Matt Dembicki loans sharks a re-introduction

   Issue 1

"Xoc (pronounced "Shock") is a great white shark on a journey across the Pacific Ocean from the Farallon Islands, a group of islets 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco, to Hawaii. Along it's trek, the 17-foot, 2,500-pound shark encounters deadly obstacles, both natural and man-made."

The Small Press Expo offers a broad range of creatively diverse comics unlike anywhere else in the industry. Nation-wide illustrators and writers presenting autobiographies, dream sequences, crime drama, romances, manga, comedy, and several more innovational topics. SPX hosts the Ignatz Awards, a distinction for the most innovative and well-produced independent and alternative comics.

"Here's what the director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the University of Florida had to say about Xoc: 'Nice to see 'the message' getting out in a format that is attractive to a subset of the public not always reached by some other traditional' means of communication. Good work!'' "

    Matt Dembicki

Independent and alternative creators work the long hours to create and move their work for purchase. Many add these hours on top of everyday nine-to-fives or opposing shift times. The dedication and drive causes a certain respect for fans of small press.

Matt Dembicki (Mr. Big, Spadefoot, Liquid Revolver), a Greater DC area resident, took some time to talk on his own nominated comic, Xoc, and his work in small press comics.

Examiner: First of all, congratulations on the Ignatz nomination. How was that experience initially and up to now?
Matt: Thank you. It was a rush getting the e-mail informing me Xoc was a nominee in the Outstanding Mini-Comic category. It was nice getting congratulations from friends and colleagues. I relished the community aspect of it, which is nice since comics are often created in isolation—just you in a room with some music for hours. Now, I’m focused on marketing the book. I’m one of the lesser-known creators who is up for the award, so I feel I have to get the book out there and get folks familiar with it.

Examiner: How did the inspiration for “Xoc” come to a convincing story?
Matt: I’ve always had a thing for sharks, ever since I saw “Jaws.” They’re fascinating and terrifying creatures. But it wasn’t  until I read The Devil’s Teeth a few years ago that I began thinking that a month-in-the-life of a shark could make for an interesting graphic story. I began researching the hot spots for white sharks, what they eat, how they stalk prey. But I wanted to put it in a greater context of the ocean, so I also have other critters and asides going on to convey this.

Examiner: There had to be a good amount of research. What was your preparation like before starting on the story?
Matt: There’s not a lot known about great whites. They’re very difficult to keep in capacity—I think only one aquarium had some success keeping one alive. And most of the nature documentaries film them at boats where there’s chum or they’re near well-known feeding areas where the sharks are known to breach as they chase seals. But a couple of studies over the past decade provided some fresh information about migration patterns, mating cycles and such. So I tried to incorporate as much of that new information and theories into the comic as I could to give it a different spin on how to think about white sharks.

Examiner: Tell us a bit about your creative background. When did you start pursuing a career in graphic fiction?
Matt: It’s not my day job. It’s something I do on the side and have had some reasonable success. I used to draw comics through high school and then lost interest when I was in college. It wasn’t until I met my wife, who re-introduced me to them, that I started creating comics again—some 15 years later. But once I got started again, it seemed very fluid, like riding a bike.

     Issue 2 page

Examiner: What comic books or graphic novels have been mainstay influences for you?
Matt: I don’t think particular books have influenced me as much as creators. Steve Bissette is one of my all-time favorites, as is Rick Veitch, though I supposed their runs on Swamp Thing is what got me hooked on them. Growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Frank Miller and Walt Simonson were also very influential on me. I’ll also eat up anything by Eddie Campbell and Renee French.

Examiner: When you’re able to take a break from your own work, what current titles are you reading?
Matt: I enjoy alternative comics and self-published mini-comics the most because they tend to follow their own drummers. Recent minis that I’ve enjoyed include Howzit Funnies, Ed Contradictory and Professor Badger’s Cabinet of Curiosities. I look forward to shows like the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Md., and the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo in Columbus, Ohio, among others, where I stock up on self-published, one-of-a-kind works.

Examiner: As for “Xoc” the panels are distinctly clean and amazingly illustrated. What illustrative techniques did you implement?
Matt: I use perspectives as a main technique. Particularly during heavier dialogue scenes, I try to change up the angles to keep the reader’s interest. Variety in paneling also helps. It’s something I picked up from reading the works of Neal Adams and Steranko—play with the entire palette.

Examiner: The plot was enough for researchers from the University of Florida to deliver kudos. The regard has to be appreciated. From this monthly or otherwise series, what are you imparting to readers about sharks?
Matt: It’s an occasional series, meaning I’ll put out an issue every three to four months. I’m aiming for readers to get a better understanding of not only sharks and other creatures, but about the ocean in general. I can’t reveal more, but I think it’ll be clear when the third issue comes out. I’ve already done the thumbnails. It’s like a tire iron to the face—saying that, I hope it lives up to the hype!

Examiner: How many issues are planned for “Xoc”?
Matt: It will be five to six issues and compiled into a trade book when it’s complete.

Examiner: Can you speak on future works following “Xoc”?
Matt: I’ve started working with fellow D.C. artist Evan Keeling on a project with some unusual characters. It’ll have a supernatural focus. I also have a book coming out next June from Fulcrum Publishing called Trickster, an anthology that includes more than 20 animal trickster stories written by Native American storytellers specifically for the book.

Thanks, Matt, for taking some time for this interview. Best luck with the nomination.