Writer John Kolsun Talks ReShoot
ReShoot is a breath of fresh air to the indie comic scene. John Kolsun (writer), Robekka Studios (artists) and Ed Brisson (letterer) ReShoot is a wild mixture of sci-fi, action, and social commentary.
The ReShoot team puts a new spin on the superhero genre that will appeal to readers in search of something different and unique outside the status quo.
WNI sat down with ReShoot writer John Kolsun to break down his journey into comics and what being an indie creator means to him.
How did you get into comics?
I was always more of a novel guy. I kept up with comics in movies and the old school 90s tv shows like X-men and Spider-Man. It wasn’t until I picked up some of Alan Moore’s work that I started to get more involved.
What’s the best thing about being an indie creator?
As an indie creator you have no one to answer to and you can work with whoever you want. You have absolute control of your vision and that’s the best thing for me.
What’s the hardest thing about being an indie creator?
Everything else. You get freedom but you have to work your ass off to make the project a success. There’s no marketing team behind you. You have to do it all yourself.
What advice can you give to aspiring creators?
Go into it ready to show your best work. Don’t start showing people your comic until you’ve earned their trust. Have a full story you’ve worked on you can show them and work on it from there.
What are some helpful tools that you’ve used?
I think Celtx is great for comic writing. It’s a free screenwriting application. Another tool to use is social media. I’ve met so many helpful people on social networks. They really keep you inspired and working. So find some good people that share the same interests as you out there.
What inspired ReShoot?
I wanted to create something that looked at pop culture in a different way. I wanted to create a work that used elements of media that everyone knows but twist it around. Make it darker and deeper. And then it started to turn into something that dealt with government, corporations, and the state of America after these recent years.
How did you get in contact with your artist to collaborate with them?
I post ads on comic websites. One of the best is conceptart. Just post a job there, but be willing to pay your artist for quality work. You can try Deviantart as well and you’ll get hundreds of replies if you say you’re willing to pay and describe the project nicely.
What can readers look forward to in Volume 2 of ReShoot?
Volume two will delve more into the backstory. Volume one introduced us and threw us into the action. Volume two will step back and tell us how this came to be. The art will also be done by a different artist who I’ve worked with before and he creates some amazing art.
What are your plans for ReShoot?
Right now, I’d just really love to get the Kickstarter funded so that we can continue the story. I can always put it up on Amazon or I might look for a publisher this time. I just want it created and finished.
Why did you decide to give away a free download of Volume one? Available at Graphicly.
I think when your starting out its important to let people in on what you’ve made. Otherwise you’re just another person claiming they’ve made something but have nothing to show. People are skeptical of buying or reading things from first time creators. The more people that read the comic the better chance we have of making more.
You’re using Kickstarter to help fund Volume Two, do you think that Kickstarter is the best way to go for indie creators?
Right now I think it’s the best option if you don’t have much money. If you have the money you can build a fanbase posting webcomics. Kickstarter has been amazing in that not only does it help fund your projects but it gets the word out about your comic like a free promotional tool.
Are there any future projects that would like to do? What are your future goals?
I’m currently editing a novel that I wrote this year. I hope to have that done sometime this summer. Along with that, I’m also thinking about creating a website for writers and a newsletter for writers as well.
