wants to follow along, I’m at www.epigamics.com and @relicswish.