Hernando Diaz invites Darcy Van Poelgeest, Eisner-winning author of Little Bird, into the Yeti Cave to discuss Precious Metal Vol. 1, which is now available through Image Comics!
COMIC BOOK YETI: Darcy, thank you for joining Comic Book Yeti today! We’re keen to explore your process with you, as we know you won the Eisner Award for your work on the related title, Little Bird. Could you tell us more about what went into the great experience behind recognition for this release leading up to Precious Metal?
DARCY VAN POELGEEST: Thanks for having me.
I think a lot of the excitement around Little Bird helped sustain us through-out the making of Precious Metal, which again took several years. If Little Bird hadn’t been successful, I don’t think we would have had the opportunity to tell the story of Precious Metal and continue to build out this world, which we were very keen to do.
CBY: Now, in talking about Precious Metal, one of your latest comic books, what were some of the biggest influences that prepared you for your storytelling style for this title?
DVP: This is always a difficult question for me. Not because I don’t have influences but because I have trouble identifying them. Most of what influences me just seeps in through a combination of other stories, real life experiences, dance, music. But I can never point to any one thing, specifically. It just kind of comes from everywhere and it’s messy. I guess what I’m saying is, I don’t really prepare a particular style, or if I do, I’m not really aware of it.
CBY: One of the principal characters in Precious Metal is Max Weaver. What were your influences or references in his character development?
DVP: Max Weaver was first introduced in Little Bird as “Sarge” where he’s thirty-five years older than he is in Precious Metal. So I had that to draw from and then work backwards in time, deconstructing who he is based on what he’d become and this was really so much fun for me. And I think some of my love for old black & white noir films informed his character. Movies like Nightmare Alley, Detour, and Chinatown. Films where the protagonist exists in a morally grey area. I’ve always loved those kinds of characters, they’re the most interesting to me.
CBY: One of the most important things for a writer, as a part of the story, is the art and having a good job relationship with the artist. In your case, what is your preferred collaboration process with artists and illustrators, in general? How did you make sure that your vision is effectively translated into the artwork by your collaborator, Ian Bertram?
DVP: Yes! Absolutely. My relationship with the artist is such a big part of my life. Ian Bertram is one of my best friends and that means more to me than our work together. We might stop working together one day but we’ll always be friends. And I think my only process is to try and make a connection with the artist in a way that we are very comfortable with each other so that we can exchange ideas without feeling like there’s some kind of weird hierarchy or established process we need to follow. Not everyone is going to become your best friend, obviously, but if you’re at least comfortable with each other and respect each other, then the collaboration can look like anything so long as it keeps the story centered and everyone involved feels as though it’s an opportunity to express themselves through the work. That’s what matters most to me.
CBY: Are there any particular themes or messages that you want to convey through your work in Precious Metal or your work in general?
DVP: No. There’s nothing I really want to convey. But I think what often comes through are some recurring ideas, and anxieties, that I’m preoccupied with or exploring at the time of writing something. At the time of writing Precious Metal I was thinking a lot about being a parent and how memories shape us and that experience. And more overtly, I was and still am very preoccupied by the rise of extreme Christian nationalism in the US. It’s something that has always scared me, even as a kid, religion was always a scary idea to me.
CBY: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced earlier in your career as a comic book writer, and how did you overcome them?
DVP: Little Bird was my first book, which I just quietly worked on with Ian over the period of a few years so when it came out it just kind of dropped me into an industry where I didn’t know anyone and I felt like a bit of an outsider. It was pretty overwhelming. I think being neurodivergent and having anxiety probably made this more complicated. And financially, it’s not always easy. But I’ve been doing it for a few years now and I have a better grasp on things and have gotten to know some really lovely, supportive people. And honestly, these have been small challenges in the grand scheme of things. There are writers and artists out there who are up against some very real life challenges, like living in a world where people refuse to acknowledge their existence, and we need to make sure we’re there for them so that their voices are heard.
CBY: While you won the Eisner Award for Little Bird, you’ve been involved in creating many other comics. Which one are you proudest of, and why? What made it so special for you?
DVP: Precious Metal is my fourth series, which isn’t really all that many considering my first one came out in 2019. And I think it’s probably Precious Metal that I’m most proud of, for me, as a writer but also for the entirety of it.
CBY: How do you engage with your audience, both during the writing process and after publication? Do you look for feedback? When received, how does it influence your work?
DVP: Do I have an audience? Haha. I don’t know. I definitely am not interested in audience feedback in terms of the stories I’m telling or how I’m telling them. Certainly not during the writing process. But I do like to hear what people think afterwards. Sometimes I enjoy the criticism more than the praise, particularly if they hit on something that I agree with or hadn’t thought about before. But most criticism I don’t take seriously because it’s obvious that they didn’t really engage with the work. They speed read it and puke out a hot take and move on to the next thing as quickly as possible. So yeah, I’m not really looking for feedback unless it’s coming from an editor or collaborator. I just have ideas and it’s a very solitary thing.
CBY: I am curious to know, in your personal opinion, what trends in the comic book industry do you find exciting or concerning right now? How do you think they forecast the future of the industry?
DVP: I have a twelve year old son and he just glosses over when he looks at all my boxes of comics, then walks over to the bookshelf and picks something out. I think the appeal of single issue comics for younger people is fading. I don’t think they’re going away anytime soon but that’s the trend I’m seeing.
The good news is, I don’t feel like that’s something we need to fear. My son still prefers print over digital and he still likes to read a series of comic books, he just wants to read bigger comics that sit on a shelf. Beyond that, I have some ideas of what could still be done in the single issue market, specifically, that hasn’t been done yet but I’m going to keep that to myself for now.
CBY: To finish, what advice would you give to aspiring comic book writers who are just starting out? Are there any common traps they should avoid?
DVP: I would just say to avoid chasing a trend or creating something that you think people want. I think what people are looking for is something genuinely you, something honest. And if you take that approach you have a better chance of making a career out of it.
CBY: Darcy Van Poelgeest, thank you for joining us in the Yeti Cave today! For our readers at home, please feel free to include any portfolio, publication, or social media links below where they can further engage with you and your work. We look forward to seeing what you come up with next!
DVP: Thanks so much for having me! I’m on IG at @dvpdirect and I have a monthly newsletter on Substack to keep people updated on upcoming work and appearances.