Crowdfunding Comics: An Interview With ‘Nine Lives’ Writer, Steve Horton

Cleo may have nine lives, but so does the guy who wants to kill her in writer, Steve Horton, and artist, Chris Peterson‘s new series, Nine Lives. The first issue is currently crowfunding on Zoop, and for more on reincarnation and how magic works in this world, check out this interview with Horton carried out over email:

Rachel Bellwoar: Having tried so long to pitch Nine Lives to various publishers, was Zoop’s arrival on the crowdfunding scene a major factor behind your decision to try self-publishing now?

Steve Horton: Yes. I had thought about Kickstarter for many years, but had a feeling that I would crash and burn on the fulfillment side, and I hadn’t come across any reputable, comics-focused fulfillment companies yet. Enter Zoop, who offered a similar crowdfunding platform plus assistance with reward tiers, marketing, promotion and fulfillment. This frees up myself and Chris Peterson to just focus on the production of the comic itself.

RB: Are there any ways in which the series has changed over the years?

SH: I save everything, so when revisiting this series, I had a chance to look over notes that had been dormant for 9-10 years. There was some pretty good stuff in there, but I’m a much better writer now than I was, so I more-or-less overhauled the whole series from scratch. Back then, I hadn’t even determined the identities of the other Cleos from the other time periods, and now I have!

RB: Of course there’s the classic idea of cats having nine lives, but what made you want to stick to that number here?

SH: That’s a big spoiler, but it has to do with who the very first Cleo is.

RB: Unlike doppelgängers, reincarnations can look completely different, which is an easy concept to grasp on a TV show like Doctor Who (where you have different actors playing the same role), but what does that mean in a comic book series, in terms of creating continuity, visually, between the different reincarnations of Cleo?

SH: Think about the TV series Orphan Black. All played by the same actress, but looking very different both visually and personality-wise. That’s the vibe we’re going for here. Being descendants but also reincarnations, all the Cleos resemble each other on the surface, but are also very different women.

RB: While the campaign page focuses on Cleo, what can you tell us about the series’ antagonist — Cleo’s would-be murderer?

SH: Antony sees all the versions of Cleo as a threat to his own existence. In order to ensure his own survival and guarantee that he will continue to reincarnate beyond nine selves, he’s compelled to eliminate as many versions of Cleo as he can.

RB: Reincarnation is wild in and of itself. Why add superpowers to the mix?

SH: Not superpowers: Magic! This is a supernatural series rather than a superhero one. Reincarnation and magic naturally go together, don’t they?

RB: Not that the ability to turn water into alcohol wouldn’t have its uses in other decades, but it’s an especially fruitful power for Cleo to have during Prohibition. Is this reflective of how Cleo’s powers will manifest for her other reincarnations, as suiting the time period she’s from?

SH: Good catch! Each version of Cleo initially has a power that allows her to succeed and thrive in her time period, but what she discovers is that this minor power is only the beginning. Cleo is much more powerful than she realizes.

RB: In the preview pages, the way color is employed to make Cleo stand out is really striking. Will you be continuing this limited color palette in future issues?

SH: Yes! We intentionally went for a minimalist color scheme because both Chris and I thought it looked cool and fit the series well. So we’re sticking with it!

RB: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Steve!

To support the crowdfunding campaign for Nine Lives #1, click here.