'A Man Among Ye' Interview: It's Pirate's Life For Her!

So, A Man Among Ye, catch us up to speed. What is the story behind it?

The story is based on a true account of two female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. While the story is based in truth, the accounts about these female pirates are largely unreliable and conflicting, so part of the fun is getting to build a mythology for Anne and Mary in the same way we have so much lore surrounding male pirates, like Blackbeard. Our story is about the reason why these women were drawn to a life of piracy as they get their own crew of female pirates together in order to help thwart the crown’s efforts to capture, kill, and even bribe pirates to give up a life at sea.

Tell us about Pirate Queen Anne Bonny. Why do we follow her through this story?

There are so many accounts of male pirates and their exploits. I wanted to give that same larger-than-life treatment to female characters and build mythology surrounding female pirates in the same way that we see pirate lore constructed around male figures. 

What made you want to set this during the last era of piracy?

I think it’s an interesting time period. The golden age of pirates is what we typically see in movies and TV shows, but this era has the crown actually offering a financial incentive to pirates. The deal was to give up a life of piracy and you’d get land and resources to start a new life. Most people were taking the deal, as many pirates were really drawn to piracy out of desperation – needing to make a living wage and most other positions, especially on board a ship, were exploitative of their workforces. I think this last era of piracy really showcases the reasons why people were drawn to that life in the first place, and it highlights even more why a woman would choose to fly under a black flag. This life offered a chance at freedom that was not typically afforded to women. In the waning days of pirates, we see Anne holding desperately to that life she’s created for herself and willing to die to preserve it.

Do you play with the time elements visually?

While there’s definitely a lot of fiction involved in the stories we are telling about Anne and Mary, the setting and supporting cast are largely real. We do the best we can to create an accurate setting for the characters, and Jack Rackham and Woodes Rogers, as well and their roles and issues, are historically accurate with a dash of drama added, of course.

So, how did you get involved with Josh George and John Kalisz?

I was familiar with both Josh and John prior to working on the series and thought they were both really talented. It just happened to work out that both were available and interested in the project, and I think stylistically it’s been a great fit working with them. 

Looking forward, what can readers expect from A Man Among Ye?

Issue #8 is the end of the series, so, at least for now, this is the end of the road (seas?) for our pirates. Hopefully, readers enjoy the ending we have given to both Mary and Anne.

In terms of audience, who is A Man Among Ye for?

Anyone with an interest in historical fiction or action comics. The series has plenty of action and a really diverse cast that proved to be lots of fun to write.

Since it is Women in Comics Month, can you recommend another female creator that readers should follow?

It’s really neat that my first thought with this question is that it’s difficult to choose because there are so many great female artists and writers working at the moment. Kami Garcia is great and I really enjoyed her work on Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity with artists Mike Mayhew and Mico Suayan. Tina Howard just started a run on Catwoman with artist Nico Leon that has been wonderful so far. And I’m always excited to pick up anything by artists Skylar Partridge, Bilquis Evely, Joelle Jones, and Laura Braga.