The following interview originally appeared in the Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine # 99
© 1997 by The ComicBook Network
Interview conducted by Ronald-Thomas Fleming
Randy Reynaldo is the creator of Adventure Strip Digest, starring Rob Hanes. The title started out as a small press comic and later was published as an independent comic.
His comic has garnered praise from all across the industry. Reynaldo is a recipient of a Xeric Foundation Grant and a past nominee for the Russ Manning award.
You can contact also visit his new web site which features art, news and other features related to Rob Hanes.
WHAT KIND OF SERIES IS ROB HANES?
Short answer: Rob Hanes is a modern-day, globe trotting action-adventure series about a private investigator and freelance spy who works for a private detective and security firm called Justice International.
Long answer: The series is a modern-day update of classic adventure comics like Terry and the Pirates and the Spirit (with some James Bond and Mission: Impossible thrown in), but without the nostalgia.
Ultimately, however, I want to do any kind of story that interests me, ranging from straight adventure, humor and even romance -- with lots of villains, pretty women, and exotic locales thrown in.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THE ROB HANES CHARACTER?
I originally created the character in the late 1970s when I was in high school. It was originally created to be a newspaper adventure strip. Although I didn't work much on the series from 1980-85 when I was in college, he appeared in a lot of my sketchbooks during that time. I also continued outlining stories for the series.
WHY SHOULD SOME READ YOUR SERIES?
Because nobody else is doing this kind of material and because I think it's really fun. I hope over time that readers will begin to find Rob cool - someone they would like to hang out with and be friends with. Readers will begin to see a lot of variety in the stories, unlike what you may see in a lot of other series. Storylines will vary greatly, from drama, action adventure, to outright comedy!
I want Rob to be "real" to readers and I have already done stories that have Rob and me interacting, much in the same way Will Eisner was simply the chronicler of the Spirit's adventures! I am even toying with Rob answering letters in the book's letters column!
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SMALL PRESS MARKET?
I think it's great. In my opinion, too many self-publishers and creators go into independent publishing before they have enough experience, knowledge and skill, and the small press creates a good opportunity for such development. I don't think I would have thought about going independent until I started getting the response I did to my fanzinework. But the small press shouldn't be seen only as a stepping stone - I think it's a valid end in itself as a form of self-expression and would have been just as happy doing my book still as a small press comic-book.
Whenever I'm on a panel about self-publishing, I always try to tell people about the small press, because it's easier to make connections and to get feedback since it's such a closeknit community and because it's easier to become a "big fish in a little pond."
WHEN DID YOU MAKE THE JUMP FROM SMALL PRESS PUBLISHER TO INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER?
I made the jump in 1995 - I had been doing the book as a small press digest zine for about a year, but it started to get a lot of positive attention from both the mainstream press and professional cartoonists. So I decided to go into independent publishing. I've always had a strong following among pros; many tell me that if they could do whatever they wanted, they'd be doing a book like mine.
HAS THE SERIES CHANGED MUCH SINCE ITS INCEPTION?
Considering how long I've been working on it, yes. The art itself has improved MASSIVELY since I first started work on the series. And if you examine some of my early work, especially the material done in both the 1970s and '80s, Rob's "look" has changed a lot. But most of the main elements are still in place: Rob has always been a globetrotting adventurer and worked for Justice International pretty much since the beginning. Most of the original cast is already there, but many of the characters now appearing in the series, particularly the villains and Rob's sidekick like Abner McKenna, are new.
IS ROB HANES WHERE ALL OF YOUR INCOME COMES FROM OR DO YOU HAVE OTHER WORK?
Unfortunately, right now I have a "real" job that has NOTHING to do with my comics work! I do get occasional offers to do storyboarding and other comics, but I've never been a true freelancer so it's kind of scary. Besides, I'm concentrating on Rob Hanes right now. Given how the market is right now, I'm fortunate to have a stable job.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. I
'm completely self-trained as a cartoonist. I was actually an English major at UCLA and have a master's degree in communications management. Although I have a full time job and spend most of my extra time on my comics, I still find time to hang out with friends when I can, and to play ball and ski. I also just got engaged to my longtime girlfriend who just completed her doctorate and is now teaching at the college level!
Unfortunately, this leaves me little time to keep up with other comics. Biggest influences are Milton Caniff, Alex Toth, Roy Crane, Noel Sickles, Will Eisner, Joe Kubert, Howard Chaykin, David Mazuchelli, Mike Golden.
WHY ARE YOU HOOKING UP WITH CALIBER? *
I really do like self-publishing; as both a fanzine and independentpublisher, I liked doing most aspects of my own comic-book, ranging from creating the stories, to writing the text pieces, etc. But I'm an inexperienced businessman, not aggressive enough in terms of marketing and promotion, and had very little time left over to actually spend on creating comics since I was doing everything on my own!
With Caliber, I have found an ideal publisher in that they support and like my book, and have given me full freedom and control. I remember trading some e-mails with Jenni Gregory recently, who also went to Caliber with Dreamwalker, and she pointed out that as little as 5 years ago, we could have NEVER gotten this kind of a deal with a publisher. I agree.
I have also had a good relationship so far with Joe Pruett and Gary Reed over at Caliber. They have been longtime supporters of my work and have published a couple of short Rob Hanes stories in their anthology title, Negative Burn. (See footnote.)
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING WRITERS AND ARTISTS?
Just to keep working - that's the only way you get better. Also, they should routinely send their work out to other pros and reviewers. Although they may not always get a response (nor should they expect one), people will begin to take notice of their work once they have seen it several times.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROJECTS YOU ARE WORKING ON?
I recently came out with a trade paperback called the Rob Hanes Archives which collects all my early small press material. An Italian publisher has picked up the series for translation - I'm not sure what the status of that is, but they've already paid me a licensing fee!
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS FOR ROB HANES?
I do have a lot of Rob's future plans mapped out, although it's always fluid - I don't want to restrict myself too much.
In any case, in issue 1 of the new Rob Hanes series from Caliber, I take Rob to the Balkans where he meets a character who is a sort of bridge between my series and the Terry and the Pirates "universe." It's not really important to the story, but an interesting in-joke for fans of that series.
Issue 2 will take Rob to his home base in New York City where he meets a new girlfriend and an old foe. Issue 3 will take Rob to Japan. Other future issues will involve Rob going undercover on a minor league baseball team and readers finding out more about Rob's family history - on his mother's side, Rob comes from a well-to-do political family much like the Kennedys, while his father was a State Department official who disappeared in the 1970s after it was discovered that he may have been a Soviet mole(there's a short story about this in the Rob Hanes Archives trade paperback). I also hope to bring back Rob's dad in a story set in the 1970s, in which Rob appears as a young boy!
So expect a lot of variety and stronger continuity. A lot of older characters are also beginning to reappear in the series.
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THE NEW SERIES?*
Spring 1997 - hopefully in time for the San Diego Comicon!
Footnote: The series ultimately never was released through Caliber.
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