#big fan of kicking england out of the UK to get The Cooler UK That's Not Actually A Kingdom

[greens-thearem]

personally, i think scotland and wales should be able to kyoshi island themselves. just drift off into the ocean so they don't have to deal with us shits

[englishmansdcc]

Amit Chauhan is the creator of YAKUZA DEMON KILLERS, a fantasy/horror comic book series from IDW Publishing. AEISD contributor Mark Searby spoke to Amit about his DEMONS VS THE YAKUZA miniseries.

MS: Did you always want to be a comic book writer?

AC: That’s a funny one. When I was a kid I wanted to write comics but I had a period at University where I… didn’t fall out of love with comics… just wasn’t collecting as much. So I went and did film school at University and I met Mark Brennan [TEA FOR TWO director], and I wanted to do film scripts. Living in England, I went to work at ITV [UK commercial TV network] and it didn’t click… something didn’t work.

I came over to the States and I was having lunch in a diner with a guy who did artwork for X-MEN, Jim Muniz, and we were chatting and I was telling him all these crazy film ideas and he said “You know, you should write comic books.” So, I did self publishing and all the type of stuff writers do to get off the ground, just to learn the craft a bit more. It took off from there.

Mark Searby: Where did the idea for Yakuza Demon Killers come from?

Amit Chauhan: It was something I had in my bag for a while. I was a big fan of Anime growing up and a lot of old horror films. So it was a mix of all my interests and that kind of B-Movie feel to it. Some ridiculous premise and these two rivalling factions with thieves stuck in the middle of this madness going on around them.

As time goes on, when you’re pitching something in comics, you pitching different ideas to publishers and the first idea I had was for a book called BUTCHER, which I Kickstarted and the publisher was interested but they ended up not wanted to go that route and they asked “Have you got any other ideas?” and I said “I’ve got this one called YAKUZA DEMON KILLERS.” And they said “Great title! That’s the one!” Usually it takes months for something to get green lit and they green lit very quickly, within a month or two. Then we were all go. It was kind of wild.

Yakuza Demon Killers #1, cover art (image: IDW Publishing)

MS: The first few pages feature a drugged-out woman going on a heist and then everything kicking off. Did you always want to start the comic off with a huge BANG! Moment?

AC: I wanted it to be a book where you can take all the fun – all the smash, bang horror aspects – but I also wanted there to be a story about the thief’s evolution. She starts out as this strung-out druggy and will she end the book like that? Can she end the book like that? What kind of implication does that have? How does that affect her mindset? I wanted there to be some seriousness in there as well as all the crazy stuff.

You start off with such an impactful image of her hallucinating in an alleyway and I wanted that to be as if you are directly in this girls world and you know what her perspective is on her surroundings and then you are following her around as she is almost being dragged through this madness. It is kind of having that sense of no control over anything. The first issue I wanted to give that subtext that she has no control over anything and slowly, as the book goes on, she is getting more and more control.

MS: Yakuza Demon Killers is four issues. Did you envisage four comics from the beginning? Or did you want more?

AC: I think if you ask any writer they always want a bit more [laughs]. The industry right now is really hard to keep people’s attentions, so it started off back in the 1970s and 80s comic books went on for fifty, sixty issues on massive long runs and slowly over time especially in the last decade or so with the introduction of the internet and apps and smart phones people’s attention spans are getting less and less. People can’t wait for a lot of issues to see your book.

Maybe THE WALKING DEAD is one of the few exceptions to that. But you need something that is quick and is out there. They have the full story within a year. It is hard but working with time constraints helps as well because you’re not faffing along [laughs].

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MS: The artwork is quite terrifying. What was it like working with Eli Powell and K. Michael Russell on the project?

AC: Eli Powell is one of the most talented people I’ve ever worked with. He is unbelievable. We kind of had this psychic connection almost. When I write something he will show it exactly how it is. It is amazing. K. Michael Russell is the colour artist on it. He can either do very vibrant colours, if you see issue one where she is hallucinating he brings out these beautiful oranges and these warms tones, but then in other scenes you’ll see a much cooler pallet. He has this beautiful mastery over his art form. Both guys have been wonderful to work with.

To work with that kind of talent on my first series is… you couldn’t ask for a better team. Along with Marshall Dillon, who is the letterer. The letterer is the guy who doesn’t get enough credit. He really draws the reader’s eye through the comic book and is showing the reader how to follow the story. He is a wonderful wonderful talent.

MS: Did ever reject any of their artwork?

AC: The only time that happens is if a scene is drawn and maybe there is a misunderstanding with something. With Eli he is so on point and the same with K. Michael but sometimes something is focussed on that shouldn’t be. That’s mainly because you have a script in front of you and this person has to read your script, which is twenty two pages, and they are trying to take what they can.

The best of us, when asked to read something for work, can miss something. There are times when I’ve asked them “what did you think to this? Is this unrealistic?” Unrealistic in the main sense because it is a fantasy. I think we all keep each other in check which is nice. It’s kind of an open forum, which is cool. That’s a good way to work.

MS: What has the reception been like for the comics?

AC: It’s so interesting. We’ve had such good feedback. With any art you put out there, and I’ve realised this, all you can hope is that people understand the story and then you are going to get back someone’s personal preference. Some people have been, “I really love this,” and some have been, “Meh, it’s OK.” I’ve been really pleased with the reception. We had someone send us fan art. That was amazing because I’ve never had fan art before of a character I created. To have someone send that to you… WOW! It’s cool. It’s been wonderful.

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MS: What are your thoughts on the state of the industry at present?

AC: It’s the most accessible but hardest to get into [laughs]. Anyone can write a comic right now, which is amazing. Anyone can have a kickstarter. It has enabled everyone to have a voice. But because so many people want to get in and most of them are making books which are harder to get to publishers. More people are creating books now but the budgets and slates haven’t changed. It is highly competitive, which is great.

I think original IP’s have really taken off in the past decade because all these creators of all these stories… I love Spider-Man and Superman, but when you are writing for these big companies you have an obligation to do right by their characters. With creating your own work you can do anything you want. Maybe it works or maybe it doesn’t but it is YOUR choice. So creators can take huge risks and if it goes wrong it is own their own back. You can’t do that at bigger companies. There is nothing wrong with that and you should always be respectful of big characters because people grew up on those characters. It’s a very exciting time in the industry. There are so many voices out there.

MS: How important is it for someone such as yourself, who are promoting their own creations, to attend comic-cons?

AC: I’m at a lot of conventions this year and it’s getting difficult because there are so many now that they all start to clash a bit. It’s outreach. So when people meet you it is that connection. You can like a book but when you meet the author or you have a good interaction it is going to make you follow that author more. I love talking to fans. A true nerd will let you know if they loved it or hated it, and I love that about the accessibility of the industry.

MS: Do you find it hard to keep your nerdiness in check when you see some of the big players from the industry at the same events as you?

AC: Oh, 100%! [laughs]. The odd occasion that I get introduced to someone… it’s not tears [laughs]… when you break into any industry your friends are going to be the people you broke in with. Those are the ones you hang out with. I’m not going to be sitting at dinner with Stan Lee [laughs], but just sitting at a table with the likes of John Romita Jr. and you’re all pros at a convention. It is really strange. There are so many times I have to keep it in check [laughs].

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MS: One last question on YAKUZA DEMON KILLERS. Have you received feedback from real life Yakuza’s?

AC: Thankfully, no! [laughs]. In YAKUZA DEMON KILLERS, nearly all the places depicted are real places. I took photos when I went to these places. I was in Japan for a month taking pictures and sending them to Eli. In the first issue they go through the Tokyo National Museum and I took a bunch of pictures and sent them to Eli. The sword case in the book isn’t a sword case [in the museum] but it does have a statue in it. If you walk the same way through that gallery you’ll come to that case. I try to make sure it is the way it is. That is important to me.

Interview: @Mark_Searby talks to Amit Chauhan (Creator: @IDWPublishing's YAKUZA DEMON KILLERS) Amit Chauhan is the creator of YAKUZA DEMON KILLERS, a fantasy/horror comic book series from IDW Publishing…