He’s the man of 50 titles and most certainly more to come in the future, he is Todd Black and today he joins us in the Mind To Mind to discuss Tokyo Blade Detectives. Now on Kickstarter!
1. Hello there, and welcome to Mind to Mind here at Comics & Chill! For my first question, For those who aren’t aware of you and what it is you do, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Its Todd!
Hello everyone! I’m Todd Black, and I’m a writer of comics and novels. So far, I have over 50 books in my name, and hope to keep writing fun stories going forward!
2. You’ve currently got a Kickstarter going for Tokyo Blade Detectives, what can you tell us about the book?
So, Tokyo Blade Detectives is an anime-style comic that’s my tribute to all the anime I grew up on, and still watch to this day. It’s set in a futuristic version of Japan where guns are outlawed and only the blade can rule… Laser blades, that is. Hehe.
It stars a 16-year-old detective named Miko, who will stumble upon a case that will change Japan forever.
3. You’re currently on the 3rd arc of TBD with a Kickstarter currently happening, do you intend for the title to be a long running one? Or a run similar to how most Anime and Manga are?
Oh, yes! It’s already the second-longest comic series I’ve ever done, and I hope to keep writing more arcs to see how far I can take it!
4. Given part of the premise is no guns/swords only, did Into The Badlands help with the inspiration for TBD?
I actually never watched that one. I only loosely knew of it, but you’re not the first to make that “connection” between the two properties.
5. Given the Anime/Manga influence, is TBD read right to left instead of left to right?
Because it’s an “anime-style comic,” it reads like a comic and not a manga. To that end, it’s fully colored instead of having a manga styling of being just B&W.
6. What’s been your favorite part of the story so far?
My favorite parts are easily diving into the characters and showing them off in fun ways, while also having some truly incredible action scenes. My artist truly crushes it with each page.
7. What’s been the response from your readers?
Incredibly positive. Tokyo Blade Detectives gets over 100 backers on Kickstarter for each issue on average, which is far more than I thought it would get. Plus, it’s a big seller at Comic Cons, which makes me just as happy.
Artwork from Tokyo Blade Detectives
8. You mentioned earlier that you have 50 titles to your name (Guardians being my introduction to you), when did you get started in creating comics?
My superhero comic, Guardians, was the first book I ever made around 2014. I did 20 issues of that before moving on to other series and books to “branch out” more. It’s been quite the journey, but I really like what I’ve made.
9. Speaking of Guardians, is there more to come? Or is the story finished?
Currently, the series is on hiatus. We have five full volumes you can get via the TBD Kickstarter, though. My hope is to continue it, it’s just that I have other projects I want to make first.
10. What inspires you to create?
I love telling stories. It’s one of the few talents I truly feel I’m good at. lol.
For me, it’s fun coming up with cool ideas, premises, or characters and then weaving the world around them to see what can get made next. I didn’t expect Tokyo Blade Detectives to become as big as it did, but I truly love this world I’ve made, and I want to keep creating in it.
11. Do you largely work on your own or with others? And do you self publish or go thru a publisher?
I have a team that works with me on most of my books. Alex Garcia and Lam Vu Van are the main artists on TBD (covers and interiors, respectively) and I have an editor via Matt Schorr (who’s also a comic creator!)
The team can change depending on the project, but I’m always the writer, and 95% of my books are self-published. My Crime Noir; 5 Bullets 6 Men, was published through Source Point Press.
12. When it comes to print vs digital, where do you land?
Personally? I like holding comics in my hands when I read them every Wednesday.
BUT…I know that a lot of people love digital comics, which is why I have plenty of digital rewards in my campaigns, to try and appeal to “both sides” of the equation.
13. Stance on AI?
I don’t like it. I’ll never use AI for my writing or in the art that my books have.
14. Once the current Kickstarter is finished up, what’s next for you?
I’m working on finishing up the third novel in my As We Wander The Stars series, and then I’ve already begun work on a new novel that I’m eager to get finished.
Comic-wise, I have a few small projects in the works, both of which could lead to future Kickstarters down the road, but I’m not sure when.
15. Any potential on turning TBD into an actual anime?
That’s the dream! lol. If you look at my Kickstarter, you’ll see that I hired an animation team to make an anime-style intro for Tokyo Blade Detectives, and I really liked how it turned out. Omega Sparx provided the track for that, and I think it fits perfect with the vibe of TBD.
I’d love nothing more than for this to be adapted into an anime, which is another reason why I want to keep making more arcs!
16. And for my final question, what advice would you give to those looking to get into comics creation?
If you’re a writer, you have to BELIEVE in your comic and story. For my lineup, I believed in every single one of them, and that’s why I pushed so hard to get them made, even if that meant waiting for the right artist or risking a Kickstarter campaign with a large goal.
For artists, find the style you think really personifies you and then keep trying to improve. My main artist, Alex, has grown with every issue he’s done for me and others, and I’m always interested in seeing what he does next. Also, there’s nothing wrong with adapting to do many styles! Whatever works for you.
Editor: Huge thanks to Todd for taking part in this interview! The Tokyo Blade Detectives Kickstarter currently has 10 days left in its campaign. Giving you plenty of time to get your pledge in!
Interview by: Rob Wrecks
