Kickstarter Spotlight: Creepy Scarlett

 Hey, Geeks and Geekettes, welcome to the Geekin' review of Creepy Scarlett by Graeme Buchan.

 @ScarlettComic 

 Buy Creepy Scarlett Book One

I knew little-to-nothing about Creepy Scarlett, other than what I read from the Kickstarter page, when I started reading this comic. Trying to keep an open mind, I tried very hard not to make comparisons until I was completely caught up with the book. Funny enough, some of the things that came to mind at first glance stayed with me throughout the book, but became more superficial.

The cover art and general theme reminded me of the KISS: Psycho Circus run back in the late 90s. I was in the height of my KISS fandom and ate every issue of that series up like it was going out of style. (Heh.) The feel of creepy (oh, I'm a roll today, folks) themes mixed well with 'Creepy Scarlett"'s mythology and reminded me of 'Psycho Circus' in a very good way.

Samurai armor featuring imagery of Scarlett's bestfriend and stuffed bear, Ted. You don't get more bad ass than that right there, folks.

What struck me most about this book was the humor. Yes, it has it's dramatic moments and wonderfully unnerving characters (Trixie Von will be the source of my nightmares for weeks, I'm sure), but the way it balances that with the humor is what really made this book for me. Scarlett's deadpan naivete made for some fun giggles. And I've found myself yelling "Candy break!" when I've just had enough for the day...

As Book One moves through the first four issues it stays strong with clear direction. So often, especially in smaller creator-owned books, you find the series loses it's thunder after the first issue or two. Creepy Scarlett is a wonderful exception. It demands your attention as it builds it's mythology and the mystery surrounding Creepy Scarlett's past and future. Even the villains are compelling and interesting, I am definitely wanting to find out more about Jack Pumpkinface! The series gives you just enough information to keep your satisfied, without bogging you down with all the information at once. It's wonderfully written and plotted out.

Mr. Buchan, the writer and creator behind Creepy Scarlett was kind enough to spend some time answering some questions for Geekin'. Check out the interview below, and be sure to check out the links and help fund Creepy Scarlett's future!

Q:  Could you tell us a little more about you personally, and what brought you to becoming comic book creator?

I don't really like to talk about myself. It's just something that happened gradually, becoming a comic book creator. Creepy Scarlett is my first and last foray into comics. I love visual arts and do a little hobby photography and was learning film-making on my own time when along came a dead girl who lives in a cemetery and here I am now making comics. So much so that I'm now officially self employed doing this. I enjoy observing, speculating and pondering the ways of humanity. I am happiest when sitting on a hill and watching the sea, sky, and world pass by. I haven't done much in life, but when I do go, I go my own way and find my own path. It's more fun, if not dangerous, that way. You see why I don't talk about myself much now, more out of awkwardness than rudeness you understand. I also hate these q&a things. I cringe yet am compelled to do them =)

Q: Why tell Scarlett's story in this platform, versus any other? Film, animation, regular novel?

It started in film. I was learning film-making and making short films as a way of learning. I was just playing with ideas to find something to expand upon. The Pumpkinface character came first and had a comic book in production. The artist went awol and Halloween was approaching and the I decided to make short film introducing Creepy Scarlett. It as just a character piece but the more I developed it I knew it was the one.

Other ideas, new and old just melted in the world of Scarlett and I decided to make a comic book.

I had no idea what I was doing. I made a 49 page "pilot" Issue that gave me time to develop the main story more. As for why a comic book, it gets the story out there visually. I love visual arts and this was the best way I could tell the story how I wanted to. Just now it is mostly introducing the characters and story, eventually some will spin off into their own stories and also have more in depth origin stories. Making comics is expensive though and although I'd like to sit and start churning out books, each one is a struggle just to finance for now.

Q: Why Creepy Scarlett? What made you decide this character's story needed telling? What were your inspirations for the character?

Scarlett became a muse like figure and a conduit for all the stories I had in my head and for new ones. As soon as I started making the short film I just knew that it was developing into something else. Scarlett is the one through which the stories are told. 

As for the character, the culmination of different ideas and a lot of time spent in the cemetery in which the character's home is based. Also every creation is inspired by other things and the things I like such as Buffy and the Crow, and Alice and wonderland etc.

Q: How do you feel about the current state of female-lead comic series in the industry and public consciousness? 

Are you gonna open this can of worms? Okey dokey!

As a creator myself now, I feel it's not my place to say. Also, all my time is concentrated on making a comic and I don't get to read much other stuff or watch movies or play games etc.

It's also a very complex and heated subject for some. Every short film I made had a female lead character. I write a female character as I would a male character. The obsession with what a female lead should be is usually argued by someone with an agenda. Let us start with the super heroes. The wonder-woman, Cat-woman, the female version of Hulk, Batman, Spider-man etc. We know that for a long time, traditionally the female was there to be saved. Kill the baddies, save the girl, it's a simple age old story. Then to overcompensate in our new world of equal opportunities and girl power we have the ridiculous female super heroes. You don't have to grow up wanting to be just a princess. Now you can be a 6ft amazonian princess and fight for truth and justice! These characters are and were meant for young girls and teenage boys. Of course, now with the new Ms. Marvel etc. it has warped into something totally different. I'm just not going there.

As for the current crop of alternative female leads, you still have the overtly sexual badass, which is fine for it's audience. Personally I think Buffy changed and paved the way for a complex and cultured female lead. Nothing to my eye comes close to characters of Buffy as far as females in a fictional, action orientated world. I have my guilty pleasures such as Alice in the resident evil movies, but hey, don't judge me ok.

You have to understand that characters, male or female, are generally just a few character traits enhanced to make it easy for the audience.

As a male, perhaps I find the female character a puzzle. A mysterious unsolvable wonder of the universe. A brain churning, walking talking paradox of complexity. 

Maybe I just write female characters. People will find and attach themselves to or argue against whatever they feel obliged to. Usually I would avoid the subject but that's just a glimpse into my take on it. I'm sure somebody will be offended by something in there even though I was holding back and trying to be objective.

Lets talk about the state of male characters in comic books next time.

Q: If you were going to cast a live action Creepy Scarlett movie, who would you pick to play your characters?

At some point during most days I briefly drift into pondering this question. Of course the question of who would play Scarlett is most pondered.

The goal is to make a movie series. So, ask again in 5 years or so =) Right now, if Scarlett was made today I would say Chloe Bennet, although I haven't seen her act, only on talk shows. But she has the right look I think at least.

Q: Do you have an end-goal for Scarlett, or do you plan to keep making Creepy Scarlett stories forever? 

The end goal is to create a franchise and universe that will be here long after me. The comic book itself is just the start. The story is quite epic in length and the motto is "Life is not a genre" so you never know what will be next whether it's samurai, clowns, cowboys, or whatever.

At the moment it is just a struggle to keep it alive until more people get the chance to see it and support it, more importantly, enjoy it, I hope.

The end of the current plan of story lines ends in 2020. By that time it should be current and in real time. Still having room to tell older stories in flashback issues.

Animated series, movie series, video games, and all the things that come with those are in the plan. For now though it is a battle to survive the first six issues of the comic and that is the main focus point. I didn't start this to make just a comic book. I started it to create the greatest most epic continuous comic book story ever attempted or created and the greatest independent franchise in comic book history. Not much of a goal. Gotta start somewhere though =)

Thanks to Graeme Buchan for sharing this amazing vision with us and spending the time to answer our questions. The boys here at Geekin' definitely look forward to seeing more out of Mr. Buchan, no matter what medium he chooses.

Support the Kickstarter! Keep Creepy Scarlett alive!
Creepy Scarlett Kickstarter
Buy the collected first 4 issues of Creepy Scarlett over at DriveThruComics
Creepy Scarlett Book One
Stalk/Keep Tabs On/Follow Graeme Buchan on Twitter!
@ScarlettComic
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And as always, KEEP GEEKIN'!