Indie Edge: Bill Willingham

Please tell us a bit about yourself!

Do you really need an exclamation point after the request? I assure you I’m not exciting enough to merit one. I write comic books and prose stories, and have done so for many years. I used to illustrate comic books too, but seldom have the time these days. I live a quiet, almost reclusive life in the woods in Minnesota, among crows in their multitudes who seemed determined not to live as quiet a life.

What are your favorite projects you’ve contributed to over the past decade?

The long-running Fables series from Vertigo took up most of the past decade, which also included runs on Robin, Shadowpact, Legenderry, among too many others.

What are you currently working on?

Two comic book series. One is called The Greatest Adventure, published by Dynamite. In it we gather all of my favorite Edgar Rice Burroughs characters together for one huge adventure. The other series, not yet officially released (solicited in this issue on page 350) is called Lark’s Killer, published by Devil’s Due/1First Comics. It’s about a bratty runaway (Lark), living rough on the streets of the bad part of Hollywood, by begging and thieving. But then she magically ends up in an epic fantasy world where everyone she meets tries to kill her. The story shows us Lark’s efforts to stay alive long enough to figure out what happened and why. It’s drawn by Mark Dos Santos. Writing it is a pure delight.

What fun titles are you reading?

Anything that takes place in the sprawling Hellboy (Vol.1: Seed of Destruction/AUG128257) fictional universe, published by Dark Horse. Also, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staple’s ongoing saga called Saga (DLX Ed. Vol. 1/SEP140591) along with anything Brubaker writes (Kill or Be Killed Vol. 1/NOV160670), both published by Image.

EDGE ESSENTIALS

Pick up these books to learn more about Joe Casey’s Indie Edge style!

• Fables Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 HC (MAY090235)
• Shadowpact Vol. 1: The Pentacle Plot TP (DEC060240)
• Legenderry: A Steampunk Adventure TP (NOV141321)