I first met Jody Parker when I first became intrigued by the "Earthsons" and "The Dark Labyrinth" titles, both of which are being published through her own company, Dark Ocean Studios. I discovered the existence of those titles after browsing through several genres on ComicSpace. After reading the first issue of Earthsons, I wanted to find out more about Dark Ocean Studios, their future aims and their publishing strategy.
How did you start Dark Ocean Studios and why?
JODY: I started writing my first comic Earthsons about ten years ago for another publishing company. The company ended up having some setbacks and Earthsons was never published. A few years later I came up with the concept for The Dark Labyrinth. I started learning about self-publishing and decided I would try and put out the book myself. I never forgot about Earthsons and got in touch with the original artist who was interested in re-drawing the series. Now that I had these two projects underway I wanted to unite them under one name. This is how Dark Ocean Studios first came about.
How difficult is it for you to write comics as well as manage your own company?
JODY: I’m pretty fortunate in that I spend weekends working in special education and I am off during weekdays. This gives me a lot of free time to write scripts and work on my business. Some days I spend ten to twelve hours in front of my computer and other times there isn’t much for me to do so I get to enjoy having some free time.
Your company has two titles you're currently writing. Earthsons and The Dark Labyrinth. Could you please give us a short synopsis about those titles for our readers?
JODY: Earthsons takes place in the post-apocalyptic world of H’trae. H’trae is a toxic planet with noxious clouds, contaminated water and harsh weather. Survival is helped in part by a mysterious chemical called, “Blue.” This substance turns water crystal clear, decontaminates food and can be used in masks for a short time to cleanse the air. No one knows where this chemical comes from or why it exists. There are two main characters who are sent to discover what this chemical is and for two very different reasons.
The Dark Labyrinth is the story of a government controlled society similar to the book 1984. There is an ongoing war between Lotherial and Oren, the two hemispheres of a planet that have been literally torn in half. The story follows Kel, a young, high ranking officer in the Orenian military. He has been selected to test out a new prototype called The Dark Labyrinth. Strange occurrences are happening to those who use this machine and Kel embarks on a dangerous journey to find the truth.
Are both of those titles currently on-going or are they mini-series?
JODY: I know how each story is going to end but I’m not sure how long it will take to get there. So it’s hard to really say. I try to let each story tell itself. Even though I as the creator know what events are happening in the future, I try and separate that from the moment taking place in the story. That way I can experience the emotions of the characters and their natural reactions. I map things out key plot points, but often if a character is going somewhere they have never been I won’t go into detail with myself about the place until they have arrived. In a sense we make the journey together. Each story is on-going and has at least twelve issues but they both will definitely end at some point. One thing that helps me if I have been away from a story for a while is to go back and re-read everything from the beginning to make sure I don’t forget anything that’s happened and that things remain consistent.
Where did you get your writing inspirations for Earthsons and The Dark Labyrinth?
JODY: Some of the pieces that put together Earthsons come from a multitude of different sources. My dad had this humor book when I was a kid called, “The Nuclear War Fun Book.” I remember a picture I saw of a little girl and her brother and it had an explanation about how to build your own bomb shelter. It inspired me to write a story about this little girl and her brother who were in a bomb shelter running out of food after a nuclear war. Their father had left to go to the surface and he hadn’t come back. It seems like a pretty dark story but I guess that’s where I can first remember becoming interested in what the world would be like after a global catastrophe.
The Dark Labyrinth was inspired by my love of books like 1984, Brave New World and Fahrenheit-451. Books which feature a dictatorial government fascinate me. I often wonder how much of our unshakeable beliefs and ideals, and how much of who we are, is influenced by the government, propaganda, and the media. Throughout history people have believed erroneous things because it was the popular mind set. If we were brought up in a system that dictated every part of our lives, what could we be led to believe? I guess this is why I write stories that center around this subject. The residents of the Dark Labyrinth are controlled by a dictatorship and Earthsons is a chaotic world with few unenforceable laws. Aleyen and Kel are both products of their worlds and their environments and someday hopefully each will escape that.
How long does it usually take you to write a script for an issue?
JODY: Sometimes writing is effortless and I can’t write down my thoughts fast enough. Other times I can agonize over a scene for a week or more. Writing can be like a puzzle sometimes. You have to make sure every part of the story fits together and has continuity. I always make sure I am ahead of schedule so that I have time to spend working on a script when I need it
Will you be considering trade paperback releases for each of your titles?
JODY: That is definitely our goal for Earthsons. It’s very hard for an independent publisher to get started. Sales are estimated to be anywhere from a hundred or less to a few thousand copies if you’re lucky. I know someone who distributed two thousand copies of his comic and by the time he was done with shipping and costs he only made a ten cent profit for each book. Publishing a graphic novel means you print more pages and get lower printing costs. It’s the only chance a small publisher has to make a meager profit in my opinion.
Are there any other series planned to come out of your company, written by you or anyone else?
JODY: Me and my good friend Deirdra Welch are writing a funny webcomic which will be available for free on our website. We’ve picked an artist to draw it and it’s currently being worked on.
I also recently introduced an artist and writer who are working on a project together which may be featured at Dark Ocean Studios. It’s a dark tale that begins at a funeral and follows the story of a regular guy who changes into a different person as his life starts to fall apart.
Is there a possibility of expanding into fully digital comics some day or any other format other than comics?
JODY: I hope as the company becomes successful we will branch out into other mediums. The possibilities are limitless and we have such a talented team of people. I also never seem to run out of ideas. Selling comics digitally is something I will definitely consider doing in the future.
Do you have any advice for aspiring creators out there?
JODY: I would suggest reading about the cold hard facts about self-publishing. If you only sold a few hundred copies of your creation during your lifetime, would that be something that would be worth all the effort, work and financial expenses involved? Hoping for the best and accepting the worst would be my best advice. Don’t let anyone discourage you from trying to accomplish your dreams though.
If you could write any comic book series out there, which one would you choose and why?
JODY: Oh wow, I don’t know. It’s hard for me to imagine taking over someone’s concept and ideas. Stories to me are so personal. I’ll have to think about that one.
How can readers get their hands on your exciting new comic book series?
JODY: We made some last minute changes to issue 1 of Earthsons and are just waiting for it to be swapped out at http://www.indyplanet.com. I’m hoping within the next two weeks it will be for sale on our site.
Is it available through Diamond Comic Distributors or will it just be available on your site?
JODY: For now the comics will be for sale on our website until we have put together four issues for a graphic novel. We also are considering sending some copies off to companies to see if they’re interested in picking us up to save on some of those high printing costs.
Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this interview! I'm excited about the future of Dark Ocean Studios already since I see a lot of potential in their titles already. If you're interested in any of their titles, please check out their Dark Ocean Studios website for more information. I definitely recommend Earthsons for a good fantasy read. From what I've read about The Dark Labyrinth, it looks like an interesting albeit dark science fiction story.
How did you start Dark Ocean Studios and why?
JODY: I started writing my first comic Earthsons about ten years ago for another publishing company. The company ended up having some setbacks and Earthsons was never published. A few years later I came up with the concept for The Dark Labyrinth. I started learning about self-publishing and decided I would try and put out the book myself. I never forgot about Earthsons and got in touch with the original artist who was interested in re-drawing the series. Now that I had these two projects underway I wanted to unite them under one name. This is how Dark Ocean Studios first came about.
How difficult is it for you to write comics as well as manage your own company?
JODY: I’m pretty fortunate in that I spend weekends working in special education and I am off during weekdays. This gives me a lot of free time to write scripts and work on my business. Some days I spend ten to twelve hours in front of my computer and other times there isn’t much for me to do so I get to enjoy having some free time.
Your company has two titles you're currently writing. Earthsons and The Dark Labyrinth. Could you please give us a short synopsis about those titles for our readers?
JODY: Earthsons takes place in the post-apocalyptic world of H’trae. H’trae is a toxic planet with noxious clouds, contaminated water and harsh weather. Survival is helped in part by a mysterious chemical called, “Blue.” This substance turns water crystal clear, decontaminates food and can be used in masks for a short time to cleanse the air. No one knows where this chemical comes from or why it exists. There are two main characters who are sent to discover what this chemical is and for two very different reasons.
The Dark Labyrinth is the story of a government controlled society similar to the book 1984. There is an ongoing war between Lotherial and Oren, the two hemispheres of a planet that have been literally torn in half. The story follows Kel, a young, high ranking officer in the Orenian military. He has been selected to test out a new prototype called The Dark Labyrinth. Strange occurrences are happening to those who use this machine and Kel embarks on a dangerous journey to find the truth.
Are both of those titles currently on-going or are they mini-series?
JODY: I know how each story is going to end but I’m not sure how long it will take to get there. So it’s hard to really say. I try to let each story tell itself. Even though I as the creator know what events are happening in the future, I try and separate that from the moment taking place in the story. That way I can experience the emotions of the characters and their natural reactions. I map things out key plot points, but often if a character is going somewhere they have never been I won’t go into detail with myself about the place until they have arrived. In a sense we make the journey together. Each story is on-going and has at least twelve issues but they both will definitely end at some point. One thing that helps me if I have been away from a story for a while is to go back and re-read everything from the beginning to make sure I don’t forget anything that’s happened and that things remain consistent.
Where did you get your writing inspirations for Earthsons and The Dark Labyrinth?
JODY: Some of the pieces that put together Earthsons come from a multitude of different sources. My dad had this humor book when I was a kid called, “The Nuclear War Fun Book.” I remember a picture I saw of a little girl and her brother and it had an explanation about how to build your own bomb shelter. It inspired me to write a story about this little girl and her brother who were in a bomb shelter running out of food after a nuclear war. Their father had left to go to the surface and he hadn’t come back. It seems like a pretty dark story but I guess that’s where I can first remember becoming interested in what the world would be like after a global catastrophe.
The Dark Labyrinth was inspired by my love of books like 1984, Brave New World and Fahrenheit-451. Books which feature a dictatorial government fascinate me. I often wonder how much of our unshakeable beliefs and ideals, and how much of who we are, is influenced by the government, propaganda, and the media. Throughout history people have believed erroneous things because it was the popular mind set. If we were brought up in a system that dictated every part of our lives, what could we be led to believe? I guess this is why I write stories that center around this subject. The residents of the Dark Labyrinth are controlled by a dictatorship and Earthsons is a chaotic world with few unenforceable laws. Aleyen and Kel are both products of their worlds and their environments and someday hopefully each will escape that.
How long does it usually take you to write a script for an issue?
JODY: Sometimes writing is effortless and I can’t write down my thoughts fast enough. Other times I can agonize over a scene for a week or more. Writing can be like a puzzle sometimes. You have to make sure every part of the story fits together and has continuity. I always make sure I am ahead of schedule so that I have time to spend working on a script when I need it
Will you be considering trade paperback releases for each of your titles?
JODY: That is definitely our goal for Earthsons. It’s very hard for an independent publisher to get started. Sales are estimated to be anywhere from a hundred or less to a few thousand copies if you’re lucky. I know someone who distributed two thousand copies of his comic and by the time he was done with shipping and costs he only made a ten cent profit for each book. Publishing a graphic novel means you print more pages and get lower printing costs. It’s the only chance a small publisher has to make a meager profit in my opinion.
Are there any other series planned to come out of your company, written by you or anyone else?
JODY: Me and my good friend Deirdra Welch are writing a funny webcomic which will be available for free on our website. We’ve picked an artist to draw it and it’s currently being worked on.
I also recently introduced an artist and writer who are working on a project together which may be featured at Dark Ocean Studios. It’s a dark tale that begins at a funeral and follows the story of a regular guy who changes into a different person as his life starts to fall apart.
Is there a possibility of expanding into fully digital comics some day or any other format other than comics?
JODY: I hope as the company becomes successful we will branch out into other mediums. The possibilities are limitless and we have such a talented team of people. I also never seem to run out of ideas. Selling comics digitally is something I will definitely consider doing in the future.
Do you have any advice for aspiring creators out there?
JODY: I would suggest reading about the cold hard facts about self-publishing. If you only sold a few hundred copies of your creation during your lifetime, would that be something that would be worth all the effort, work and financial expenses involved? Hoping for the best and accepting the worst would be my best advice. Don’t let anyone discourage you from trying to accomplish your dreams though.
If you could write any comic book series out there, which one would you choose and why?
JODY: Oh wow, I don’t know. It’s hard for me to imagine taking over someone’s concept and ideas. Stories to me are so personal. I’ll have to think about that one.
How can readers get their hands on your exciting new comic book series?
JODY: We made some last minute changes to issue 1 of Earthsons and are just waiting for it to be swapped out at http://www.indyplanet.com. I’m hoping within the next two weeks it will be for sale on our site.
Is it available through Diamond Comic Distributors or will it just be available on your site?
JODY: For now the comics will be for sale on our website until we have put together four issues for a graphic novel. We also are considering sending some copies off to companies to see if they’re interested in picking us up to save on some of those high printing costs.
Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this interview! I'm excited about the future of Dark Ocean Studios already since I see a lot of potential in their titles already. If you're interested in any of their titles, please check out their Dark Ocean Studios website for more information. I definitely recommend Earthsons for a good fantasy read. From what I've read about The Dark Labyrinth, it looks like an interesting albeit dark science fiction story.
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