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Can't You Hear Me Knocking v.5: Tom Manning v.2 Since being featured in that Popimage.com column Tom Manning has been partying like Steven King in 77 "You can only get the good shit when Mary Kate and Ashley are in rehab" Now that the parties finally dying down, his limo slowed down long enough for me to hop in and talk about the upcoming release of RUNOFF CHAPTER 2. (Tom is holding a door length mirror piled up with several snake like lines of cocaine. The driver swerves and hits some bumps in the road as Tom slams his forehead on the glass leaving the powdery poison on his forehead "Shit! I knew that kid wouldn't be able to reach the pedals". The interviewer fastens a seat belt around his mid section and try's to maintain some composure around his idol.) Me: Hey Tom, what's up? Remember me? Tom: Are you here to kiss me? Me: No I'm here to do a follow up from my hit column featuring you and your awesome book RUNOFF... Tom: Don't you want to kiss me? Me: No, Tom I'm here to interview you about... Tom: How about slipping me a digit? Me: That's crazy dude. Tom: Don't you watch TV? It's a crazy world, why should you have it any different? Me: Uh... driver! Can you slow down? Tom: You don't know what you're missing... (The respected internet journalist lets the words settle in his soul. Could Tom and his ex wife be right? He hides his shame by looking out the window while Tom fidgets through the shopping bags he uses as luggage. A few awkward minutes pass until a smell alarms the future award winning newsman. Tom Manning has started painting his face with bright red nail polish.)  Me: Can you open a window? Driver! Can you open a window please? Tom: Shhhhhh... It's her naptime, you'll wake her. Me: Why are you doing that? Tom: The road manger for KISS is coming to town and I hear they're looking for some hard rocking groupies. Me: So uhm... let's talk about your new book. You must be pretty excited about RUNOFF CHAPTER TWO coming out. Tom: Did they finish it? Me: Who? Tom: The Puerto Rican kids I got working on it? Me: Pardon?  Tom: Yeah, I found these kids in Chile or wherever who can draw and write real good. So I send them a couple bucks a year and whammo! They send me a finished book. Everybody's doing it. You think Bendis writes all that shit?Me: C'mon Tom, you're a considerate guy. I know you wouldn't really take advantage of the current Neo Colonial financial structure of Latin America. Let's talk about the World Bank and European American dominance of... Tom: Is called outsourcing champ! As long as they don't show up on my door step looking for a Challupa it's all good. Me: Tom I uh... where do you get your inspiration for stories? Tom: From current events. Can you fucking believe this guy who let his wife off the respirator? Idiot! She was the perfect woman... lied on her back for fifteen years with her mouth open. She didn't ask for much... Nah, just kidding. I was having a John Byrne moment there. Tom Manning is the nicest guy I ever met. He makes the rest of us 'normal' people look bad. I think he flosses and everything. Anyhoo here's the real follow up interview with RUNOFF creator Tom Manning.  Hey Tom! How you feeling? Did you have a nice flight? RUNOFF TWO is in previews this month. You must be shitting pickles huh? Last I saw you, was in Oakland I do believe, but funny you asked about the flight, because I actually flew back from Dublin just today, no joke. I'm a bit knackered, as those Celts say. So instead of shitting pickles, it's more Guinness and lots of fried food at the moment, but each bowel movement is proclaimed with "RUNOFF CHAPTER TWO IS OUT IN PREVIEWS THIS MONTH!!!!"  You recently eschewed the single issue format on RUNOFF and have gone straight to trade format for Chapter 2. What's the difference been like for you creatively and professionally? Actually, no difference at all. I'm still writing each chapter in parts, and the four parts are each as big as the individual issues were (32 pages each). And in a way I've realized this may be better than reading individual issues because a chapter really gets you into the head space of Runoff, which operates a little left field. Chapter 2 is the half way point, Chapter 3 will hopefully be done a year from now, and Chapter 4 a year after that. Then I shall rest and hopefully say it was good. What can readers expect in Chapter 2? Hopefully what they can expect is the Runoff unexpectedness! I try to keep this as a series that shifts and surprises. But I admit this chapter is far more soaked in horror and suspense than the first chapter. Where the first chapter hopped between drama, comedy, horror and mystery, this chapter hops more around sub-genres of horror, I guess. However, there certainly is comedy, drama and mystery still to be found. There are a lot of tense horror moments in this volume and then... you do the unexpected... again. Without giving anything away, there is another shift in tone half way through volume two. It's a great reminder to me of what a great writer you really are because it works perfectly and yet it's the last thing I would have expected. How easy would it have been for you to not change it up? That's a fantastic question, and you hit the nail on the head. I could have ended it right there in the middle... not changed it up. I don't want to give anything away, but I can say there is a sort of climax that most stories would have used to wrap up the plot with, but instead I wanted to use it as something that is transitional. I'm very interested in writing a different kind of plot here, and I can say this Chapter was actually far harder to write than Chapter One. Making that transition and steering this chapter to end it the way I planned was a real challenge.  Tell me about your work habits. How do you stay motivated working on such a long project without getting distracted or burned out? Do have advice for the rest of us? I imagine any good psychiatrist would deem me a workaholic- I art direct Filter magazine, I do quite a few freelance design jobs, and I have Runoff on the back burner at all times. Any little break in my "regular" work puts me in front of the drawing table for Runoff. The way I mentally tackle a big series like Runoff is to kind of mentally break it down to little components. I take the series and just try to finish a chapter. Out of that chapter I try and get through an issue. Out of that issue I try to get through a scene, and out of that scene I just try and do a spread. I almost never leave a page just penciled, when I sit down to do a page, I have to get it all the way to final inking before I can mentally get away from it. And since each page may take from 5 to 8 hours, sometimes even more, I get into some strange sleep habits when I'm working full time on Runoff. I guess my best advice is to split the project up into small, bite size pieces and start chomping... Post-publishing depression? Am I the only one? You work on a book for a year and then it comes out and your life isn't dramatically different then it was. Does this happen to you? Great question- I certainly feel like all areas of comic media should declare "Runoff 2 Finished!" Instead, it's me shouting that and hoping people like you listen and say "okay, I'll pass the message on!" I don't expect the world to shift polarity or anything when the first person reads it, in the end it's a comic book, and an independent one at that. What means the most to me is when I get the first trickles of feedback come to me, and to find people really dig this chapter. Runoff fans have been more than patient- it's been a while since brand new material has come out, and I'm glad to hear people like this as much as Chapter One. That's really as much as I can hope for, I guess.  What would you think of RUNOFF film? Could it be done in two hours? Do you have any cast choices? I think the story as it is now is too long for a film- maybe you could get these first two chapters in a two hour film, but as a whole, I think it would work better as a TV series, like each issue being a one hour show. Something like an HBO series, like 6 Feet Under or The Sopranos would be the best, since you can get away with a bit more. Cast choices... hmmmm. Gary Oldman or Christopher Walken as Mr. Teeth? (laughs) They'd have to starve themselves down to skin and bones, though. Oh. I think a totally bumbling Dennis Hopper would make a fantastic Police Chief Adre Alferenzo. I just can't place any actors that would make a good Hal or a good Mayor Baldwino... those guys would be hard to cast! Self-publishing is a real learn as you go experience. If you had to start over what would you do different? And I'm curious, would you recommend going straight to the Original Graphic Novel style or would you still do the single issues. Got any helpful advice for folks considering self-publishing? I am pretty happy with how Runoff started out, maybe I just can't imagine it any other way. I would really recommend if people start out self-publishing to do individual issues as I did. They are cheaper to print, cheaper to mail or give away, and most importantly, cheaper for people to try out. Runoff issue #1, I sold for $1 because it's more important to get readers than to get money. Especially at the beginning. It should be understood by everyone, especially in comic book self-publishing, that a profit is really not an option. If you're in this for the money, I recommend changing professions. You can make more money working at McDonalds.  My main advice to self-publishers is to work on your book. Don't work on trying to build connections, on showing a five-page pitch to a publishing company. Work on your book, finish an issue, print it up, and then while your showing that around or selling it, work on your second book. People respond to those who seem willing to work and finish their story. Spend your time and energy on that. Also, let me beg all self-publishers to push the envelope of comics, make risky decisions. As long as you are making something independent, use your freedom. I'm sure there are comic creators in the big companies that wish they could do far more out-of-the-box comics, but can't. Use your freedom as an independent publisher to your advantage! Maybe I should be an indy comic motivational speaker. You can do it!Great advice! I agree with you on those last points whole-heartedly. If you weren't giving those books away for a dollar I might not have discovered RUNOFF at the APE two years ago. And following up your work is key. I've got a stack of Indy produced first issues that never got followed up on. If you can't be interested in your own work enough to continue than why should any body else be? Awright you varmints give Tom Manning some love by pre ordering his book from your local retailer. RUNOFF Chapter 2 is located on page 318 of the May Previews under ODDGOD PRESS. The helpful order code number is MAY05 2892. RUNOFF Chapter 1 can be ordered through ODDGOD Press directly at www.oddgodpress.com Tom Manning and his brilliant ass can be found at www.robotsandmonkeys.com You can send any feedback regarding my irresponsible behaviour to Chocolatecoveredcivilrights@Politestrangers.com
 Jason McNamara is the author of the Less Then Hero mini-series, for more be sure to visit Polite Strangers.com.  PopImage Forum - Discuss this message at the PopImage forum. E-Mail Us - E-Mail Us To Comment On This Article. Can't You Hear Me Knocking v.0: Paige Braddock Can't You Hear Me Knocking v.1: Justin Hall Can't You Hear Me Knocking v.2: Tom Manning Can't You Hear Me Knocking v.3: John Heebink Can't You Hear Me Knocking v.4: Mini-Comics Industrial Archive - Read past Industrial articles |
Hey kids, it's my first follow up column! I've decided to do this one drunk! Woohoo! A few months ago I featured an article on my favourite book RUNOFF and its author Tom Manning. Here's how Tom described RUNOFF in that interview...
