FanExpo 2018: David Finch Says There’s A Comic For Everyone

Tito W. James: Have you attended FanExpo before?
David Finch: I was here last year and I love Boston. All of FanExpo’s shows are great. This year I think I’ve done Dallas, Orlando, this one, and I’ve got Toronto coming up. So I’ve gone to a lot of FanExpos and they’re always top notch.
TWJ: Is there anything that stands out to you in the current comic book landscape?
DF: I’ve been able to say this for quite a few years now. The movies have changed the public’s perception of comics. It’s so much more mainstream nowadays. Obscure characters who I was a fan of years ago are making it to the big screen. Now everyone knows who they are.
Just looking around the convention, I think that our audience is much different, too. It’s not the same “guys kind of my age that have always been into comics.” It used to be that you wouldn’t see kids or women at conventions. But that’s really changing. I see a lot more women and so many more kids. It seems like we’re finally reaching out to everyone.
TWJ: Besides movies and TV shows, what do you think has been the tipping point in terms of bringing in new audiences?
DF: I think comics have kind of grown up. Comics are specifically being tailor-made for everyone in a way that they weren’t always, you know? I think that if you’re a comic fan, there are multiple books for everyone.

TWJ: Have you noticed any stylistic trends amongst artists?
DF: You know, I was an Image artist when I first got in. I still like the big muscles with the veins and the crazy aggressive stuff.
You don’t see so much of that anymore. I think it’s a little more staid and tasteful.
[Laughs]
I love the new stuff, but I still like the crazy, violent superheroes. Frank Miller and dark shadows–I’m still a big fan of that stuff.
TWJ: I’ve been thinking the 90’s Image style might be due for a comeback just with different stories and subject matter. What do you think about that?
DF: I’d love to see it and I think there’s room for it. It would be a shame if the entire industry drew like that, but I don’t think that would happen. I’d love to see a little more of it for sure, I’m a big fan.
TWJ: What would you think it would take for 90’s style art to come back without seeming cheesy or tasteless?
DF: I truthfully don’t know. That’s a really good question. So much of what we find tasteful at any given time is subjective. You get exposed to it and get used to it. You don’t really feel the cheese. It’s not until five years later that you look back and go “Wow, we were into that? What were we thinking!”
[Laughs]
TWJ: I think it’s kind of like horror movies where you know going in that you’re going to be weirded out and exposed to controversial subject matter.
Yet, more recent horror-themed films like The Shape of Water, Get Out, and Upgrade, have taken the gory tropes and used them to actually say something about today’s society.
DF: Yeah, for sure! What was that last movie? I don’t think I’ve heard of it.
TWJ: It’s like a feature-length episode of Black Mirror with subtle cultural satire.
DF: When it comes to a message in the film, I don’t like it when it’s hammered at you. When there’s a message but also a really good story, I think it’s so much more effective. There have been some really good horror movies like that lately.
But you know, I still like Saw even though I won’t watch it with my wife, Meredith.
TWJ: Upgrade is directed by Leigh Whannell who wrote the original Saw.
DF: Wow, I’ll definitely watch that!

TWJ: What do you think would be essential for a live action adaptation of Moon Knight?
DF: I think what makes Moon Knight special is that as the audience, you don’t know if he’s completely crazy or if the whole Khonshu deal is a real thing. Maybe all his exploits are just in his head and he’s just a crazy person running around in the street. I love that!
When I was doing Moon Knight, I had a lot of fights with the writer, truthfully, and it was a tough experience. I just didn’t get where he was coming from until later on. I was working with Charlie Huston–the guy’s a genius, and it’s a great story. If Marvel’s going to do a movie, they should give him a call.
I’d like to take David Finch for taking the time for this interview.