Metaphor With Meaning In Pamela Ribon's Slam

by Vince Brusio

Two friends. Two teams. One goal: domination. Sounds like a trailer for a movie with that guy with the famous deep voice that whispers in the background. But, no, what we’re referring to isn’t about a new film or famous vocal chords. We’re bringing your attention to Slam #1 (SEP161387) from BOOM! Studios. It’s a new title from writer Pamela Ribon, and in this PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview she explains the book is just as much about friendship as it is a sport that teaches you how to thrive in the face of adversity.

Slam #1 (SEP161387) is in comic shops November 16.

 **********

PREVIEWSworld: For those trying to get up to speed on this new project, give us the dirt on how your idea for this book went from concept to printed product.

Pamela Ribon: I got contacted by the good folks at BOOM! to see if I had any interest in developing a derby comic. I'd been writing about roller derby off and on for the eight years. I've been on and off the track. I had spent a few years trying to get a derby television series off the ground, but that just wasn't happening. So I was thrilled to have an opportunity to explore this fun and empowering world with a brand-new audience and medium.

PREVIEWSworld: Tell us about the main characters for this title: Jennifer Chu and Maise Huff. They're best friends, yes? But they're on opposing teams when it comes to cracking heads. How does that dynamic play out in their relationship?

Pamela Ribon: Uh, no cracking heads— we wear helmets! Heads hold brains! They're our most important parts! (Then comes butts, hearts, and spines.) Being on opposing teams will test Jenn and Maisie's friendship in ways they couldn't predict. When it comes to roller derby, time becomes your biggest commodity — what you give to the track you get back. Both Maisie and Jennifer have competitive spirits and a drive to improve themselves as players, but at some point, it will start to intrude on their time together.

PREVIEWSworld: The action on the track seems to be a metaphor for one of life's lessons: you get slammed on the track just like you get slammed in life, and you have to learn to take the hits, and get back up again. Has that life lesson applied to you, too? How so?

Pamela Ribon: Roller derby has helped me pick myself back up after a big fall, both in my personal and professional life. It's shown me that I'm stronger than I can ever imagine, and has delivered me some of the best friends of my life. This sport attracts a very specific kind of person, someone who survives and often thrives in the face of adversity. That's the kind of someone who sees you simultaneously for who you are and who you want to be. How lucky to find one person who believes in you like that, much less an entire league.

PREVIEWSworld: How has artist Veronica Fish worked with you to make this book a knockout? What did she bring to the table?

Pamela Ribon: Veronica has brought a wonderful vibrancy to this world, characters who are so alive and honest. You feel for them in their triumphs and failures. I love that she has a similar desire for authenticity. She will go back and forth with me on the tiniest details and has patiently learned so much about our exhaustive rule set. It was important to us to have diversity in our character design, both as a reflection of life in Los Angeles, and because roller derby needs all kinds of body types to round out a team.

PREVIEWSworld: If you could tease a scene that you think could best be used for a trailer--to draw closer attention to the heart of this story--what scene would we see?

Pamela Ribon: In issue #1, hot off the success of their first rookie bout, Maisie and Jennifer learn there will be draft that evening. They spend the time waiting together, phones in their hands, wondering what will happen when the calls come. As they share their deepest concerns, both about each other and themselves, we see how close they've grown since they met in fresh meat six months prior. They're each on the cusp of a new adventure, but this time they won't be following the same path.