The “Filthy And Fabulous” Side Of Music: A Q&A With Moritat On Gunning For Hits

This week, the first issue of a new comic series focusing on the music industry arrives from Image Comics, but it’s a music scene that encapsulates the dark underbelly of clublife in the 1980’s. In Gunning for Hits, don’t expect dayglo graphics and the overly stylized nostalgia comics set in the 80’s we are seeing pop up elsewhere in comics, or in film for that matter, since writer Jeff Rougvie (Director and Producer of Rykodisc’s David Bowie Series), artist Moritat (The Spirit, Harley Quinn, Hellblazer), and colorist Casey Silver have a very different, more ground-level aesthetic in mind.
But what’s it all about, really? We’ll be following Martin Mills, a talent scout from a record label who’s determined to make the people who should be big stars into big stars, gaming the rules of the business in their favor. And, of course, his own. But promo is hinting that Gunning for Hits is also a “music business crime thriller” so I guess we’re going to see some unsavory outcomes here. Each issue of the series is also going to feature a “background feature” on music and, of course, a Spotify list. How could it not?
Artist Moritat kindly joins us today for a Q&A about his views on the series and its place in his work.

Hannah Means-Shannon: Why do you think stories about music work in comics? Considering that presenting music in comics is notoriously hard to do, what do you think it is about music stories that do work and appeal to readers?
Moritat: Music is a universal language. No matter where you come from or what you look like, music transcends personal boundaries and connects with people on a primal level. It can provide a soundtrack for imagination, which is the key element to enjoying comics as a fully immersive experience. Personally, when I listen to music, I see images of a story, a visual soundscape of sorts, and I think the opposite can be true when reading comics; that between the panels there exists a soundtrack for those who are capable of not just hearing, but listening to what the creators are trying to conduct.

HMS: What do you think the New York setting brings to the story in terms of tone, action, and aesthetics?
Moritat: New York is the greatest city in the world, one with a million naked stories, as they say. For GFH, we are traveling back to the late 80s when New York was still filthy and fabulous which, for me, is a real treat. It’s one of the things I love about comics and stories in general. I mean, how else can you travel in time? This gritty underbelly of New York that Jeff has crafted is the perfect setting for a story about the dark side of the music industry.
HMS: Do you think that in the music industry, as much as in other forms of media, fans are looking for strong characters they can identify with and follow over time?
Moritat: Of course. The best musicians are those with a narrative, something that sticks to the ribs. Ozzy eating the head off a bat. The many personalities of Bowie. The junkie romanticism of Lou Reed. These stories, rumors and sometimes flat out lies are what solidify the silhouettes of these larger than life performers. Musicians come and go, but the ones who embody the characters in their songs, who truly live them, become legends.

HMS: Promo for the comic mentions that there won’t be 80’s colors or graphics featuring heavily as a “retro” aspect for the series. What does that allow you to do in terms of actually getting the more ground-level texture of the 80’s into the comic?
Moritat: Jeff was very clear from the beginning that he didn’t want the book to look all pink and neon like so many of today’s stories set in the 80s. We both wanted it to have a more punk, working man aesthetic that reflected the story Jeff envisioned.
HMS: It’s been revealed that the first issue of the comic takes the form of an extensive contract negotiation to help explain the music business to readers. What were some of the strategies you used to tackle this visually and make it an interesting experience for the reader?
Moritat: Jeff actually drew out breakdowns for the entire first issue, including a sequence called “expo world” that I think will help break up the dialogue and give us a unique way to show the record contract breakdown. Jeff also provided a bunch of reference for old punk clubs which really helped me create the grimy, shadowy atmosphere that I remember from my days of going to punk shows in Seattle. I’ve always thought there was something eerie and magical about clubs after the show had ended and this gave me a chance to convey that to our readers.

HMS: What sorts of characters and situations appeal to you most to draw? What are some of the elements of Gunning for Hits that gave you creative opportunities you were looking for?
Moritat: Girls, guns and grimy cities are among some of my favorite things to draw and Jeff definitely delivered with this series. Since the story takes place in the real world, I’ve been forced to adhere to the rules of reality, but rather than letting it constrict me, I’ve used it as a springboard to really create the New York City I see in my head—dark, dirty and dangerous. Collaborating with Jeff and my colorist, Casey Silver has been a real pleasure and I hope people have as much fun reading the book as much as I did having a hand in its creation.

Thank you to Moritat for taking part in this Q&A!
Gunning for Hits #1 arrives in comic shops today, January 9th, 2019!