Monsters Spend Their Summer At Camp Midnight

by Mark Banazak

From Man of Action's Steven T. Seagle and The New Yorker artist Jason Adam Katzenstein comes Camp Midnight (FEB160616), an original graphic novel that's available on April 27th at your local comic shop!

Reluctant camper Skye is accidentally sent to the wrong camp for the summer. Not wanting to please her “step monster,” Skye is dead-set on not fitting in. Luckily, that won’t be a problem, as everyone at Camp Midnight—with the exception of fellow camper and fast-friend Mia—seems to be a full-fledged monster.

PREVIEWSworld had a chance to speak with Steven about his new graphic novel and also hear more about future plans for Man of Action Entertainment, the bi-coastal creative studio that spawned the megahit Ben 10 and Generator Rex for Cartoon Network. Man of Action has also served as executive producers and writers for Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man and Marvel's Avengers Assemble on Disney XD. Disney/Marvel's Big Hero 6 also utilized the characters and team created by Man of Action as credited in the main titles. Seagle's new all-ages graphic novel is one of the many titles created for the Man of Action imprint at Image Comics.

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PREVIEWSworld: Where did the idea for Camp Midnight originate? Were you drawing on any camp-related personal experiences?

Steven Seagle: The only I ever attended was HIGH TRAILS in the Colorado Rockies. It was a week-long, school-sponsored trip in 5th or 6th grade. I had never been away from home before, and I wasn't a hiker or a camper. I was so freaked out that I wouldn't fit in that I think I stood out more because of my panic. I felt like the other kids were naturals and I was an outsider. So I wanted to write a story about a person at camp who is the ultimate outsider - the only human girl at a monsters-only summer camp.

PREVIEWSworld: The story is about a camp where monsters get to just be themselves for a week. With this kind of freedom, will the monsters still be scary?

Steven Seagle: Yes. There are definitely scary monsters in the book. And there are goofy monsters. And there are average monsters. And there are cute monsters. But the real question that comes to bear in the graphic novel is: Who is the bigger monster? The other kids at camp? Or the "normal" girl trying to pass herself off as something she isn't? Oh! And you will also find out what it is that monsters are afraid of, and no, it's not people.

PREVIEWSworld: How did you come to collaborate with Jason Katzenstein on this book? How has it been working with him?

Steven Seagle: I was introduced to Jason by our mutual friend Daryl Sabara - who, along with being a very talented actor (SPY KIDS; THE GREEN INFERNO) was the voice of Rex on our MAN OF ACTION/CARTOON NETWORK show GENERATOR REX. Daryl comes to a writer's group I sponsor in LA and one week he brought Jason. Two weeks after that, Jason and I started on CAMP MIDNIGHT! A year and a half later, we finished it - 240 pages! He's also a cartoonist for THE NEW YORKER at the ripe old age of 24.

PREVIEWSworld: As someone who’s written comics for adults, is it difficult to shift gears and write for younger readers, or do you take the same approach?

Steven Seagle: Some things I do the same: I start with theme; I start at the end and work backwards; I figure out what I want the take away to be. But writing for younger audiences or all ages is much harder I think. It seems like it would be easier, but the language and metaphors have to be much more carefully constructed to play to a younger audience, and it's tough.

PREVIEWSworld: Is there anything you hope readers take away from the graphic novel?

Steven Seagle: Oh, absolutely. If I'm writing something that I'm asking people to pay for, so I start with the question: "What is the person reading this story going to get that's useful in their own life?" If I can't answer that question, I don't write that story. That said, am I going to spill what that take away is? No way! That's the experience of reading the book!

PREVIEWSworld: Finally, can you tease any other projects coming soon from Man of Action Entertainment?

Steven Seagle: MAN OF ACTION is hard at work on a new animated BEN 10 series for Cartoon Network. We're also working on a new MEGA MAN animated series. We have three movies being made, all based on MOA comics including I KILL GIANTS and OFFICER DOWNE. We're writing a new TV pilot and episodes of another TV series both based on our comics, but can't name those yet. And personally, I'm excited that Jason and I are going right back to work on a new project as soon as we get CAMP MIDNIGHT out the door! He's great and I'm going to work with him as long as he's willing!