Review Fix Exclusive: Morgan Quaid Talks ‘Enmity’ And More

Review Fix chats with Enmity creator Morgan Quaid who talks about his comic, Enmity, its current Kickstarter and how he broke into comics!

Review Fix: How did you know a career in comics was for you?

Morgan Quaid: I came to it pretty late. I tried for years to make it as a writer, but honestly the editing and hopeless quest for an agent and publisher drove me to distraction.

I started going down the self-publishing route, but then walked past a comic book shop one day and went in to take a look.

Holy crapolly Batman!

I’d always thought of comics as the old, traditional 50s style, slightly misprinted superhero comics of yesteryear. But then I saw a whole bunch of new comics with amazingly intricate stories (that weren’t all about superheros) and I was instantly hooked. I devoured everything I could find from the larger indie publishers, then started researching indie comics and reaching out to artists.

The blend of story and artwork allowed me to explore my ideas in a whole new way. It was one step away from cinema and the fact that I could accomplish something like that for a relatively small investment (compared to film/tv at least) was amazing.

Eight projects later and I’m well and truly invested! Also, editing a comic script is a hell of a lot more enjoyable than editing a 100k novel!

Review Fix: Who inspires you creatively?

Quaid: I love weird fiction. Particularly the work of China Mieville and Jack Vance. Those guys just have so many ideas packed into their work. One idea sparks off a whole set of stories in my mind and always gets the creative juices flowing.

I also devour tv and film. Anything strange, sci-fi, fantasy; it really doesn’t matter. Even a bad film might have one or two good ideas which make it worth sitting through.

Needless to say, I also devour comics; both indie comics which I review as part of my review site (www.superseriouscomics.com) and comics by the bigger publishers (Image, Dark Horse, etc.). I came to comics fairly late, so I feel like I’m making up for lost time.

Review Fix: What inspired this comic?

Quaid: Enmity came from a pretty simple idea. A while back I studies Hebrew Biblical Narrative and came across the idea, in the book of Job, of the “Devil” in that book functioning more like a lawyer, rather than the traditional notion of the Christian Devil (e.g. the film, The Advocate). In Job the devil figure isn’t really a devil at all, he’s an adversary; someone who is charged with questioning the validity of Job’s “love” for God. In that sense, the devil doesn’t work against God, he works for him!

I loved that idea, but I also love the notion that the Devil would also get really sick and tired of doing his job day to day. So, the whole premise of Enmity came from one, single idea: What if the Devil stopped doing his job?

But, in the world of Enmity, the Devil’s job is one of keeping balance between good and evil (whispering in people’s ears and driving them to do evil things etc.) rather than running hell and governing the demonic hordes.

The next thought was, what would Lucifer do once he quit his job? He’d go on a bender of course. Wine, women and song, etc. And what is the natural outcome of that (or perhaps unnatural)?

One of the ladies Lucifer hooks up with gets pregnant and then, nine months later, Daisy arrives.

And that’s where the whole heart of the story comes in. Basically, Enmity is a story about a young woman trying to track down her deadbeat father and get some answers. It just happens to be set in a post-apocalyptic background and her father just happens to be Lucifer.  

Review Fix: How is it different or special?

Quaid: Enmity takes a fairly well-worn cultural and religious icon (the Devil) and turns it on its head. The story also makes the supernatural mundane (a little like those early Greek plays where gods and goddesses seemed to behave an awful lot like humans). I love the idea of bringing divine creatures down to our level. Just like us, the Devil hates his day job. Just like us, Lucifer and the other angels question the nature of reality and their place within the grand scheme of things.

On the surface, Enmity is a fairly fast-paced, easy and humorous read. But my hope is that the reader chews on the deeper philosophical and relational issues raised in the comic.

Review Fix: What makes this Kickstarter different?

Quaid: On a practical level, I’ve gone with both US and Australian based printers. For an Aussie creator like myself, that’s a pretty big deal, because the cost of postage from Australia is prohibitive. This way backers from the US and Australia don’t get punished by postage costs and I can also cut down the timeframe for delivery.

On a creative level, there are some really cool extras. I’ve partnered with a company that does pet portraits to do a drawing of the pug featured in the comic in full apocalypse getup. “Pug of the Apocalypse” if you will (think a pug, dressed as Mad Max).

We’ve also got a cast “photo” at the end of the issue and 5 backers can get their images drawn in there alongside the cast of issue 1; kind of like they’re all taking a bow at the end of the performance.

I’ve also basically opened the project up to writers as well. If you back the Writer of the Apocalypse pledge, you basically become a partner in the Enmity production itself. Whoever grabs this will co-write an 8 page side story with me, review and sign off on all the artwork for the comic and be credited as a writer on the comic. It’s a way for a writer who is suitably interested to become part of the creative team and essentially support the creation of a new, side comic. This pledge isn’t cheap, but it provides an entry into the indie comic scene with a story which is already established. I haven’t mentioned it yet, but if someone does pick this pledge up, I’m inclined to double the page count out of my own pocket and include it all in the reward!!

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

Quaid: Anyone who is a fan of irreverent humour and post-apocalyptic themes should love Enmity.

Fans of East of West and those types of comics should get a lot out of it, but also fans of the more absurd stories like Rumble.

Review Fix: How do you want it to be remembered?

Quaid: As a great read!

Like most creators I’m guessing, I can see this project being picked up by Netflix, rushed to a limited-series, then off to a line of action dolls, lunchboxes and tote bags!

In reality though, I’ll be over the moon if people read it and dig it!

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Quaid: Check out the project and feel free to reach out and get in touch with me.

There are also a number of other Super Serious Comics titles which can be added throughout the campaign, so be sure to check those out.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Quaid: Another project launch on Kickstarter after the Enmity project.

It’s a comic called Whiplash; a young guy dreams of a mysterious red city. When he wakes up, he is dragged to an underground bunker, interrogated and told that he has been chosen to fight in a war being waged in the world of dreams. Amazing artwork on this one and some really rich background mythology (the comic includes a book of short stories and artwork and has several spinoff comics attached).

Review Fix: Where can people find out more?

Quaid: http://kck.st/3tVDj1R