Out of the Shadows And Into The Show

by Vince Brusio

Jason Ciaramella is a driving force behind IDW Publishing’s Shadow Show #1 (SEP140431), which is a collection of stories that pay tribute to the prose anthology that honored sci-fi legend, Ray Bradbury. Jason admits to not having a long history of reading Bradbury’s works, but believes this is a good thing. It adds to his excitement of being part of a 5-issue series that adapts selected stories from a highly regarded piece of work. Some stories he’s discovering for the first time. And illustrator Charles Paul Wilson III is in the same camp. It’s easier to bring a fresh approach to something when you hit the ground running. In this PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview, both men explain how it’s fun to work on a book that, to them, is more of a journey than a job.

**********

PREVIEWSworld: For those who may not have been reading online about your new project with IDW, what can you tell us about Shadow Show #1, and how it ties into sci-fi legend, Ray Bradbury?

Jason Ciaramella: Shadow Show was a collection of Ray Bradbury tribute stories penned by some of the best storytellers in the business. I'm adapting Joe Hill's story “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain” with my artist and pal Charles Paul Wilson III.

The story is about childhood, and summer, and discovery, and love, and loss. It's pure Bradbury. Also, Bradbury's intro to the original collection of short stories is one of the most beautiful and moving intros I've ever read.

If you haven't yet, get yourself a copy.

PREVIEWSworld: How did you get involved in this project? Has Bradbury’s work been a significant influence on your own craft?

Jason Ciaramella: Chris Ryall approached me about doing the adaptation in late spring — honestly, I don't think I've ever agreed to something faster. I didn't grow up reading Bradbury, but around three years ago I pulled a worn copy of Zen in the Art of Writing off a girlfriend's bookshelf, and that started a love affair I'm still enjoying. In a way, I feel kind of lucky to be late to this party. The opportunity to contribute to a project with Bradbury's name attached to it is a dream come true.

Charles Paul Wilson III: I got involved in this project at the request of Joe and Jason, two of the guys responsible for making The Cape comic happen (and I love it a great deal—it's a very beautiful book). 

I couldn't say to what degree his [Bradbury’s] work is an influence in my drawing, but five seconds into researching his work for a cover to this series, I realized some of these were stories I read and loved as a kid.

One great aspect of being a part of this series has been getting my hands on his books to both re-read stories I've since forgotten (there's a joke here regarding the cover I’m doing—see Neil Gaiman's offering) and experience the stories I haven't read yet.

PREVIEWSworld: What was the dynamic between you and Joe Hill in developing this series. How did you bounce ideas off one another?

Jason Ciaramella: My process with Joe is always the same: I show him my script, he says "This is great. This is awful." and I say "Your beard is awful," grumble, and go about doing my revisions. It works. But seriously, Joe is a great collaborator and has always given me room to flex my creative muscles when adapting his stuff. I couldn't ask for a better friend or mentor.

PREVIEWSworld: Without spoiling the book, what sub-plots or scene(s) would you most likely want to blog about to tout as being most representative of the work overall?

Jason Ciaramella: There's a lesson in the story that I didn't really understand (or intend) until I finished it, and it's that we don't always get to have the things we love. Sometimes they're taken from us, sometimes things just aren't meant to be, and no matter how loudly we scream, or how unfair it is, we can't ever have them back. Those loves are something we carry in our hearts forever. I think that's something Bradbury understood very well.

Charles Paul Wilson III: Kids finding something really cool, maybe a little gross (which was in my "cool" book as a kid), out by where they live. Without spoiling, rhymes with "linosoar" or "minotaur" (unless you say that last word differently for some strange reason).

PREVIEWSworld: If people want to talk to you more about this project, are you able to correspond with them through any social media sites?

Jason Ciaramella: Absolutely! I'm on Twitter.

Charles Paul Wilson III: I can be found on Twitter and I update my Facebook page regularly (search: Charles Paul Wilson III).