Last January, IDW Publishing announced that they would be adding an Angry Birds comic book to their diverse line of comics, which includes Transformers, My Little Pony and Ghostbusters. Eisner Award-winning writer Paul Tobin (@PaulTobin on Twitter) is one of the writers working on the upcoming comic.
Paul graciously took time from his extremely busy schedule to grant Nest News an exclusive 20 question interview. In fact, he was working on a “speed” request for 81 more pages of material for the comic when we contacted him with the interview request.
So without further adieu, here are 20 Questions with Angry Birds Comic Book writer Paul Tobin:
What can we expect from the comic? Will it be single issue stories (episodic), multiple short stories (anthology) or an ongoing storyline (serial)?
Really, it’s going to be a mix of all of these. We have a LOT of stories to tell, as well as some theme surprises, and whole new worlds to explore, so readers can expect a wide variety of material.
Will the birds speak, as they do in the Finnish comic strips or mute as in Angry Birds Toons?
They’ll definitely be speaking. It’s been a lot of fun developing the voice for the characters, their personalities, the way they interact with each other and so on.
How do you mentally prepare for writing characters who are traditionally mute?
Really, it turned out to be pretty easy. I think we all, when we play the game or watch the short cartoons, “hear” their voices in a way… we decide what we THINK they’re saying. So, in my case, it was just a matter of deciding that, yes, that actually WAS what they were saying… and then expanding on that.
Were you a fan before working on the comic? (i.e. do you play the game or watch the Toon?)
I’ve been a fan of the game for quite some time. My wife, artist Colleen Coover, started playing it when we were flying to and from conventions. That got me hooked, because I’m one of those people that need to constantly occupy my time, and the hours of flying time just seemed to, uhh, fly by… whenever we were smashing the shaky fortifications of those bad piggies.
Will there be new birds in the comic or are you limited to the existing characters?
We’re still keeping with the established characters, but giving them a lot MORE character, if you see what I mean.
How much input has Rovio had on the comic (i.e. do they dictate stories/plots or are you pretty much given carte blanche?)
The general way that we work is that I come up with a few piles of springboard ideas and then send them off to Rovio. My contacts there look through them and decide which ones they want, which ones they don’t want, and sometimes make suggestions or guide a story in a certain direction. And then it’s just a matter of changing the plot into a full story. Really, Rovio has been WONDERFUL to work with.
Will the comic tie-in with the Angry Birds Toons episodes and/or the Angry Birds movie, or will it exist in its own universe?
That’s something we’ve gone back and forth with, and we’ve come up with some interesting ideas that I can’t really go into yet.
Any crossovers planned with other comics? I think fans would love a Plants vs. Zombies/Angry Birds story and Hasbro toys has slipped that there will be Angry Birds Transformers.
Ha! That would be fun. And I’m even the writer for the Plants vs. Zombies comics, too… so it would seem a natural. Unfortunately, there’s usually too much red tape to get through for a project like that. Sure would be fun, though.
What can the comic book medium bring to the Birds that is unique to the format?
The visual humor, I think. Cartoons can do that, too, but in comics we can really dwell on the characters and the scenery, whereas in a cartoon everything is just happening so fast. With comics, readers can control their own pace; it’s more immersive, meaning we can put gags in the background, things like that.
Where do you get your inspirations for writing Angry Birds stories?
From EVERYWHERE. Everywhere anyone finds humor, I’m changing those moments into Angry Birds stories. That’s how I work in all my writing. Writing is just a sharing of a life viewpoint, and sometimes you want that viewpoint to be as close to reality as possible, while at other times (such as writing Angry Birds) I want to concentrate on viewpoints of absurdity.
How does writing for cartoon animal characters compare to more traditional comic heroes? Harder/Easier?
I think it’s about the same. I enjoy MANY different types of writing. It helps to keep my mind fresh to be able to move from, say Angry Birds, and then go over to work on a novel for a time, or on my Eisner-Award-Winning teen thief, “Bandette”… and then move on to writing horror, like my Bram Stoker nominated “Colder” series, and then back to Angry Birds, or Adventure Time, or anywhere else I feel like going. Keeps my mind always thinking, that way.
Angry Birds have become big in our current pop culture and you’ve written for some really iconic characters in the past. When writing these types of characters, is there a lot of pressure from the fan communities to get the characters right or is it old hat at this point?
I try not to pay much attention to specific “fan culture” needs. I think that can trip up a writer. And, really, as a READER, as a part of fan culture myself, the only thing I REALLY need when I read stories of my favorite characters is… MAKE IT GOOD. So… the one thing I always try to do is make it good.
Rovio has worked hard to expand Angry Birds beyond a one-time game. Do you think Angry Birds can have the staying power of a Superman or Spider-man or Bugs Bunny or Mario, or do you think it will eventually fade from memory?
Some of the steps that Rovio is taking, either announced or unannouced, are the right moves (in my opinion) to definitely have a lasting presence. I’ve been surprised, happily, with the long term vision of Rovio.
Are you allowed to incorporate elements from other games (Angry Birds Seasons, Space, Rio, GO!) or will the comics stick to the classic game story?
The “regular island” stories are the most numerous, but we can go anywhere! I particularly enjoy writing the space stories, because the universe is so big that we can REALLY cut loose with the type of stories to tell. But the “island” stories are great for characterization, too.
Which characters do you enjoy writing more, birds or pigs?
The pigs. It’s no contest. I love the birds, but the pigs are SO much fun to write.
You’ve written some more adult iconic properties, like Lovecraft and Conan. Is there a temptation to blend projects when working (i.e. an Angry Birds Cthulhu or Predator parody story)?
We can’t really touch properties like that… but there’s a series of stories we’re working on now that do some of that “blending” that you’re talking about. They’re a blast to work on. Just finished two of them today, actually!
You’ve worked on books aimed for kids and teens as well as more adult properties. Do think the industry does enough to bring in new, younger readers or does it cater too much on older, already established fans?
I think the industry could do MUCH better with all ages and young readers material. It seems like an afterthought for most publishers, and that’s sad.
Do you feel hypocritical if you eat eggs for breakfast while writing Angry Birds?
Hah! Great question. Unfortunately, I never eat breakfast, so it doesn’t really fit me. But… I DO often have eggs for lunch. Is that hypocritical? No way! Remember, I love writing the piggies, too!
Who is your favorite AB character (including the pigs)?
They change from story to story, but I love telling stories about the minion pigs. And Bomb. And Matilda. And Jay, Jake and Jim (the three Blues) And King Pig. Lately I’ve been getting into writing stories about Professor Pig and Chef Pig. And Chronicle Pig is a BIG part of the “blending” series that I was talking about, up in the earlier question. So… yeah… hard to choose one!
Anything else you can tell us about the comic? Any spoilers or exclusives you can reveal?
Nothing I’m authorized to talk about right now, unfortunately. I can say that there are some surprises on the way, though… and some brand new ways of looking at the Angry Birds!
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You can see more of Paul’s amazing collection of work and musings at his site: paultobin.net and / or follow him on Twitter.
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A big thanks to @dr-omega for the amazing interview.
