Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • 2010 Eisner Award Countdown – Week 3

      Jason Sacks
      July 19, 2010
      Columns, Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    Recent
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • Comictober 2020: DRACULA MOTHERF**KER

      Daniel Gehen
      October 27, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • 4.5

      All-Star Batman #1 is a Perfect Fix of Superhero Comics

      Jason Sacks
      August 10, 2016
      Big Two, Big Two Reviews, DC Comics
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Stan Lee

      nguyen ly
      November 7, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Azzarello and Llovet's FAITHLESS Returns

      Jason Sacks
      January 23, 2020
      Boom! Studios, News, Press Release
    Recent
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • 4.5

      TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      October 29, 2020
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 2.5

      Chuck 5.03 "Chuck vs. The Frosted Tips" Review

      Jason Sacks
      November 17, 2011
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Interview: Ulises Fariñas Considers the Direct Market "a Broken Relationship"

      Jason Sacks
      March 25, 2017
      Indie, Interviews, Small Press
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • "The Superpatriot's Revenge: Captain America #153-156"

      Jason Sacks
      December 31, 2010
      Classic Comics Cavalcade, Marvel Comics
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • This Week in Dark Horse: I Almost Typed 'This Week in Dinosaurs'

      Jason Sacks
      September 1, 2015
      News, This Week in Dark Horse
    Recent
    • 2020 Ringo Awards Winners Announced

      Daniel Gehen
      October 26, 2020
    • BAD IDEA Announces 2021 Publishing Slate

      Daniel Gehen
      September 29, 2020
    • A Full Replay of NCSFest 2020 is now Available

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2020
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Pénélope Bagieu is California Dreamin'

      Jason Sacks
      July 18, 2017
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: If I win Powerball, I will buy Amazing Fantasy 15
  • DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)
  • Collecting Profile: Batwoman
  • Collecting Profile: Daredevil
  • Collecting Profile: Floronic Man
  • Review of Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Interviews

Paul Azaceta: A Dark ‘Outcast’

Jason Sacks
June 24, 2014
Interviews

One of the most hotly anticipated comics of the summer is Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta’s Outcast, which will have its first issue released on Wednesday, June 25. I had the chance to sit down with Paul at this year’s Emerald City Comicon to discuss the book. It’s been a while since I spoke to a creator who’s so excited to work on a new book, and I think you can read his excitement on the page.


Jason Sacks for Comics Bulletin: So how’d you hook up with Robert Kirkman on Outcast?

Azaceta

Paul Azaceta: I’ve known Kirkman for years. I knew him way back before the whole Walking Dead nonsense. We weren’t close friends or anything like that, but I’ve gotten to know him. We traveled in the same circles, and we actually briefly even talked about working together years ago.

As far as this project, he had an idea for this thing he wanted to do as his new monthly, and I was just lucky enough I guess that he thought of me. He called me up or emailed me, whatever it was, contacted me. I was maybe a little nervous, I’d never done a monthly before, but I couldn’t resist working with Kirkman. I’ve been dying to do something more long-term. The story sounded amazing, so I took it.

CB: What can you tell me about the story?

Azaceta: What I can tell you about it — Kirkman is better at this because he’s the writer, I’m an artist — but Kyle Barnes is the main character. He’s basically plagued with always being involved somehow with possessions, people getting possessed, and demons, and these weird weird kind of events, this and that, throughout his life. When this story starts he’s really down, just down in his life and sort of depressed, just in a miserable state, like the lowest part of his life, and he just figures out that it’s really time to figure out what the hell is going on for him because he continues to run into this crazy stuff.

Azaceta

So it’s about possessions, horror, demons and fun stuff like that. There’s some exorcism. It’s gonna be creepy and fun. It’s different than The Walking Dead, which is a little more in-your-face gore and horror. This is going to be a little more atmospheric, creepier, horror-filled, stuff like that. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

CB: I noticed that the poster image is very black, dark, kind of noir. Is that the approach you took to it?

Azaceta: Yeah, exactly. I think that’s kind of what I do anyway, so why he thought of me for the book in the first place. But yeah, we’re definitely trying to push that. It takes place in West Virginia, so a lot of rural areas, and there’s a lot of trees, so we’re trying to go for atmospheric, creepy, fun stuff. And I love black, so I throw a lot of black on it.

CB: I can tell. You’re super-excited to work on this.

Azaceta: I am. I am. It’s been really fun so far. We’re well into it already. We’re trying to get way ahead, because it’s out in June. It’s my first monthly thing, so it’s a whole new experience for me, and it’s been fun.

CB: So you’ve got a bunch of issues in the can already? That’s good.

Azaceta: Yeah, yeah. It’s as ahead as possible because it’s going to be monthly, and the more ahead I get now, the easier it will be later when they start coming out.

Azaceta

CB: Right. But you’re working with Robert Kirkman, so that’s going to get you a lot of attention immediately, too.

Azaceta: Yeah yeah. He’s become quite the phenomenon, and it’s an honor to work with him now. I’ve known him for years, but still. He’s become such a big name in the industry, that that also is what I’m very excited about.

CB: So, how’s it different working on this than something like BPRD? Do you approach it differently?

Azaceta: I think first of all, I’ve just learned a lot since I did BPRD, which was a few years ago now. I’ve learned a lot since then, so my approach is different in general. But it’s not too different. I think that might actually be the closest thing to this that I’ve done. Because it had again, horror, but there were also some real great scenes that were creepy and kind of atmospheric in that book. It was a lot of fun to do. So I guess it with this one I get to do is just do that, but to the next level. Because I’ve learned stuff, but also it’s gonna be a much bigger story than what I was able to do on BPRD.

CB: Are you starting out with an endpoint in mind?

Azaceta: Well, I believe he has an end in mind. But we don’t actually have an end issue if that makes sense. So there will be an end eventually, but we don’t have an actual issue. It will be done like, we think of it more like Vertigo, where they have 100 Bullets that ran 100 issues. There was an ending. It was an ongoing series but there was still an ending and they got to it. So something like in that vein.

CB: Is it a different exercise building these characters who you’re going to be living with for a long time?

Azaceta: Yeah. I mean that was the one thing, I think, working on the first issue, that actually took me longer than most first issues, besides the fact that it’s double sized. So we’re doing that. But it took me a little bit longer because I started designing and started getting in my head a little bit. Normally if I draw a house, maybe the house is in a few scenes, and then it’s done and I don’t have to think about it again. But with this one if I have like 50 issues, I have to draw this house again and again, so I’d better make sure it makes sense. I made a floor plan of his house. I went a little above what I usually do to figure it out, because I’m like if I have to draw this like, eight thousand times, then I better make sure it works and it’s not something I’ll hate doing after two times.

Azaceta

CB: You’re not used to doing that kind of thing – most people aren’t.

Azaceta: Yeah. I’ve obviously planned things out, and all that stuff before, but this one took a little extra planning –more than usual. Because it looked to be the longest thing I’ve done, and I’m trying to save later headaches by doing a little extra planning now.

CB: Everyone will pay attention to the things that are inconsistent, so you’ll have to go back and fix everything later, right?

Azaceta: Yeah, hopefully I won’t have to do any of that.

CB: Always be looking forward.

Azaceta: Yes. That’s what I’m trying to do.

CB: It’s a good time to be doing a book for Image, too.

Azaceta: Yeah, Image has been blowing up, and it’s been amazing. A lot of my friends, too, like Matt Fraction and Rick Remnder and everybody who’s doing books now over there, and all the work they’ve been doing amazing. I feel it’s a real great time to be working at Image too, because the creators that have come over have been people like Rick Remender, for instance. He’s not just coming and over and doing a book like where you’ve seen him in the past. He’s a writer you know, but he’s working with Matteo Scalera. People loved his work, and the people he’s collaborated with that work on, like his other books that were from Marvel, too. Teams are coming over.

And I think that’s a big difference right now, the collaborations. There’s a real great vibe. The books are incredible, too. I mean, I’m a fan. I’m collecting them, I’m reading them. And so, that’s the other part on being excited to do this, is that this timing couldn’t be better, I feel.

Azaceta

CB: What are you reading and loving right now?

Azaceta: Well, Deadly Class, which, speaking of Rick Remender, I was just reading that and really, really loving that. Stray Bullets just restarted too, that’s another thing. Thor, Jason Aaron’s Thor is amazing, and Esad Ribic is one of my favorite people in the world, one of my favorite artists and people. Daredevil has been really great too, with art by Chris Samnee, Mark Waid is always.

CB: Cool. I usually ask ‘What’s your next project?’ but I think we know what your next project is.

Azaceta: Yeah, the next project for a long time, hopefully, as long as I can do this, is gonna be Outcast. And it’s gonna be on my plate for a while.

CB: And hopefully, people will really catch onto it.

Azaceta: Ah, yeah. I’m hoping so. I’m really looking forward to everyone getting to see it. Like I said, I’m really getting ahead of the curve here. I have a stack at home of pages. We have colors, we have a lot done, that no one has seen. So I feel weird. I feel like I’m sitting on this—

CB: You’ve got gold sitting there.

Azaceta: Yeah, gold. Something there, hopefully it’s gold. But I’m really anxious to get it out there and have people actually read it, and hopefully enjoy it. So it’s pretty cool.

Share On:
Tweet
Team-Up Review: ‘Original Sin’ #4 Becomes More and More Potent
Singles Going Steady 6/24/2014: God Loves Comics

About The Author

<a href="https://comicsbulletin.com/byline/jason-sacks/" rel="tag">Jason Sacks</a>
Jason Sacks
Publisher Emeritus
Google+

Jason Sacks has been obsessed with pop culture for longer than he'd like to remember. Jason has been writing for Comics Bulletin for nearly a decade, producing over a million words of content about comics, films and other media. He has also been published in a number of publications, including the late, lamented Amazing Heroes, The Flash Companion and The American Comic Book Chronicles: the 1970s,1980s and 1990s. Find him on Facebook and Twitter. Jason is the Publisher Emeritus of Comics Bulletin.

Related Posts

  • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

    Daniel Gehen
    June 8, 2020
  • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

    Mike Nickells
    March 4, 2020

Latest Interviews

  • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

    Daniel Gehen
    June 8, 2020
  • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

    Mike Nickells
    March 4, 2020
  • Simon Roy

    Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

    Mike Nickells
    January 29, 2020
  • Interview: V.E. Schwab on revisiting Red London in The Steel Prince

    Stephen Cook
    March 13, 2019
  • Interview: David Foster Wallace and Hellblazer, words on Wyrd with writer Curt Pires

    Stephen Cook
    February 27, 2019
  • “The Night Has Teeth” An Interview with Sarah deLaine, Artist of Image Comics’ “Little Girls”

    Jason Sacks
    February 26, 2019
  • Interview: Caitlin Kittredge talks the future of Witchblade

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2019
  • Interview: Andy Nakatani and the Future of Weekly Shonen Jump

    Daniel Gehen
    December 19, 2018
  • INTERVIEW: Todd Matthy talks robots, princesses, and bridging the divide with storytelling

    Stephen Cook
    September 13, 2018
  • INTERVIEW: Gallaher & Ellis discuss THE ONLY LIVING GIRL

    Daniel Gehen, Thea Srinivasan
    September 7, 2018
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders