Interview with Mary Cagle, artist of Kiwi Blitz
by Apollo on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 | 7 Comments
I got to chat with Mary Cagle a few days ago about her comic Kiwi Blitz (review here).
Apollo: How did you come up with the concept for the comic?
Mary: I actually made Steffi for a comic contest on deviantart. At the time she was just a random german girl with a kiwibird robot. I eventually became enthralled with her and started thinking about the kinds of people she would hang around with, and the kind of world she would inhabit. KB slowly grew out of those imaginings.
Apollo: Why Kiwi Birds?
Mary: Kiwi birds are ridiculously adorable, and there’s a certain level of nobility in their existence. They’re just such evolutionarily inferior beings, but they keep on truckin’.
Apollo: How far out do you have the storyline planned?
Mary: I have specific ideas for what will happen in the next few tracks, and more vague ideas of storylines afterward. I also have an ending planned. But the actual writing of the comic takes place on each individual page as I draw it, because I am incredibly irresponsible and I suck at scripting.
Apollo: Who is your favorite character?
Mary: Right now, I’d say The Raccoon is the most fun to draw. As far as writing, I actually have a soft spot in my heart for Heinrich and Reed. They both have a side that feels kind of old and sad, and that comes from a place deep in my heart. (Trust me, you’ll see some more of that later.)
Apollo: What have been your biggest influences for the comic?
Mary: Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I guess I’d have to say Zoids, for teaching my as a child that it is possible to have mechs that are animals. Rockman.EXE probably inspired the whole idea of a futuristic light-hearted colorful comic, as I really liked that show and its character designs. And rounding it off, Soul Eater has been pushing me to really go crazy with angles and proportions whenever possible lately. That show has the most awesome dynamic shots, yo.
Apollo: Is there anything you would like to say to people reading the review of your comic?
Mary: KB isn’t anything super profound or revolutionary, but I hope you might give it a shot if you haven’t tried it. Of course I can’t dictate the mindset with which you read my comic, but for me it’s a kind of reclamation of my childhood and all the things I still find fun about action cartoons. If you’re willing to crack the sugar coating of the creme brule that is my comic, you might find something interestingly nostalgic and pure within its contents.
If you still haven’t checked out the comic, you can do so here.
Do you accept guest posts? I would love to write couple articles here.
I do accept submissions for guest posts. Just send them to my email (apollo@fireweaverreviews.com) and I’ll look them over. If nothing seems wrong with it, I will post it in the correct area and give the author credit on the post.
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We actually do have a Facebook page. it can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Apollo-Fireweaver-Reviews/132931513384652