Me: Joe Ely Carrales III, you have been a good friend of mine ever since I got in to this comic book game and the one burning question I’ve never flat out asked is: do you ever sleep?
Joe: AH! Thanks to the miracle of vampirism, there is neither day nor night! Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-! Just kidding! (of course…er…maybe) In all seriousness, I suspect you refer to my seemingly fast ability to produce my works and the voluminous projects of which I am involved. The trick to that is “front loading.” I began the earliest versions of The Improbable Girl and the Wonder Kitty in 2015 and 2016 for a school newspaper I sponsored for my students and eventually reformatted and adjusted said work in 2020 and 2021 for publishing it in Mike Jones’ Yeet Presents. This meant that, when I got to publishing the title proper, I had a well thought-out world and three story arcs to use as a “seed.”
Thus, I just needed to tighten up my works. I’ve been lucky to stay slightly ahead. Right now, I am working on several projects aside from my own. That said, my own works will see the LOST ON THE TRAPPED PLANNET and the CANDIDATE CALAMITY single issue stories working concurrently, with some surprise works peppering the landscape.
Yup, it behooves a person to try and stay ahead. In fact, I would recommend that a person have three “drawn” projects in the works, 1. One being packaged/sent out/promoted, 2. A second one in a state very close to completion and 3. One or more in pre-production. Heaven help the person who establishes a monthly or quarterly release and finds themselves with an issue coming out in three weeks with neither pencil or pen on the paper.
Also, thank you for the kind words. I have come to value your friendship and conversation.
Me: Your style is very distinctive, who would you say are your greatest influences in both design and storytelling?
Joe: This is an excellent question that every artist should consider. Some say “all things are derivative” as we build from our experiences as people from an “original position.” Thus, knowing our influences can give us insight into improvement and guide our evolution as a artists.
I grew up with many comics, old Carl Barks “Duck Universe Comics,” Mad Magazine of the 1960s to 1980s (the likes of Mort Drucker, Al Jaffe, Sergio Aragones and the works I later discovered of Wallace Wood), 1980s and 90s Star Trek comics from DC and Marvel and selected movie tie-in comics.
Additionally, the TV Programs of the era of my childhood also seem to color my works. The Sunbow GI Joe and Transformers programs which were staples of my afterschool viewing and even Ducktales (which is another of Carl Barks works). I attribute my use of flat coloring to this as I sort of envision it through the guise of cell animation. I, however, am developing more and more techniques from advice in that regard. The difficult part is adding new techniques without clashing with the exiting style.
As to storytelling, presently I am partial to more epic stories with “nested” story arcs. Meaning, there is an overarching story, with smaller multi-issue ones and even those which are “scene length.” I think this comes my 80s and 90s TV and comic book experiences with “lore heavy’ franchises like Star Trek, Star Wars and any number of serialized TV shows which came about in that era. I want people to settle down with the comic and come to love the characters as if they were real people.
Me: Why did you choose to set your story specifically in 2008?
Joe: The story began with a 2008-09 setting, however, in actuality, the current stories are set in 2011 and 2012. This is because I am trying to write them in a sort of “real time” frame…in fact, an 11-year delay. Why?
Well, I find that certain storytelling conventions which are done in a contemporary setting tend to become “dated” and marked with the conventions of the era in which they were written. Thus, “That 70s Show” tells me more about the year when it was produced than anything related to the 1970s. I figured I’d just “play into that,” much like the British sitcom “Dad’s Army” remains timeless being set in the 1940s despite being a show of the late-60s and early 70s.
Furthermore, the eras of 2016 and 2020 were replete with issues I didn’t want the then audiences reminded of without the benefit of a “time buffer.” No 2016 election to Trump/Clinton issues nor later Pandemic storylines (who wants to draw everyone masked?). Those are the sort of things best seen in the “rear view mirror”.
Lastly, having the time delay triggers nostalgia and allows me to “predict” the future as I know what will be transpiring just beyond the horizon.
(Issue #9 Cover artwork by Don Simpson)
Me: Your stories were originally published in the school newspaper where you work in short segments as well as rerun in Mike Jones’ ‘Yeet Presents’ do you publish them anywhere else before the entire books go to print?
Joe: The initial stories were actually published in those school newspapers as “weekly serials.” This, I am told, is in the tradition of Charles Dickens who published many of his works over time in British newspapers. I didn’t intend that. That has the effect of developing quick methods of production which I try to refine as time goes on. When you told me about “Yeet Presents” I have to admit I really wanted to publish it there. It was like breaking into a higher tier. My father wanted to be a comic book artist and put said dream aside. I literally, when printed at issue (Yeet Presents… Issue #49) I sobbed like a baby when I got into my car.
Recently, I tried the “serialized” approach with Yeet over three issues with an initial run of Candidate Calamity. This will be refined and expanded to be Issue #11 of The Improbable Girl and the Wonder Kitty. Yeet is a mostly black-and-white publication so running it as its own issue will give the readers (even those who saw it in Yeet) a new take on it.
I plan to make some smaller pieces featuring Mari and Niko and the supporting cast for the United Fanzine’s Tetragrammaton Fragments newsletter periodical and for publication in fellow members anthologies.
Me: You have a fantastic reputation for collaborating with other writers and artists. Are there any other crossovers coming down the pipe?
Joe: Thank you. Currently, as usual, my collaboration partner is Ken Bailey of The Mighty Energygirl. We agreed to exchange characters and combine our lore and stories. I greatly enjoy these collaborations. The trick to them is multifold. It allows a person to play in someone else’s “sandbox” while respecting the continuities. I consider that challenge to be an awesome one. When a collaboration is in the works, it is key that both artists communicate and take the extra mile to stay within the lore, characters and spirit of said.
The result is something that 1. Enriches both story lines and 2. Allows the fan of one property to get a good view of another property they might really enjoy. This opens doors as some people are truly fans of characters and are hungry for more stories. If done well, the characters can grow under another artist’s pencils and inks in new, albeit, controlled setting.
This might be a good time to let the world know we, YOU and I, have a collaborative project in the works. I was much obliged to introduce the universe of your comic, Jynmond, into the pages of IG&TWK. The Druid’s Secret story arc which concluded this quarter establishes a link between the worlds setting up events which will take place in Lost on the Trapped Planet. How far will that go? Well, people will need to wait and see!
Me: Let’s give a shout out to some other indie creators, who else has your attention right now or who would you like to work with in the future?
Joe: I would greatly like to continue my association with Ken Bailey and yourself. I also like the works of a West Coast artist Brian Amstadter of the heavily caffeinated and US Navy themed comic strip Chief Coffee Cup. He graciously allowed me to use his characters in a scene during The Heist story arc. I am hopeful we may be able to get more of his works to print as he has had much success with is online run.
I would be remiss not to speak of those in the “Yeet Collaborative Collective” so to speak. Contemporary notables like Shane Luttrell of Suzie Steam fame, Mark Wyrosdick creator of Madame Justice, Trish Ellis, and John Powers the creator of Gus. Also, those in the United Fanzine Organization, or UFO, who produce excellent work and who continue to impress me, with special shout out to Steve Keeter who leads up the organization and who’s energy is like a Small Press dynamo, if not, a critical mass.
Joe Ely Carrales III is a school teacher in Premont Texas and publisher of 9 issues of “The Improbable Girl and the Wonder Kitty” His book can be found at select comic shops in Texas as well as through the United Fanzine Organization. Follow The Improbable Girl and the Wonder Kitty on Facebook, Instagram or check out the Wiki.
