Canadian Comics Insider Interview with Dan Graves continues...

Part II - by Millicent Mortificus, special to DFG ONLINE

CCI: There is a wealth of characters from the old SPM Comics line that you purchased back in 1982 that have not been utilized to date. Will the fans ever get a chance to see these characters in the new continuity?
DFG: Absolutely. We have big plans for these characters. Watch for their return as early as Spy Comics Presents #4. They will play a part in the current "Battle of the Invincibles" storyline, which concludes in #5. Following #5, the format is changing to that of a "team-up" book. Look for your favourite SPM characters to appear in some of these team-ups!

CCI: Please describe the DFG decision to move from Newstand sales to Online Publishing.
DFG: Well, DFG likes to be on the cutting edge of things. We are continuing to print a limited number of paper copies for our long-time subscribers, but we are indeed shifting to a mainly online format. What can I say, it's the way of the future!

CCI: How do you see the DFG website expanding in the near future?
DFG: One of the things that I intend to introduce is more Annuals and Special Editions. We always promised annuals back in the old days, but were rarely able to deliver. The Spy Classics Annual will be ready for the fall, and as mentioned in the previous interview, we are planning a Retro-Spy Christmas Special featuring the Invincibles that I hope will become an annual DFG tradition. Some time ago I announced a funny animal book, Captain Nepto and His Furry Friends. Many people thought I was joking, but I was really quite serious. We need something for our younger readers.

CCI: Who's your favourite Captain Nepto Villain and why?
DFG: I always like Dr. Tequilia -- it's all about the name.

CCI: Is Peter Repovski coming back to DFG? Certainly the response to Spy Classics must've been huge...?
DFG: Yes, the fans are clamouring for more of Pete's work! Peter is a very busy independent business man. He does have a cover on his drawing board that he is hoping to ink in the near future. But he has so many constraints on his time. Pete's always welcome to contribute to DFG pending his availability.

CCI: Did you gain special permission to use DC's Robin back in the 1996 run?
DFG: That wasn't Robin. It's ashame that the Spy '96 Annual was never released. It was all to be explained there. I do think it needs to be clarified, though. This is the story... An orphaned street kid who looked up to The Agent decided that he wanted to be The Agent's sidekick. He stole a Robin costume from a local costume store, dressed up in it and started tagging along with The Agent, although he tried to discourage him. Immediately, The Agent told him that he couldn't wear a Robin costume because he would be infringing DC's copyright so they bought some colour dyes changed the colours of the costume and changed the "r" logo to a "b" logo for Budgie. That's right, the character was actually called "Budgie." You can't really tell the colour change, though, because we were only publishing in black in white back in the 1990's. Sadly, Budgie died in the Spy '96 Annual. The By the way, Frank Daniels is still working tying all the fragmentary artwork for the Spy '96 Annual together and his hoping to have it released by Christmas.

CCI: Are you planning on doing a solo hero title again?
DFG: Personally, no. Trying to run a company with over 100 staffers, all its subsidiaries, and write and draw a regular title (Spy Comics Presents), plus issues of Spy Classics and Retro-Spy means that I can't take on a solo series right now. However, DFG will be launching a new Redman book soon. The release date and creative team are yet to be announced. I'm hoping that maybe Darryl Andrews might want to take it on. He's much better with solo character books than me and he has a real passion for Redman. Redman was, of course, a key character in the 1981 Spy Comics run, but I decided not to bring him back for the '85 relaunch. He also remained absent for the '96 relaunch. However, Darryl liked the character and drew some pin-ups and next thing you know he was co-starring with Nepto in Retro-Spy #1 (1996). That helped me to see the potential for the character and made me realize that he really is DFG's "heavy-hitter." When I relaunched again in 2006 I made him an integral part of the Invincibles. I can assure once the current story arc is over, that Redman will emerge as the most important senior hero of the DFG universe!

CCI: How would you describe your art style? Any major influences?
DFG: My style has gone through many changes. I would say that generally, I have settled on a simple 1950's style with thick lines, deco-style shapes, and semi-cartoonish faces with exaggerated features. I try to draw each character consistently using a particular caricature so that you always know exactly who you're looking at. This is especially important in a multi-cast book like Spy Comics Presents. I suppose my influences include any of the Bob Kane ghosts (Jerry Robinson, George Rousseau, Sheldon Moldoff, Dick Sprang, etc), but not Kane himself; and of course I am a great fan of both Eisner and Caniff. In terms of recent artists, I am a fan of most of Darwyn Cooke's work.

CCI: Is it true that DFG published a limited edition 12 month calendar featuring the ugliest DFG girls as a lampoon?
DFG: Absolutely not.

CCI: What is Dan's Hell-hole and why has nobody seen it?
DFG: Dan's Hell-hole was an "in-office" lampoon of life at DFG headquarters. It was a good-natured poke at me and the DFG leadership team. It made it look like DFG was an absolutely horrible place to work, which of course it isn't. It was all in good fun. I'm not ashamed of it, although I think that all the copies have been destroyed. I don't know who drew it, but I think it might have been Todd Abbot.

CCI: Who is DFG's Strongest Hero?
DFG: Without a doubt, Redman. Nova seems to have untapped power as well. Glow Girl is also quite powerful.

CCI: Which super villain do you think is the most dangerous?
DFG: They are all dangerous, that's why their called SUPER villains, silly.

CCI: Is there a character in the DFG Universe that you're just about sick of seeing?
DFG: I think that the Jester has probably been overused. Darryl featured him in just about every other issue of the original (1981) Captain Nepto series. He wasn't seen again in the 1985 series, and played a very low profile in the '96 series (in Spy '96 #3, I believe). Todd Abbot brought him back in Spy Classics #1 (1996), and Darryl & Todd used him in the first issue of Captain Nepto Prime this year. At the same time, he has been appearing in current time in Spy Comics Presents. Since he "reformed" he has been serving as mayor of Carnage City and has now been elected leader of the National Party to replace the assassinated Prime Minister Randy Anderson. This means he's just about to be sworn in as PM! After the current arc is done, he will be featured regularly in current continuity in his new role. Is this too much Jester? I suppose the answer could be "yes," however, like Julius Smithers, he has dropped his costumed persona and taken on a new role. We are getting to explore a different side of him. He is crucial to our current exploration of human nature in the DFG universe. In the real world we are always electing criminals to public office, but in the DFG universe we are taking this to a new level... what if we were to elect super-criminals to public office... and what is the difference here between what we actually do and what is being done in our comics?!

CCI: Is there a company policy on the degree of violence that can be portrayed in the comics?
DFG: I think off-screen violence is better than on screen violence. It leaves more to the imagination. We judge each situation on a case-by-case basis. We try to be a family company.
End of Part 2