Interviews Editor, Andrew Irvin, welcomes George O'Connor, co-creator of Vampires on Mars, of which issue #3 is live on Kickstarter through March 7th.
COMIC BOOK YETI: Thanks for stopping by the Yeti Cave, George. How are things going up in Boston?
GEORGE O’CONNOR: They’re going well, and I’m anxiously waiting for the weather to break! You’d think after a lifetime of living here I’d get used to the cold, but nope! I’m ready for shorts and flip-flops NOW!! And baseball!
CBY: ...and you know you're having a decent baseball season when it runs longer than flip-flop season! So with this latest Kickstarter campaign, we’re hopping on-board for Vampire on Mars, issue #3. What do readers need to know to get up to speed without me throwing any spoilers into our conversation?
GO: This series is a sci-fi/horror/dark comedy about a 300-year-old vampire trying to fulfill her lifelong goal of stepping foot on Mars. It’s funny, fast, and bloody at times as we play around with the idea of selling your humanity to get what you want.
In issue three, we hit the “find out” stage. The crew is starting to understand the consequences of their actions and how that fractures the team. We’re taking the story to the top of the rollercoaster as we head to the final issue.
CBY: Thanks for bringing everyone up to speed as we get things rolling. Now, I always do as much background reading as I can when prepping for interviews, and I had to double-check to make sure I was reading up on the right George O’Connor, as there’s a Brooklyn-based creator with the same name. (One time, I went to an acting class hosted by an entirely different Martin Donovan than the Martin Donovan I had in mind, so I didn't want to repeat the same mistake.) Have you had any hijinks or confusion ensue in the comics industry over cases of mistaken identity?
GO: I am the fifth George O’Connor making comics! And I found that out by Googling myself years ago and finding a forum post where the other four George O’Connors were talking about ME! To avoid the confusion, I’ve started using my middle initial more. And I’m happy to report that Brooklyn-based George O’Connor is a WONDERFUL person. We’ve chatted a bunch of times, and he even had me on his podcast,
But I’m telling you, there’s NOTHING sadder than a family gleefully approaching your table—Brooklyn George’s OLYMPUS books in hand—and having to tell them you’re not THAT George O’Connor. The way their faces dropped was heartbreakingly comical.
CBY: A cautionary tale around the importance of doing your due diligence before showing up at conventions with signing plans, to be sure. While trying to avoid specious inferences when digging into influences, given John Carpenter’s 1998 film Vampires, which was followed by the 2001 film Ghosts of Mars, am I right in assuming he is a creative influence of some significance? Who are the biggest inspirations and reference points for your aesthetic endeavors?
GO: Carpenter is a big influence on this story. He’s a master at delivering a B-movie concept that has more universal stories and humanity baked in, which is what we’re going for.
I’d also call out John Layman and Rob Guillory’s Chew. They did a wonderful job of balancing over-the-top comic action and concepts while keeping it grounded and real. That magical mix is why Fernando Pinto—artist and co-creator of Vampires on Mars—is the perfect collaborator for this story.
CBY: I know you’re also engaged in creative pursuits beyond your comic projects, performing in the metal band, Swarm of Eyes, and punk band, Viper Rash. I remember seeing a bill full of Japanese rock bands of various genres at The Middle East the last time I saw a show in Boston, but my experience there is a bit limited. Can you tell us a bit about your experiences in the diverse rock scene across the city? How does your music influence your comics, and vice versa?
GO: Over the years, I’ve realized how much these mediums cross over. They’re both based on collaboration and passion. I know making comics has made me a better bandmate and vice versa. Making comics taught me how to lead without dictating. Whether it’s a great artist or bass player, you’ll get better results when you talk, share ideas, and point the way. Then you get the hell out of the way and let the expert craftsperson do their thing. Whatever you’re creating always comes out better, and everyone gets a chance to add their personality and expertise.
CBY: You’ve also put together a solid team of creative collaborators on this installment of Vampires on Mars, returning with Fernano Pinto as artist & co-creator, Ellie Wright as colorist, Justin Birch as letterer, and James B. Emmett as your editor. The team is from various locales around the world; how did you pull everyone together in the first place, and what sort of coordination has proven most effective to get each issue put together?
GO: The keys are; 1. be clear, 2. be supportive, and 3. be patient. Everyone is doing their best, and everyone is juggling a ton of things between comics, family, and other obligations. You can’t force anything, and if you try, you’re not giving people the chance to shine.
As far as bringing the team together, that’s the power that good social media can have. Everyone at one point came across my timeline, and something about their art caught my eye, and I started following them. A few years back, I co-wrote and co-created an anthology called TODDLER-POCALYPSE. One of the reasons I did it was to work with as many of these amazing creators I’d been following as possible. Fernando, Ellie, and Justin were amazing collaborators on that anthology, and as luck had it, they were free and excited to work on Vampires on Mars.
I feel INCREDIBLY lucky the stars aligned and I got to work with them and editor James Emmett. A truly amazing and inspiring team.
CBY: It's always encouraging to hear about the production process going smoothly in spite of any challenges or limitations. Beyond Vampires on Mars, you’ve worked with an even broader roster of creative collaborators on the catalogue of titles from Homeless Comics, (including the aforementioned TODDLER-POCALYPSE). You’ve got half a dozen other comics listed beyond Vampires on Mars. Can you share a bit about how you got things up and running with Griffin Ess?
GO: Griffin and I have been friends for years, and he was always drawing since I first knew him. When I got the itch to try making comics, he was game to dive in with me! It was a blast creating Healed and Baby with him, and those brainstorm dinners are still some of my favorite memories of making comics.
CBY: I see you’ve added a few variant covers with guest artists. Can you tell us a bit about the extra artwork involved in this campaign from Alex Cormack and Jacob Edgar? What goes into metallicizing covers, like you’ve offered for Fernando and Ellie’s design?
GO: Alex is from the Northeast, too, so I’ve known him for years and have hung out with him. He’s so talented and a true pro’s pro. So when we launched Vampires, I knew I wanted to work with him. Jacob is another social media timeline discovery. By the time I was ready to reach out, he was already working with DC and with Brian Micheal Bendis on The Ones. I thought I’d missed my chance, but I sent an email anyway, and he was able to carve out time to create two amazing covers for the series.
For the metal covers, all praise goes to Ready Comics, who created the covers and put the comics together. They’ve been amazing to work with—great communication, execution, and turnaround times. And the covers have come out so well. The colors pop in the metal format. They’re so good that we’ve started making metal options available for all the covers.
CBY: Reflecting on your approach to the medium you shared in your interview with Barbara Dillon at Fanbase Press, what have you learned in the process of steadily expanding your audience about crowdfunding as a means of getting your comics out into the world? You’ve released with both Comics Experience and Comix Tribe, as well; what have you learned about the independent publishing space that you might be able to share with our readers?
GO: This might be a recurring theme, but be honest and enthusiastic. You have to be your biggest fan. Not in an ego-driven way, but as a welcoming cheerleader. There’s also no silver bullet. The way you grow is to publish, promote, and fulfill. Then do it again. Then again.
And when it comes to promoting, there is no such thing as too much. We’re all seeing how the algorithm and social platforms are making it harder and harder to reach new eyes. So you have to embrace the idea that when you feel like you’ve posted enough and everyone is annoyed with you, post two more times.
Chances are, the algorithm is eating your posts, and if your fans are “seeing too much,” trust that they want to see you succeed and welcome your enthusiasm on their timeline.
I also truly believe that in the indie publishing world, we’re each other’s support system, not competition. This isn’t a zero-sum game. We’re all here because we LOVE comics and have stories to share and tell.
CBY: Solidarity in the community is always welcome. To that end, you’ve been building a broad range of titles with unique premises and both an independent perspective and voice. If you had the opportunity to write a run for an existing character or team, what IP would you most want to play around with in a limited series?
GO: I feel like I’m the outside who isn’t in the game to write for existing IP. I LOVE the big two, but my passion is creating the worlds that I’ve built in my head.
That being said, I do have a KILLER pitch for a Dr. Strange story that would make a great annual!!
CBY: Hopefully someday it comes to fruition, George! In the meantime, here’s your opportunity, as is customary in the Yeti Cave, to provide each creator with a moment to share with our readers any other creative work unrelated to Vampires on Mars that everyone should check out; what comics, music, film, art, etc., has been inspiring you lately?
GO: In comics: Traveling to Mars, Middlewest, and Motor Girl are the current bars I’m trying to measure up to. Music: There is a killer New Hampshire band called DEAD HARRISON that I played with recently, and I love their album. I also saw this video from the J-pop band ATARASHII GAKKO! performing their song Tokyo Calling at Coachella 2024. It might be the most metal thing I’ve seen in a while, and I’m OBSESSED! TV: I recently re-watched Foundation and Game of Thrones and dove into Silo. And I can’t wait for Daredevil to come back!
CBY: Fantastic - it looks like Daredevil won't leave us waiting too long. George, thanks for sharing your perspective with Comic Book Yeti today! We look forward to seeing Vampires on Mars out in the market. If you have any portfolio, publication, or social media links to share, now is the time.
GO: If you’d like to learn more about my comic work, you can head to Homelesscomics.com. I’m hanging out on BlueSky these days.
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