Brandon Easton: The Man Behind The M.A.S.K.

by Vince Brusio

IDW Publishing has taken things to the next level with the infusion of Hasbro properties into their comic book universe. Maybe you were out of hearing range, but over here at PREVIEWSworld we heard a loud “bang!” and lo and behold from that chemical reaction came the announcement of several new titles that would spring from their Revolution experiment. One of those titles was M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand, and writer Brandon Easton went on the record to tell us what he had planned for this new action-packed series!

M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand #1 (SEP160411) is in comic shops November 30.

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PREVIEWSworld: M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand #1 (SEP160411) is launching from the events of Revolution. For those who may not have read that storyline, what can you tell us about the mission statement for the M.A.S.K. team, and the individuals that are a part of it?

Brandon Easton: This iteration of M.A.S.K. is born out of Miles Mayhem's desire to rid the Earth of Cybertronian life while also establishing a stranglehold on the political and economic powers of our world. M.A.S.K. was devised to be another weapon to use against Optimus Prime and all of the other Transformers. After Revolution ends, this M.A.S.K. team will find themselves questioning their role in the altered geo-political landscape while also becoming self-appointed deputies to track down Miles Mayhem. In the early days of the series, the M.A.S.K. members will learn how to operate as a team under the worst of conditions and will eventually grow into a well-oiled unit. However, that won't happen overnight and a core element of this story will be about them growing into the heroes we all know and love. 

PREVIEWSworld: As the G.I. Joe and Transformers comic books have their roots in classic cartoon series and Hasbro toy lines, so, too, does M.A.S.K., correct? What do those roots mean for you when you sit down to write your script? Does that history affect your research? Or is the storyline for this comic series independent of its Hasbro lineage when it comes to past plots?

Brandon Easton: While I always keep my eye on episodes of the original M.A.S.K. animated series, it's evident to me that a lot of the campier story points won't work for a 21st century audience accustomed to years of complex storytelling on shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender or the classic Batman: The Animated Series. I've kept some of the central ideas in place like the masks, the vehicles and a few of the character interactions, but I've been given a wide open canvas to develop the new status quo with a set of parameters in place to respect what else is happening within the post-Revolution Hasbro/IDW landscape. 

I've done quite a bit of research into the old show and I've found the best material to use for my future story concepts. 

PREVIEWSworld: In figuring out how to give voices to the characters you write, how do you tap into those voices? Can you give us a few examples of the different personalities in the team? How does Matt Trakker stand out from the rest of the M.A.S.K. team?

Brandon Easton: This is where I've spent the majority of my development time. Part of my original pitch to IDW was centralized around giving each character a specific history that leads to specific motivations for joining the team and staying there. Everyone has a different stake in M.A.S.K. and everyone reacts differently to crisis situations. I want readers to have a personal experience with these characters and that only works when they're properly fleshed out and not two dimensional objects with word balloons over their heads. 

Even members of V.E.N.O.M. (M.A.S.K.'s main adversaries) will have strong character histories and behaviors that make sense within the framework of the story. I don't want bad guys who are just villains for the sake of convenient storytelling. 

In regards to the M.A.S.K. team, this version of Matt Trakker is young, brilliant, and idealistic, but riddled with self-doubt stemming from the loss of his father. Gloria Baker, his second-in-command, is a talented IT specialist who was born in India but raised in middle-class London and she has a different view of the world than most of her teammates, and we'll see her POV get stronger as the story continues. Brad Turner is the "Paul Walker" of the group but he has an interesting secret past that will come into play within the first issue of the ongoing series debuting in November. Finally, there's Julio Lopez, the team's medic, who has a little brother dynamic with the others, but he's tasked with keeping everyone alive and healthy, and his optimism forms the heart of the M.A.S.K. unit. 

PREVIEWSworld: Since you’ve written for Marvel’s Agent Carter, how would you describe the differences in writing for TV versus comics? Is one more challenging than the other? And why not stick with just one? Why do both?

Brandon Easton: The easiest way to differentiate the two forms is to say that television scripting is like writing short movies in a five-act structure while comic book scripting is describing a series of still images in a narrative format. Television has real world concerns like dealing with actors, logistical issues with budgets, schedules, studio notes, network situations and a host of other things that arise when working with millions of dollars in a highly-collaborative environment. The comic book world is much slower-paced (relatively speaking) and you're dealing with a much smaller team of collaborators so I feel that there can be stronger quality control in the short term. 

They both have challenges unique to each respective medium but there's also great rewards in both worlds. TV instantaneously reaches millions of viewers around the world and can influence people in a way that comics books cannot. However, in the graphic novel world, there's less of a barrier to access the tools of the trade meaning that anyone can tell the story they wish in comics without worrying about budgetary limitations or having to hire more than five people to complete your project. Not to say that producing comics are cheap, but your average one-hour television show can cost between $250,000 per episode to over $1 million and you have to contend with so many factors outside of your control. 

As a kid, I was influenced by comics and television and had a dream to be a writer in both mediums so there's never been an either/or proposition in my personal life. 

PREVIEWSworld: How has artist Tony Vargas fared on fleshing out your vision for this series? How would you describe his art style for this series? Gritty? Cinematic? Bold? All the above?

Brandon Easton: Tony's work has impressed me from the very first page of the M.A.S.K. Revolution One-Shot. We both knew going into this that there were some lofty expectations for the M.A.S.K. series. Not just from IDW Publishing and Hasbro, but also from the large and extremely passionate fan base. I can say with absolute conviction that every single member of the M.A.S.K. team has worked above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that anyone who buys this book will be entertained and delighted by what we've created. We don't take this stuff lightly. 

The best way to describe his art is cinematic with roots in an animated comic book style. His character "acting" and ability to illustrate our character's emotions is extraordinary and there have been times when I thought I was looking at a still image from a modern cartoon series instead of a comic book page. He's managed to pull off complex and heart-stopping action sequences that I've written by making them even more bombastic and beautiful. The proof is on the page. This isn't hyperbole. 

I am very pleased to be working with Tony and the rest of the M.A.S.K. creative team. I can't wait for this book to hit the stands so fans and new readers can check out how incredibly cool the artwork is and what this version of M.A.S.K. has to offer the modern audience. 

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Vince Brusio writes about comics, and writes comics. He is the long-serving Editor of PREVIEWSworld.com, the creator of PUSSYCATS, and encourages everyone to keep the faith...and keep reading comics.