Jimmy Broxton is getting fully loaded. Or at least, the storied artist best known for his work for 2000AD is breaking out on his own with a new project launching on Zoop: Fully Loaded, an erotic neo-noir thriller released completely in black and white.
“As the book is Dystopian Neo-Noir, it really had to be black and white,” Broxton told Comic Book Club over email. “The addition of colour changes everything, don’t get me wrong, I love colour books, but there is something so direct and visceral about black and white art. There is a subjective filter, a mild form of cognitive bias that comes with colour work, it is inescapable, for creator and viewer. With an absence of colour, you can bypass that barrier, communicate directly and go straight for the jugular, so to speak.”
The 64-page one-shot is just the tip of the iceberg for the world of Fully Loaded, with Broxton already planning out a new series of graphic novels. To find out more from the author/artist, read on.
Comic Book Club: You obviously have a long and prolific career as an artist… Why was Fully Loaded a good project to take on yourself?
Jimmy Broxton: Although the title for Fully Loaded is new, it’s actually based on a number of concepts and themes I have had kicking around for years. I did a drawing many years ago, well actually a painting, of a lone guy on balcony, looking out thoughtfully onto a futuristic street scene. Sadly, the art is long gone, but the image has always stuck with me. It was obvious that Fully Loaded had to be my first foray into solo creator-owned territory. There are a number of other books (completely unrelated to Fully Loaded) in various stages of development, which will hopefully see the light of day before too long. There’s no shortage of ideas, just hours in the day.
You throw out a number of influences here, but the clearest one (at least from the pages I’ve seen) is Blade Runner. What is the consistent appeal of this neo-noir setting? And the crusty old detective-type character caught in the middle of everything?
Blade Runner when released, was, (and incredibly) still is, the most beautifully and convincingly realised depictions of a possible future ever seen. It’s impossible not to be influenced by its visuals. The fact that it’s based on a story by the greatest Science Fiction writer of all time doesn’t hurt either. Clearly the film’s neo-noir sensibility, and the character of Deckard have their roots in hard-boiled crime fiction, going back to Carroll John Daly, Dashiell Hammet, and of course Raymond Chandler. Those stories often feature protagonists who operate outside of societal norms, they are tough, uncompromising, but not without charm and wit. These “anti-heores” and outlaws, who blur moralistic lines are now cultural icons, and represent archetypal sigma males. Anachronistic they may be, perhaps especially in a futuristic setting, but their appeal remains universal, and they resonate deeply in the public consciousness. I’m not immune to being captivated by that allure.
Given there have been so many stories in these types of settings, what makes Fully Loaded unique — other than you drew the heck out of it?
Well, you are too kind! Fully Loaded is more than it first appears. Yes, superficially it plays as a dystopian crime thriller/morality play. But beneath the surface, at a subtextual level, there lurks something far deeper and ultimately revelatory. I’d prefer not to say too much, but those who pick up the book can be assured a unique reading experience. At least, that’s what I hope.
Speaking of which, there’s a lot I was bowled away by in the preview pages, but I wanted to ask about drawing city-scapes in particular… How do you first approach something like a skyline?
I’ll let you into a little secret. Throughout the ’90s and 2000s, I was the chief background designer/illustrator for DC Comics licensing/Warner Bros. During that period, if you picked up a licensed product, a toy, apparel, cereal box, anything really, if it had a Gotham skyline or a Metropolis setting, chances are I designed and illustrated it. They still use them to this day. I collect Batman toys, and just the other day I picked up a set of cool figures, and the packaging featured some of my designs. So, I have always been fascinated by architecture and cityscapes. In fact, I love industrial design in general, I love drawing cars, telephones, furniture etc. A lot of the stuff many comic artists seem not to enjoy so much. But, in answer to your question, establish the horizon line set your vanishing points and get going! It’s also best to think in terms of shapes, balance your geometrics before you start adding all the windows and little details that make buildings look convincing.
It also seems like you’re challenging yourself to do as many types of layouts as possible. You’ve got skylines, as noted. You’ve got pages packed with people. And you have sparse pages with silhouetted motorcycle chases… Was the goal to hit as many types of styles as possible?
No, the style should be consistent throughout, irrespective of scene or setting, that is vital to the storytelling. The complexity of any given page, either in terms of layout/panel arrangement, size/number of panels, or elements depicted within those panels, depends entirely on what the story requires. The pacing, emotional impact, sense of scale or intimacy, and narrative flow can be precisely controlled by utilising all of those storytelling tools. The ability to do this is unique to comics, so I enjoy attempting to explore this variety of options to the max.
I love the choice to have black and white pages… Was this to bring more focus to your pencils and inks?
Not really, as the book is Dystopian Neo-Noir, it really had to be black and white.
The addition of colour changes everything, don’t get me wrong, I love colour books, but there is something so direct and visceral about black and white art. There is a subjective filter, a mild form of cognitive bias that comes with colour work, it is inescapable, for creator and viewer. With an absence of colour, you can bypass that barrier, communicate directly and go straight for the jugular, so to speak. Frank Miller’s brilliant Sin City does that better than any book I can think of.
You’ve had some pretty good experiences with crowdfunding, and some rough ones as well… What lessons have you learned that you’ll be applying to this Zoop campaign? Any hot tips for prospective crowdfunders?
Very diplomatically put. In the spirit of continued diplomacy I’ll reply accordingly, and resist the temptation to say what I’d really like to. See, despite my reputation I can be warm and fuzzy. The lessons I have learned are numerous. First and foremost, (and I’m specifically talking about comics projects here) don’t be in a rush. Get as much of your book finished before you go live with the campaign. It’s an exciting and stressful time, and there’s always that temptation to press the launch button, and see your baby take its first tentative steps into the wild. But, the more you have to show the better, to reassure your potential backers that the book will be a reality. This will pay dividends in the long run. Obviously there’s a balance to be struck , especially if comics is your day job, you can only work unpaid for so long, you’ll know when you are about to cross the rubicon. Secondly, do your homework, thoroughly research, print and postal prices in particular, they can fluctuate wildly, even with the seasons, so factor in worst case scenarios when calculating your targets. Lastly, launch on a Tuesday, not the weekend.
What can people who pledge expect from the Zoop campaign?
Zoop are just the best, so people can expect to receive a beautiful object, with the highest possible production values. They can also expect it to arrive when Zoop say it will, and if there are any unforeseen delays, folks will be alerted to that fact well in advance. As for the story, those who pledge can expect to be entertained, excited, and when they reach the finale, they can expect their chin to hit the floor.
This promises to be the first in a graphic novel series… How much do you have planned out at this point?
It’s early days, the second book in the series: Old World Order, is mostly plotted, so I’m ready to jump on that once we finish with book one. A lot will depend on the success of the campaign, and the reaction to the first book. And of course what we do afterwards with it, we are exploring other post a campaign avenues.
Fully Loaded is live on Zoop today, so get pledging!
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