Talking With AHOY Comics’ EiC Tom Peyer About Dragonflyman Day, Earth-Alpha, Earth-Omega And More

Today has been marked by AHOY Comics as Dragonflyman Day to celebrate the publication of Dragonfly & DragonflymanVol.1 in bookstores nationwide. What better day, then, to catch up with AHOY Comics’ EiC, Tom Peyer, to talk about the fan-favorite series, celebrating Drafonflyman Day and the prequel volume.
Olly MacNamee: You recently returned to the dual universes of The Wrong Earth again with Dragonfly & Dragonflyman, a prequel to the original series. What was the idea behind a prequel series as opposed to a sequel?
Tom Peyer: There was a practical reason and a creative reason. The practical reason was, co-creator Jamal Igle was going off to work on something else for a year. I wouldn’t think of trying to advance the main story without him.  Creatively, D&D gave us a chance to see how the two crimefighters used to operate in their own worlds, by their own rules, among the people they knew wel l–– with particular attention paid to the differing ways they treated their sidekicks.

OM: I like the similar storyline playing out, but in very different ways, over the two very different Earths. “More like musical numbers that play in different keys,” as Jeff Parker succinctly puts it in the new introduction to this collection. But, if that was the case, who would produce the separate soundtrack to Earth-Omega and Earth-Alpha? Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) for Earth-Omega maybe and Katy Perry for Earth-Alpha?
TP: On Earth-Omega, the soundtrack would just be explosions and gunfire, no matter what’s happening in the scene. Dragonfly is in his secret HQ drinking vodka by himself and you hear ‘BWA-ROOOM’ and ‘Peeyow-peeyow-peeyow.” On Earth-Alpha: John Phillip Sousa marches and cocktail jazz (but no cocktails).
OM: I must say, while Jamal Igle was only able to provide covers to this book, both Peter Krause and Russ Braun bring a similarity of style to this new series. Was that important to you, to keep that consistency?
TP: Yes, and we couldn’t have been luckier to get Russ and Peter. Their stuff looks appealing, and they can both really draw. I love work that’s attractive on the surface and ambitious & correct underneath, and I’m in awe of people like Russ, Peter and Jamal who can do that. 

OM: While Dragonfly & Dragonflyman is a prequel to The Wrong Earth, it does a great job of expanding the two parallel universes of our twin heroes, introducing a good few new concepts and characters, both good and bad. Do you have plans beyond this series to return to Earth-Alpha and Earth-Omega?
TP: Jamal and I are now working on the next series, The Wrong Earth: Night & Day. I’d love to do more D&D with Peter if we can. We’ll have to see how well the collected edition sells before we can commit. 
OM: Now, I hear you’re declaring June 16th – the day of the trade collections release in book stores – as a national Dragonflyman Day. While there can’t be the ticker-tape parade to accompany this momentous occasion, as I know you had planned, how else might avid fans try and mark this auspicious date in isolation?
TP: I expect a lot of people will be marching up and down the length of their living spaces, saluting all the while. Three hours sounds right. Then, every justice-loving person in the world should buy a copy of the D&D collected edition so we can do new stories forever.

OM: And, how will you be celebrating this newest of holidays, Tom? Fireworks, BBQ… booze?
TP: Exercise, meditation… booze? I’m kidding! Just booze. 
OM: Here in the UK we are slowly returning to a new normal, but what does that mean for AHOY Comics on both the near and distant future? I know you had a few new titles launching, or just about to launch.
TP: By the time this runs we’ll have announced our plans; I won’t spoil them here. But I think our readers will like what they hear. 
OM: Finally, and still looking to a brighter future; what’s next up on your ‘dance card’ as a writer, Tom? 
TP: After the upcoming Penultiman and The Wrong Earth: Night & Day, my dance card is open. I’ll keep you informed.
Dragonfly & Dragonflyman Vol.1 is out now from AHOY Comics.