Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, dynamite, entertainment, Fabrice Sapolsky, Fred Pham Chuong, Intertwined

"This Is A Fascinating Era In Many Ways" – Fabrice Sapolsky Talks Intertwined #3

Published Thu, 29 Dec 2016 15:30:07 -0600

Last updated Thu, 29 Dec 2016 15:38:06 -0600

Here is the other half of the Writer-to-Writer interview Dynamite sent over the other day. This time Ben Fisher (The Great Divide) ask questions of Fabrice Sapolsky about Intertwined #3. Cover and interiors by artist Fred Pham Chuong.

BEN FISHER: I was thrilled when Dynamite announced your book because there's been a gap in old school martial arts comics for years. Congratulations on filling the void! Anyway, so when I was asked if I wanted to ask you any questions about the book, I jumped at the chance.

FABRICE SAPOLSKY: Thank you very much. That's very cool that you like our book. I liked yours too. (smiles)

BF: Martial arts films (like any genre) often rely on common themes and plot devices. Are there any such themes and plot devices that you consciously wanted to maintain for this series? Are there any that you specifically wanted to eschew or subvert?

FS: Well… That's an interesting question. It's true that many martial arts movies rely on the same themes and stories and it's often the fight scenes, the choreographies and the characters which allow those movies to have their own flavors. Intertwined is set between two worlds: the western world and the oriental one. And it had to blend those two sides. It's easy for me to write such a series because it's written from an outcast and immigrant perspective. And it's what I am. I grew up in France with martial arts movies that I rented at the video club every week. Many of the movies chronicle the making of a hero. And that's the main drive in our series. I think we managed to keep the essence of the Kung Fu movies and at the same time add something else. Now, because I also like grounded in socially conscious comics, it was always my intention to incorporate as many real-life issues as I could. But never in an in-your-face way. The story unfolds through main character Juan Jin's eyes. The reader sees what he sees. With issue #3, there's a change when the character of Long Huo is introduced. Suddenly, you have two point of views in the series. And you'll see how those two converge at the end of the first story arc. This is how I believe I subvert the traditional martial arts plot devices: real-life issues and a second POV.

BF: Through the first three issues, I've really enjoyed the fluidity of the fight sequences. How much detail do you include in a script for those pages and panels?

FS: It really depends. Sometimes I'm very inspired and I have something very specific in mind, or I have a reference from a movie I want to use. But in the end, I rely on Fred. He's the Kung Fu guy. I never question his choices or changes regarding the fight scenes. He's amazing and the world should know it!

BF: The dialogue between family members feels very natural — very genuine. How much of that dynamic is drawn from real life experience? When you read the book, do you hear familiar voices in your head?

FS: You know how we writers are. We're sponges. We absorb a wide variety of characters, emotions and dialogue from real life. I have to say that I spent years trying to understand how different cultures react to the same situations. Maybe it's something the French have (laughs). I'll never stop learning. My brother and I are close. He's been into Chinese culture for 15 years now and is fluent in mandarin. His wife is Chinese too. I used a lot of material from his stories and travels in China. I also went to Beijing last year and grasped as much as I could from my wonderful hosts' behaviors. And of course, I read/watched a lot. It's funny you mention the scenes with family members. The scenes with Juan and his mother were very tough to write. Because the way parents and children interact in Asia is different from what happens in Europe, and even in the U.S. Still, there's a lot of me in Juan and Long Huo.

BF: I love the name "Ghost Daggers." Any particular background to that name — and are there any alternative names that almost made the cut? (Get it? Cut? Thank you, I'll be here all week.)

FS: Well… There's a REAL gang called the Ghost Shadows. This is a really cool name but I didn't want to use the real gang name. So I changed it to Ghost Daggers, mainly because "House of Flying Daggers" is one of my favorite Chinese movies.

BF: What is your process for world building? Do you work from a "bible" of information related to your particular universe? What kind of research was involved?

FS: I have a strange way of building my stories. I take very few notes. I use my smartphone a lot when I get ideas on the go, stuff I'm afraid I could forget. But mainly, I don't write anything down until the story is clear in my head. If I forget stuff, it's because it wasn't good enough. I always start with the characters. They come first. Then I add everything around them. And I'm ready to answer any questions my editors or artists want to ask me. When it doesn't work, I adapt. This first Intertwined story arc is all about building a universe. When you read issue #4, there's a lot you'll learn and understand from that universe. As for research, again, I never stop looking for ways to improve the universe. Sometimes, even a very informal conversation with family members can give me new keys to enrich or polish my universe. Not to mention the discussions I constantly have with Fred whose feedback is precious.

BF: Why set the story in the early 70s? Are there any plots points or thematic elements that are tied closely to that era?

FS: This is a fascinating era in many ways. I always liked exploitation movies. And the 70s, with New York in a state of complete decay, gives a wonderful background for a noir story. This is also a period of massive immigration that started in the mid-60s for Asians and Haitians, who are heavily represented in Intertwined. 1971 is also the year Bruce Lee started his movie career in Hong Kong with "The Big Boss". There's also another reason, which we'll call the "Star Trek Rule". In the Gene Roddenberry series, a lot of real-life issues were tackled in a subtle way as the creator moved the action in space. He could talk about racism, about intolerance, about social injustice, etc. For Intertwined, I changed era to avoid distortion. Not to mention it's great that there are no cell phones or internets to use as shortcuts in the story. This is very old fashion storytelling and I love it that way.

BF: If you could cross over with any other established martial arts franchise or film, what would it be and why?

FS: There are so many! "Dragon Tiger Gate", "Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain" come to my mind… "The One-Armed Swordsman" also. I could totally see him as the Spirit of the Earth of his era. I would make an Intertwined/Green Hornet or, of course, a Spider-Man/Intertwined crossover in a blink too! Green Hornet because of Kato/Bruce Lee, of course. And Spider-Man… well, you know. (laughs)