Author Jack Quaid and artist Butcher Billy recently released their third novella with NeoText books. After diving into a free-wheeling sci-fi universe in Star Blasters and the seedy world of international espionage in Anonymous Jane — Quaid and Billy are diving head-first into the world of crime fiction in Bloody Mayhem. The story follows a rough-and-tumble action hero named Mayhem who, much like the Equalizer, helps the downtrodden for a price. But when he starts working for a woman named Faith, things take a turn for the worse.
Quaid and Billy spoke with CBR about their creative process and the pulpy influences at the heart of their story. They discuss their love of genre fiction and hint at some of the over-the-top violence and madness they have in store for readers in the pages of Bloody Mayhem.
CBR: Could you talk a little about your collaborative process? How much of the story is completed before the illustrations come into play?
Jack Quaid: Butcher Billy is my spirit animal. For some strange and uncanny reason, we’re on the same creative, pop culture-drenched wavelength. All three stories, from ANONYMOUS JANE, to STAR BLASTER and then the mad and bad BLOODY MAYHEM were all written before Butcher jumped onboard. But once he did come on board, all the stories were tweaked so that both the story and the art were in sync.
Butcher Billy: The story is complete before it’s sent to me. I get the chance to read through the whole thing which is great for worldbuilding. Having said that, I also like to read just enough to illustrate one piece at a time and get surprised by the twists as I move forward, just like a regular reader. That way I can make the artwork evolve along with the story.
How did you determine which scenes to illustrate?
Quaid: Butcher just has a knack for looking at something and seeing the cool in it. So, although I put together a list of ten-ish moments that I thought would rock, Billy always found ten more that rocked harder.
Billy: I do get a list of suggestions from the author but I’m basically free to pick the scenes and situations I like the most. In books so well written as these, I’m also inspired by phrases and quotes that I love to incorporate into the artwork.
Bloody Mayhem is the third book you’ve worked on together. How has the way you two collaborate developed over time?
Quaid: From the get-go, I was such a fan of Butcher’s that I was just super keen to see what he would come up with. Every piece of art he put together blew me away. I rarely had any notes. So my attitude was always, just “go and do the coolest thing ever”… and he did!
Butcher: I was actually a bit overwhelmed in the beginning, since I was straight-forwardly invited to do the 3 books as a big project. In my career, I’m used to doing single pieces and covers but never illustrating a whole book — not to mention three of them! But in the end, what I liked the most was that they made me feel absolutely free to create whatever I wanted on top of what Quaid had described in his writing.
Were there any particular books, comics, or films that you looked to for inspiration while working on this project?
Quaid: Totally, I always wanted to do a proper ’70s noir. I’m talking about the books of Richard Stark, the movies of Steve McQueen and Pam Grier all mixed in with the music of the time. But like with all things Jack Quaid, it had to see the world through his violent, mad lens. Because of that, we’ve got the private parts of rapists being chopped off in the first couple of pages, bloodbaths with psychos, and one very unfortunate incident with a pig. Let me say that that little piggy should have stayed home.
Billy: Bloody Mayhem has been described in the brief as noir on speed — taking inspiration from old school noir tales from the ’40s and ’50s — but dialing everything up to 11. My contribution was to get all that and turn it into a big blaxploitation gorefest. So naturally, I was inspired by everything from Black Caesar to Shaft, Coffy, and Cleopatra Jones.
Both the illustrations and the text of Bloody Mayhem are very evocative of classic paperback pulp novels. Was it difficult to create this aesthetic knowing that it would be released digitally?
Quaid: I could happily live in the world of pulp fiction for the rest of my life. What the rest of the world considers trash literature and cinema is where I think truth in art really lies. It’s the uncensored world at its most bold. These are pulpy books and Butcher got that right off the bat and dove right in with both feet.
Billy: Not at all, pulp has been one of my greatest inspirations and is all over my body of work. It’s probable that that’s why I was chosen to do this gig, so it all made sense.
What appeals to you the most about Mayhem as a character?
Quaid: We live in a world where people like Mayhem are considered undesirable by the normals. He’s a man who uses force to solve problems. He says what he thinks, does what he wants and to hell with the rest of the world. He’s brash, violent, and somewhat of an asshole. During peacetime, there’s no place for a man like Mayhem. But when the shit hits the fan and your back is to the wall, a man like Mayhem is exactly who you need on your side.
Billy: I don’t know exactly why, but right on page 2 I couldn’t help but envision this guy as Fred Williamson in Black Casear. And since the story takes place in the ’70s, everything kinda fit together in my mind.
What are you most excited for readers to discover in Bloody Mayhem?
Quaid: The bloody mayhem-ness of it all, really. This shit is wild. I want the readers to get to the end of this book and think to themselves, “What the hell was that?”
Billy: The church gun nuts and the pig VHS tape are family-friendly entertainment, to say the least.
Can fans look forward to more work from the two of you in the future?
Quaid: Totally!
Billy: I certainly look forward to it!
Bloody Mayhem is available now from NeoText.
About The Author
For all the latest Comics News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
