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Interview:
Nick Defina
Interview with Nick Defina
By John L. Daniels, Jr.
Published: 2007-06-27
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I want to thank Nick Defina, founder and chairman of Septagon Studios,
for taking the time to answer questions
about Septagon Studios’ new title Scorn. —John Daniels Jr.
John Daniels: Could you give the ComicCritique.com readers a
little background about your company Septagon Studios?
Nick Defina Septagon Studios was founded in early 2003 by me
and my two cousins. The co-creators of Septagon Studios include Philip
Defina who is the Vice President and Art Director and Domenic Defina
the Art Consultant. In 2005 Septagon Studios became a corporation.
We spent a great amount of time focusing on various ideas and
coming up with unique concepts to get Septagon Studios where it is
today. We are always learning and studying on how we could push the
envelope and take it even further. At Septagon studios we put emphasis
on Imagination, and Creativity. We want Septagon Studios to be a
company with limitless opportunities.
Septagon Studios combines comic book publishing with various
creator services. We plan to offer production services to our
creators. We also plan on creating various marketing strategies per
book so that each title gets its deserved attention. Some other
services we offer include solicitations, advertising, press release
writing, and related promotional efforts. We are working towards a
gradual expansion to select countries, thus allowing more exposure for
our titles and creators.
“We envision Scorn on many different levels…
I see Scorn as a mainstream title in the independent market.”
— Nick Defina
JD: How is the comic book industry in Canada compared to the
United States?
ND: The comic book industry in Canada has had its problems
in the past. Publishers have fallen due to various implications. As
for competition I’d say it is high. There is a great amount of
Canadian publishers that are well established and have built a solid
readership through the years. The convention season in Canada is
amazing with some big events including the Paradise Comiccon, Fan
Expo, Anime North, Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Montréal’s Amazing
convention and Vancouver’s Pop Culture Collectibles Fair. There is
also a tremendous fan base of comic book readers and collectors in
Canada; it’s a fun time especially with the booming economy.
JD: What other genres are Septagon Studios producing?
ND: We plan to publish all genres beyond the bracket of
superhero titles. We want to bring new innovative ideas and concepts
to the industry. We encourage creators to submit creative and original
works whether it is a great story or a great artistic masterpiece. We
want creators to be free and limitless. Our door is always open for
those who want to experiment and break boundaries.
For submission guidelines visit
http://www.septagonstudios.com/proposals.html.
For our forums visit http://forums.septagonstudios.com.
JD: Are they going to be other titles available soon from
Septagon studios?
ND: We have a variety of titles and great projects that will
be coming out of Septagon Studios. We have a lot of stuff happening
here at Septagon but at the moment we can’t divulge any secrets. Fans,
readers and visitors will hear it first on our website
(www.septagonstudios.com).
JD: What is your goal for Septagon Studios?
ND: One of our main goals that we would like to achieve with
Septagon Studios is to be recognized as a great independent publishing
company. We hope to become one of Canada’s top comic book
publishing companies within the next few years.
JD: Do you have any collaborative projects with other
studios in- or outside of Canada?
ND: Currently we do not have any collaborated projects.
However we would like to pair ourselves with some very important
individuals and some outstanding companies in the near future.
JD: As President of Septagon studios, do you envision
Scorn as just an “indie” or mainstream?
ND: We envision Scorn on many different levels. If I
had to choose though, I would say I see Scorn as a mainstream
title in the independent market. Scorn will be classified in a variety
of ways but the fans will ultimately determine the direction of Scorn.
“Scorn reflects the harsh reality of how current society
has evolved.”
—Nick Defina
JD: What are some of the Canadian titles that stand out
among the others and that we in the USA should keep an eye on?
ND: There are many Canadian publishers with great titles
it’s hard to narrow down the ones that standout. Some of the works I
am currently following are Arcana Studio’s Kade, DMF Comics’
Silent Leaves, and Udon Comics’ Street Fighter. All
these titles are worth a read.
JD: Scorn is a story with
emotion and a realistic insight with violence in today’s society. How
important was it to have a creative team such as Moyers and Neundorf?
ND: It’s very important to have a creative team such as
Moyers and Neundorf. They both have a unique outlook on life with very
diverse experiences. These experiences are illustrated through the
story as well as the distinctive gritty art style in Scorn. Kevin uses
real life city events to convey the setting and the mood of Scorn.
From a personal insight Kevin Moyers had the following to say:
“I grew up in Chicago, Philipp Neundorf grew up in
Berlin, and David Hayes grew up in Detroit, so we've all seen our
share of violence. Hell, Berlin was cut in half by a giant wall for
how long? What Dave and I saw was more street violence growing up. It
helps to know it in order to create it.” — Kevin
Moyers
JD: What would you like to say to Scorn readers?
ND: Scorn is a book that is filled with emotion and
it can be seen through the amazing artwork of Philipp Neundorf.
It’s a story of how an individual takes matters into his own
hands when no one else would. Scorn reflects the harsh reality
of how current society has evolved. It’s an amazing tale and we
are proud to have Scorn as our debut title.
In the words of Kevin Moyers (creator of Scorn) “See
it for what it is: a story with heart. It’s not cold and full of corny
one line cracks from the hero. It's realistic. So, sit back, crack it
open and enjoy.”
Scorn is now available for purchase directly at store.setpagonstudios.com and will be hitting
retail stores soon.
—CCdC— Images are often used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
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