One of the best things about editing the Fraggle Rock comic is that as an anthology, there’s quite a lot of talent that has contributed to it. Its success can’t be pinned on one or two people, but rather a collection of writers and artists who have a clear understanding and love for the property and the skill necessary to create new Fraggle Rock stories that feel as fresh and as “Fraggley” as the original show. As the comic’s editor, I work closely with each and every one of these creators from their story’s inception all the way to print, and it pleases me to say that I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. This is a fun crew. Some of the most talented and thoughtful people in the business. The problem is that outside of the Fraggle Rock team, not many people realize this. While a few contributors have had some success in the indie comics realm, many made their comic book debut on Fraggle Rock while others have been working steadily under the radar in comics for years.
In short, these are people that everyone in comics should know about, but not everyone does. So, to celebrate the ongoing release of Fraggle Rock Vol. 2, I thought I’d conduct a few interviews with some of the Fraggle Rock creators. These are the people who brought Jim Henson’s classic creation back to life for a new generation of readers, and will likely be making quite a name for themselves in the years ahead. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know them. I’m hoping that all of you will as well.
Let’s start with Grace Randolph. Grace wrote the lead story in the first issue of Fraggle Rock Vol. 2, but that’s hardly the only thing she’s written. She’s worked for both of the Big Two publishers, Marvel and DC, and has recently written comics for Tokyopop and BOOM! as well. And we’re not talking about obscure stuff that came and went, she’s worked on some of the big ones. Justice League Unlimited, Warcraft, StarCraft, the Muppets… And all this while also juggling an entirely separate career as a successful web content writer, producer and on-camera host.
Hi Grace, I hope 2011 is off to a good start for you. It seems like a pretty big year for you, isn’t it? Are you feeling good about it so far?
Yes, I’m very excited about 2011! I’ve been working really hard for a few years now and so of course I’m thrilled to see my career moving forward. But it can also move backward, so I’ll continue to work hard!
Grace, I remember when I first met you. It was at New York Comic-Con, probably around 2007, and I think the thing I remember most about it is that you had been bitten by some bug or something and were having an allergic reaction to it. Probably not the best first impression! Do you remember that?
I sure do! I was watching the Tokyopop Cosplay Fashion Show with my editor at the time and I felt my leg get itchy! Well it turns out that a mosquito had gotten up my pant leg and bit me several times! That’s what I get for wearing long pants to a convention in the spring. Anyway, I’m very allergic to bug bites and so in just a matter of minutes, the bites were all red and swollen! So I took an antihistamine and it made me super drowsy! Fun times… 🙂
The first comic book project I think I saw of yours was a pilot we did at TOKYOPOP called Nemesis: Who Me?. If memory serves, it was actually one of the more popular pilots we ever ran. Then after that, you did a bunch of Warcraft and StarCraft comics for us, something I find interesting because I know you’re not really a gamer. Were those projects a challenge?
Yes, Nemesis: Who Me? — last time I checked — was the most viewed of all the pilots. I was very proud of how it turned out and had been fortunate enough to be paired with a great artist, Elisa Kwon. Sadly the Pilot Program didn’t work out overall, so we weren’t able to move forward despite the good response. As for the Warcraft and StarCraft comics I wrote, I’d say the most challenging aspect was researching the games as I’d never played them before! As someone really into comics and movies myself, I know how important it is to get a world’s mythology right when adding to it. So I was very happy that the stories were well-received.
One of them, “Last Call,” is one of the best comics I think you’ve written. I really love how it takes such good advantage of the comic book medium. I don’t think that story would be as effective as a film or TV episode. Where did you come up with that idea?
My first thought when coming up with a pitch for StarCraft was that I wanted to write something sexy. I think it’s important for a writer to show that they have range. On top of that, I learned about Zerg parasites and how they control their hosts — I felt the idea of a person being forced to spy against her will would be very interesting. That’s where I got the idea to write a traditional espionage drama with a sci-fi twist!
After that, you began writing comics for a variety of publishers including BOOM!, Archaia and now Marvel. Most of what you’ve written has been all-ages. Do you like writing comics for younger readers?
Well, to be totally honest, I must point out that all-ages books are where new writers break in. That said, I certainly enjoy writing all ages books and I try to make them just that — something anyone would enjoy. I feel that writing something specifically for “kids” tends not to work out as you just end up talking down to them. When I was a kid, it was the sophisticated stories that appealed to me the most, and I assume it’s the same way with other kids.
Yeah, that’s something that’s a little different with comic books than with other mediums. It’s hard for a kid’s book to be successful entirely on its own. Most publishers want their books to be all-ages. Is writing for such a wide audience a challenge?
Not at all! As I said above, that’s the audience I want to write for anyway with an all-ages book. It’s like writing a PG or PG-13 movie, and adults love those too!
It seems like most people who know your work, know you from your Muppet miniseries. Why do you think that out of everything you’ve written so far, it’s Muppet Peter Pan that people seem to really respond to? What do you think of your work on that project?
I think Muppet Peter Pan stands out for three reasons. First, because the properties are so well known and loved. Second, BOOM! Studios did a wonderful job getting the word out on that book. Third, I like to think that my pairing of the two brands was a good idea and that I did it well. And since the response to the book was great, and continues to be great, hopefully that is indeed the case.
Your lead Fraggle Rock story, “Wembley and the Great Dream-Capade,” is one of the more daring stories in our collection. It’s flat-out surreal in places. I don’t think of you as the sort of writer that naturally enjoys creating WTF moments, yet your story has a few of them and you absolutely NAILED them. Where did you get the idea? Was it inspired strictly by Fraggle Rock or did it have other inspirations?
I’m so glad you think I got the story right! 🙂 And actually, I love writing surreal WTF moments — you just don’t get a lot of opportunities to do that with all-ages books. But I must admit, Fraggle Rock was the hardest writing assignment I’ve ever had. As I’ve said here, I view all-ages books as just that. However Fraggle Rock has a definite young readers vibe. So I had to find a way to walk that fine line between a story for pre-schoolers — an important message — and one that adults would enjoy — a great story. For the message, I wanted to teach kids how to play and use their imaginations. For the story, I liked the idea of dream-sharing and the freedom it gave me as a writer (i.e. getting out of Fraggle Rock). After fleshing out the structure of the story a little more with you and the Henson team, I was able to run from there. As for the WTF moments, those were actually the first elements of the story I came up with when I sat down to write. I come from a comedy background and, with such a short story, I wanted each dream to focus on a joke that not only was funny but crystallized the personality of the dreamer. Again, I’m glad you liked it and I hope others do too!
Your most high profile comic book lately is probably Marvel Her-Oes. I really enjoyed it, but if I had one disappointment, it would be that it seems to be the latest in a line of girl-oriented superhero books written by female writers that seem to exist in part because the Big Two are utterly clueless when it comes to female talent and fans. Most girls I know who like superheroes and comics are more than happy to read The Avengers, Fantastic Four, Batman, Spider-Man and all the other superhero comics that their male counterparts read. They don’t need books aimed at them. And the girls who DON’T read comics probably don’t read them because they have no interest in superheroes, so a new superhero comic isn’t going to interest them even if it was written for girls. Plus, I think it does a disservice to writers like you who are more than capable of writing regular superhero comics. So why do things like Her-Oes? Do you think there’s a real need for them? I worry that they may turn off male readers, and be ignored by female ones who feel like they’re possibly being pandered to.
Hmm, well this topic is certainly a hot one in the comics community — how to get more women to read comics. I think Her-Oes was a great idea, and I’ve actually had a number of people come up to me at conventions and tell me how much they’ve enjoyed it. One person even said he felt it would make a great animated series. Also, I heard from a friend who works at a comic book store that a little girl came to buy it and jumped up and down when he handed it to her! So I think Her-Oes is a great first superhero comic for young girls — they just don’t know about it. And a lot of that has to do with the reluctance of the comic book audience to let in new demographics. I was told that a lot of comic book stores didn’t even bother to buy the book to put on their shelves. That’s a shame. And a male reviewer dismissed it as “Archie crossed with Super Heroes” and, sadly, made fun of his young daughter’s taste when she told him she liked it. That’s wrong on so many levels I don’t know where to start, so let’s just move on.
Okay, one of the coolest things about you is that outside comics, you have this entire different career as a web host, writer and producer. Can you tell us about that?
I love it, and it’s also a lot of work! But the internet community is really fabulous and it’s great interacting with them on a weekly basis via my two shows, Facebook, etc.
Check out what moviegoers have to say about the new Anthony Hopkins film, The Rite, in a recent episode of Beyond The Trailer, Grace’s web series that lets movie fans have the final say!
How did you get started doing it?
I was doing live improv and sketch comedy at The Comedy Cellar in NYC when I got the chance to pitch a web show. I felt nobody was covering movies in the manner I thought they should, so I decided to give it a go myself!
You’re doing two shows now. Can you tell us about them?
Sure! The first is Beyond The Trailer which I created in 2007 as RevYOU and then in its current format as a Next New Creators program in 2008. It’s a movie news and review show with new episodes every week that I host, write, edit and produce. In January, I’m happy to say BTT got 4.3 million views on YouTube — its best month yet! I also am the new host and writer of Marvel.com’s The Watcher, debuting in November 2010. So far it’s been great and the response from Marvel viewers has been very supportive.
I’d imagine landing that Watcher gig must’ve been a real thrill for a comic book fan like you. How did you get it? Did they approach you or did you approach them?
It was indeed a thrill — and a huge honor!! I originally approached Marvel Digital about a writing gig, and also mentioned that I had some ideas for a comic book web show. They checked out Beyond The Trailer and thought I’d be a good fit to take over The Watcher as the original host was moving out of town. I am having so much fun making the show and still feel like a kid in a candy shop every week when I go over to the Marvel offices to shoot!
How much of The Watcher do you write yourself? Does Marvel have to approve everything? What’s that process like?
I write the entire show, and yes, of course Marvel has to approve everything. I submit a proposed outline the week before for approval, and sometimes Marvel will let me know if there’s something specific they think might interest viewers. Then I write up the script, make any changes that Marvel requests, and we shoot! The entire Marvel Digital team is wonderful to work with, as is Marvel in general. I do a segment called Marvel Fact Hunter where I interview members of the editorial team and everyone is so nice and eager to talk shop! It’s great!
Are you watching The Watcher? You should be! Check out Grace’s latest episode…
Do you know if any of your fans have followed you from one show to the other, or do they tend to stick with one? Do you think one of the shows has won you more fans than the other?
Yes, I’ve had a few viewers crossover from The Watcher to BTT and vice versa, which is great. As for which show might have won me more fans, what I’m most concerned about is creating great content. That’s the most important thing. I think if someone is focused on simply getting fans, they aren’t in this business for the right reasons.
What are your goals for this year and next? And is there anything brewing with either your web productions or your comic book writing that you can tell us about?
I’m a big believer in jinxes, so nope! 🙂
And finally, tell us something about you that you think may surprise us…
I broke my left-elbow when I was four years old impersonating Tarzan and almost lost my arm! Yikes! Don’t jump off furniture, kids…
I’d like to thank Grace for taking the time out of her very busy schedule to talk to us. (It is Oscar season after all, and Beyond The Trailer covers the entire race!) If you’re interested in her work, you can visit her website at www.gracerandolph.com.
Or check out her two web shows:
BEYOND THE TRAILER
http://www.youtube.com/beyondthetrailer
THE WATCHER
http://www.youtube.com/user/MARVEL#grid/user/83F1D8F581552723