POPT Mailbag #1
Welcome to the first ever POPT Mailbag! We got some really interesting questions and I can't wait to answer them!
Let's get right into it!
What first gave you the idea for Pirates of Padre Tiempo?
I got some really great advice from a professor in my senior year of college. He said, "Always have a side project-- something you're really passionate about. Even if you land your dream job as an artist, having a passion project will help keep your artistic drive going beyond your 9 to 5 job. If you only do art as a profession, you run the risk of simply going through the motions. Passion projects keep the fire lit."
I was fortunate enough to land a great job as an artist right out of college, but I held onto that advice and worked on a number of side projects... most of them never made it out of my sketchbook (or at least they haven't yet!). These projects ranged from fan art to short stories and storyboards, but they were all driven by things I was interested in. Pirates was one of those passions.
Pirates of Padre Tiempo was originally conceived as a 4 minute animated short where a little boy finds a magic coin, goes back in time, fights pirates, and then comes back to the present day; a short and sweet Wizard-of-Oz-esque adventure. There wasn't even any dialogue. Then I wrote the script. I kept coming up with more and more ideas that I wanted to use. I added dialogue. The script got longer and longer. Ultimately, I ended up with a 90-something page script equivalent to a movie. I briefly entertained the idea of animating it with some friends over a long period of time... but when my dad saw the script sitting on the kitchen table, he offhandedly said, "Oh, is this your new comic book?" And that was that! Making it a comic made a lot of sense logistically and I took off from there!
Will you be doing a Kickstarter or any crowd funding other than Patreon for PoPT #5?
That's a great question! Originally I had announced that after years of exhibiting at various shows, Pirates had finally made enough money to print the next issue without running a crowdfunding campaign... THEN the coronavirus crisis hit. It looks like a number of the events we were planning on attending-- events we count on for funds-- are likely going to be canceled or postponed. So then I suggested that we may run a Kickstarter after all...
At the same time, a lot of people and businesses are hurting right now. I don't like asking for money in the first place... and I can't in good conscience ask people for money in a situation like this. So long story short: No crowdsourcing this time around, but if you'd like to support Pirates of Padre Tiempo, please consider backing us on Patreon where I'm sharing some cool behind-the-scenes stuff! Every backer helps-- now more than ever!
If the various events and festivals this spring and summer are canceled, what's the best way for fans to get issue #5?
Another great question! We're as disappointed as everyone else that our spring and summer schedule has been obliterated. HOWEVER, Pirates #5 will still be out this Spring! The best way for fans to get a copy of issue #5 will be through our website! Stay tuned for updates!
Does Blackjack name the parrot "Mom" because he doesn't know his mother's real name?
That's deep! And I think that's a fair interpretation. There's a lot that Blackjack doesn't know about his parents. He lost his father when he was young, but he never met his mother. All he really knows is that his dad gave him that tiny wedge of treasure and told him to keep it safe. Then his father was lost at sea, but it wouldn't be until Flynn showed up that he would realize he had a piece of the Treasure of Padre Tiempo in his possession all along. His mom was never really in the picture. PSST! SPOILER ALERT: We may or may not (but definitely do) learn more about Blackjack's mom (his human mom) in Pirates of Padre Tiempo #5!
That's a wrap on the first mailbag, folks! Thanks to everyone who submitted their questions! Let's make it a regular thing! In the meantime, if you have questions for the next mailbag, message us on Facebook or email poptcomics@gmail.com
-Tim