The Knave Interviews A Spelunker's Guide to the City's Gary Epting!

Continuing our series of interviews with the January Zuda Competitors, the Knave talks up Gary Epting, creator of A Spelunker's Guide to the City.



Knave of Krypton: All right, Gary, tell us a little about Spelunker's Guide to the City. Was this something you conceived of specifically for Zuda?

Gary Epting: SGC is a piece of a larger project that I’ve been working on for a number of years. When I stumbled on Zuda last July I was most interested in the fact they were asking for submissions that were out of the ordinary.

KofK: You've taken some heat, as well as received some praise, for the anti-narrative nature of SGC. What's the motivation for creating a mood and atmosphere instead of telling a straightforward story?

GE: Actually it wasn’t a conscious decision to be difficult or opaque. The simple truth is that the story I want to tell is long and very involved. I just didn’t see a way to launch this as a 007 whammy before the credits. I want people to be intrigued by the environment.

KofK: Could you discuss the process you use to create the art for this series?

GE: The artwork I’ve created for this and most other projects is really consciously eclectic. I want to have as many styles and media at work as possible. I bring many pieces of original art into the process, watercolors, oils, drawings and small sculptures, but I also find plenty of uses for my photographs and video grabs. Of course, I rely on Photoshop to smooth off the edges and create a patina. But on the other hand, any PSD over twenty layers and I start to get woozy.

KofK: Is SGC something you think could work in print? Are print comics at all something you're interested in?

GE: I think SGC would make the transition to print, but it’s not my primary interest. (Although I may create a limited edition of giclee prints at some point.) My first interest is in exploring what story-telling on the web can be.

KofK: What have you thought of Zuda so far?

GE: I think Zuda is an admirable experiment. Of course there are some things that are still a little rough, but that’s only natural for a start-up. They are doing a good job of community building and that’s what this is all about. I hope they will continue to push the boundaries and not just become an online version of print comics.

KofK: What are some of your visual influences?

GE: I am a painter and a writer. I don’t have a background in comics per se. I have always loved Krazy and Ignatz and Bugs and Wile, but a major part of the Zuda experience for me has been to receive a whirlwind education in the comic tradition. I know film well. Early Hollywood, pre-code and the late silents. To me this experimental phase of film-making corresponds the best to the current web situation.

KofK: Anything else you'd like to add?

GE: I am really pleased to have been selected and participated, but I think Zuda is just getting started. I can’t wait to see what they are doing next year at this time. I hope I’m part of it.

To see more of Gary's work, visit his online gallery Tatu, a part of the Amalgamated Artists.