Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, dynamite, entertainment, flash gordon, jeff parker, Jesse Hamm, Kings Cross, Roberto Castro

Jesse Hamm On Co-Writing And Drawing Flash Gordon: Kings Cross

Jesse Hamm talks to Byron Brewer about Flash Gordon: Kings Cross #4, on sale in February from Dynamite. Cover by Roberto Castro.

BYRON BREWER: So, Jesse, as you near the penultimate issue of this series, how fun has it been to work on this wonderfully retro SF piece with Jeff Parker?

JESSE HAMM: It's been a blast. I love the adventure genre, so I've enjoyed writing these with Jeff, and getting to draw these classic heroes from my childhood, along with some fun threats and exotic scenery along the way.

BB: Last time, we talked about what goes into the art of this book, how you along with Grace Allison put the issue together. Are there any special scenes/character intros in issue #4, coming from Dynamite in February, that were especially fun or difficult for you to draw?

JH: There are a few dream sequences in this issue that I found especially fun to draw, because we get to see some familiar characters in unfamiliar contexts.

BB: You are drawing the series but also co-writing with Jeff. Does writer Jesse Hamm ever find himself in conflict with artist Jesse Hamm? How has that been resolved? Perhaps with Jeff's intercedence?

JH: I think the sole occasion that had Writer Jesse cursing Artist Jesse in this issue was when I opted to include a crowd of people watching a movie screen at a drive-in cinema. Sooo many little theater-goers to draw! Thankfully it was only for one panel.

BB: It looks like you are really having fun with the Beast-Men in this series. Did you design any of them? Which is the most fun for you?

JH: I believe I designed all the Beast-Men who appear in this series. The ones that charmed me the most in this issue are the slender lady with a hippo-head and the dog operating Ming's TV camera.

BB: There are a lot of good characters in this series. How do you work to give everyone panel time and yet recall it is a FLASH GORDON book, and not let him become a supporting character in his own series?

JH: The characters face enough threats and challenges in this story that there's always plenty for everyone to do. So, it's often just a matter of pairing each character up with the appropriate task. I just try and make sure to pair Flash with tasks that include deciding the next step in their plans. As long as he calls most of the shots, everyone can remain involved without seeming to sideline him.

BB: What can you tell us about what may be coming down in our grand finale, issue #5?

JH: Well, I can say that things will get worse before they get better — especially for Flash!

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