Hey everyone,

Today we have Mike Maihack. He’s an artist, and the creator of Cleopatra in Space and Cow & Buffalo, among other things. He’s also the editor of the Christian art anthology, Parable. And last but not least, he’s an ice Cream enthusiast, lol. And now for the interview….

When did you first get into comics as a reader/fan? As a writer/artist/creator?

Been reading them since I was yay high. Mostly comic strips and later onto superhero books like the X-Men. I didn’t think about actually drawing comics, at least in the long format sense, until I read Jeff Smith’s Bone. As much as I loved superhero books (and still do), I just didn’t have an interest in drawing them at the time. Plus, Jeff Smith was creating things all by himself and I dug that.

Why comics? What do you like most about this medium?

I have stories to tell. I like drawing them. Comics are really the only medium I can think of where I can do both. I’d love to work on something animated but that takes a whole of lot of people, money, and time….That’s not something everyone has at their disposal. I also kinda like how you can get a singular visual voice from comics that you can’t really get in any other medium.

Say a little about the project(s) you have worked on in the past (if any), and what they were about?

I wrote and drew an online comic called Cow & Buffalo for about six years. It hearkened back to my love of strip-styled funnies when I was younger, and was pretty much just conversations I’d have inside my head personified by a couple of bovines. Initially I challenged myself to tell complete gags within six panels since before that I would only start on these epic story ideas but never finish. Eventually those six panel comics evolved into giant year-long story arcs. So maybe I failed. Or maybe I created something amazing. Regardless, I learned a lot working on that comic. I think my Batgirl/Supergirl comics I’ve drawn recently owe a lot to my work on Cow & Buffalo.

I’ve also done some anthology work here and there. I drew a comic for a gigantic book based on Tori Amos’ music. I organized a Christian-themed anthology for which I drew an interpretation of Nehemiah. Recently I just drew a three-page western comic for a book called Cow Boy that’s coming out next year. It has a penguin in it. It’s pretty fun.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

Just plowing ahead on my current comic, Cleopatra in Space. It’s about the ancient Egyptian princess who’s been transported as a teenager into the far reaches of space to fight aliens and stuff. It’s a fun pulp sci-fi adventure yarn that I’ll probably be drawing for the next ten years or so. Maybe more. I have a lot of stories to tell. I plan on finishing it too.

What format(s) do you prefer for telling your stories (e.g., on-going series, mini-series, one-shot, graphic novel, etc.) and why?

I prefer telling long-term stories but broken up into issues, or chapters. Not having any definitive page count allows me to really grow with the characters and take them on long, surprising journeys. If I think of something cool I want to happen, or a direction the characters would rather go that maybe I didn’t initially plan, I can do that in a long-term series. I guess the only downside is perhaps growing tired of it all. But then you can always end your story on your own terms. I’ve started working on a graphic novel and it’s taking me a long time to work out the schematics of working in that format. I’ve actually had to think of it as a series of graphic novels just in order to figure in the proper amount of character growth. It’s tough.

What sources of information and inspiration have helped you along the way?

Besides the Bible, possibly the most influential source of story material ever, my comics are probably more inspired from movies rather than comics–and animated movies at that. My mind just thinks more in those terms. I enjoy good dialog. Doesn’t necessarily have to be natural dialog. Just interesting. I don’t like my characters sounding like teleprompters. Which is probably why I enjoy the acting I see in animation. Chuck Jones inspires the humor I write. Miyazaki inspires the internal conflicts. Star Wars influences the action. It comes from all over.

Say a little about how you’ve been able to communicate your faith through your project(s)? What has that process been like? How has it evolved over the years?

I don’t think it comes out very loud. Parable was probably the most blatant, and even that I tried to maintain a very subdued nature to the whole shebang. Because my faith is so strong, I think there are elements of it that might sneak their way into the stories I tell, or the characters I write, but I don’t make a conscience move to do that. In fact, sometimes I make a conscience effort to do just the opposite. I find all faith fascinating, not just the Christian one. I find atheism even more fascinating because their beliefs are often times stronger than most Christians I know. I always thought of Buffalo as more of an atheist and it made writing him all the more interesting. Cow was probably more agnostic. I don’t think any of that was ever apparent in the characters, but that background kept me less in control of the characters–which is how I prefer it. In Cleopatra in Space, a belief in the Egyptian deities plays a huge role. Their very existence goes against the monotheistic core of Christianity. But the main themes of hope and love—two very strong components of my faith—hopefully still come through in the story.

What advice would you give to other Christians who are considering making comics?

Same advice I’d give to non-Christians: start drawing them. Or writing them. There’s nothing stopping you from getting your work out there these days, unless of course you are still stuck on a 28K modem.

I’d also suggest reading a lot. And listening. Pretty much being a sponge for everything that comes your way, because you never know what you might need for a story.

Are there any future projects you are working on, or would like to work on?

I’d actually love to draw a long-form Batgirl/Supergirl story one day. I have one in mind. But I’m fully content with Cleopatra in Space. Even if I was to draw something more mainstream, I wouldn’t abandon Cleo. She’s too much fun. And I have too many stories to tell.

What is your take on the current state of Christian or Christian-themed comics? What, if anything, would you like to see more of in the future? What, if anything, would you like to see done differently?

I honestly don’t read any Christian comics. So I guess my answer would be to make them more interesting? Actually, I would say just don’t make them Christian. Tell the stories you want to tell, maintain your faith and let that come through in your storytelling. You can have Christian characters without writing Christian comics. That’s a good place to start. And then create something unique. If you want to reinterpret a story from the Bible, find an angle on it that will make it interesting to non-Christians as well as yourself. If you have a Christian superhero, don’t make being a Christian his whole identity. Write characters not Christians. And then from there you can delve in to the themes that are important to you.

What is the best way for people to contact you, and to read/purchase your work?

Through my website. My comics are for sale on there too. Or you can read ‘em for free if you want. I’m also on the Twitter.

Another interview in the bag…one more until I reach the big 4-0! Until then, stay blessed and take care….