The Xcentrikz - Interactive Comic

November 15, 2009

Interview with Michael Lunsford from Supernormal Step!

(Click on images in this interview to visit the site...)

Michael and I had a fun talk about his various webcomic adventures. As you'll see, over past decade, he's become a real pro. We mostly talked about his best comic yet - Supernormal Step! It's quite good, please give it a try and have fun...

The Xcentrikz Team: Thanks so much for the interview Michael, I’m looking forward to your answers. As I hope your readers are, too! So can you give new readers out there a little intro? What’s Supernormal Step about?

Michael Lunsford: I usually start describing the comic to people with “It’s like Wizard of Oz with more face punches.” but that’s just a joke to break the ice.

It is a story about a girl from our world transported into some weird alternate dimension, but after a while you might get the feeling she hasn’t exactly lead a normal life herself. There’s lots of magic, fantasy creatures, robots, flying cars, super powered action scenes, and best of all comedy!

THE XCENTRIKZ: So did you do other work, before Supernormal Step? If so, how did that work compare to this comic?

Michael Lunsford: I’ve been trying my hand at web comics for a long time, none of them were very successful. Yet, all of them aided in the creation of Supernormal Step. Each time I made a new web comic, it was a re-tooling of the last one I did. But after years of re-working over and over again, I finally said “This has to be the one” and resolved to make the new one, Supernormal Step, the ultimate version, the one that stayed.

THE XCENTRIKZ: What started the idea of Supernormal Step? How do you come up with your great ideas for an alternate universe?

Michael Lunsford: I wanted to make a story where everything the main character was getting into was as new to them as it was to the reader. Every setting, character, situation that they fall into, the readers are right along with them experiencing it for the first time, really traveling with them.

Of course, I’m not claiming I handled this idea very well, but that’s where it started. As for the universe and ideas…I just wanted to be able to do whatever I wanted, no restrictions on what I could put in the world. I had tried a few times in the past to have rules to the alternate universe, but I couldn’t have as much fun. I have a weird sense of humor and I like to do things different, and out of that comes walking demonic panda sandwiches.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Alternate dimensions and such can be a popular sci-fi and fantasy topic. So what makes your weird dimension “yours” and especially entertaining?

Michael Lunsford: I don’t want to sit down to draw and think “Oh I can’t put a pinstripe elephant with grass for hair flying through the sky, that doesn’t sync well with the world” I want to be able to put that crazy flying elephant thing in there if I want, that makes it fun for me and gives the reader something to giggle at.

I might use well known fantasy creatures, but I’m not adhering to any preset notions of how they should be, my vampires are bright and peppy and my elves work at grocery stores. It’s all about having fun, I’m not trying to make it any more than that.

THE XCENTRIKZ: How did you come up with the great characters? Anything special behind deciding to use a stuffed rabbit? (He’s fun!)

I just like developing characters, I have loads of them in reserve if I need to pull one out. For a long time I just created characters and figured out their personalities and stories. Didn’t actually DO anything with them, but it was tons of fun!

I usually start with a basic idea like “cool normal girl” then I immediately start drawing. While I’m sketching I figure out their personality, they need a face and style to match the feel their character is going to give off. For example, this girl is kind of an independent loner, to show that she’s a bit of an outcast I’ll have her dye her hair blue. After that’s done I’ll start coming up with stories about her past, what events made her who she is today. It’s all about making the character as full as possible, to the point where they aren’t something I can control anymore, I just write down the adventures they have.

On the subject of Jim the bunny it was a bit different. When I was a kid I had a light brown stuffed bunny I named Jim. I’ve always been drawing as far back as I can remember, so it wasn’t long before I was drawing Jim and making adventures for him. When it came time to start on the road to Supernormal Step though, he needed to change. I had to develop a version of Jim that would contrast the main character well, and he became the loudmouth egotistical jerk we love.

THE XCENTRIKZ: How much planning goes on? How far do you plan into the future? Tell everyone your best behind the scenes stuff!

Michael Lunsford: I tried to plan ahead, I really did. I had everything mapped out, I knew what most of the chapters would be about, I knew what characters I’d be using and everything, it was gonna be fun I told myself.

As it turned out, I knew too much, I knew exactly what was going to happen and it made me sad and bored. Writing for me is as much an adventure as it is for the readers, and if I know what’s going to happen already, it ruins the magic. So I scrapped everything, scrambled some events and characters up, and started over. I now know some vague place its going to go, and I know all the histories of the characters, but nothing is set in stone until the pages are drawn.

Before each chapter starts I write a 2 or 3 page outline of what, at a very basic level, is going to happen in it. After that I only write a few fully scripted pages ahead, then if I realize something needs to be added I can do it easily without having to re-write what happens later. So I’m pretty much having a similar experience to the reader, I’m just as excited as you to see what happens next!

THE XCENTRIKZ: That's great! I'm happy to hear you found something that clicked. So usually, where do your ideas for the scifi gadgets and technology come from?

Michael Lunsford: all over the place really, some are based on real technology used for other purposes than intended, some are inspired by classic sci-fi movies and shows, and some are out of my own head. Science isn’t a strong suit of mine, so I usually just write things in that sound good.

THE XCENTRIKZ: What was it like early on, showing Supernormal Step to new viewers? What worked well, or failed miserably?

Michael Lunsford: Nothing has failed more so far than the confusing beginning to the story. It all eventually gets explained, I assure you, but readers will be confused at first. I don’t think I should have attempted such a bold way to begin, as I wasn’t extremely practiced in writing, and it was very risky.

There’s always that trap with characters you’ve had for a long time: I know my characters, the readers don’t. So while I want to start the story right when things get juicy (to hook readers in), the readers miss out on getting to know what’s going on first (which turns readers away when not don properly). So yea, it was really risky, I think I failed at it, but I can’t take it back and gotta continue forward, and hope people stick around to hear the explanation later on!

THE XCENTRIKZ: Cool. What do you enjoy the most about doing Supernormal Step?

Michael Lunsford: Writing dialog is my favorite thing to do so far, especially for some of the more ridiculous characters. But I’ve always enjoyed snappy dialog over other types of comedy, like seen in the Marx brothers or Abbott and Costello. I’m still trying to get better at it though, so it still doesn’t occur as often as I’d like. I want to get to a point where I can have snappy dialog with all characters, not just the characters its easy to have it with.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Doing web-comics for a living or a hobby can be really great. But many web-comics are published for free viewing and non-profit. So it can be hard for some authors, who balance maintaining a free web-comic along with their day-job. What are your thoughts on this?

Michael Lunsford: I really don’t know how some people handle it. I’m freelance artist by trade, so I’m constantly drawing anyways, but I work from home so its really easy to keep with schedules and work ahead and such. I really respect anyone who can handle a regular day job to pay the bills and keep a web comic going on schedule at the same time! I’d really love to just do Supernormal Step for a living, that’d be like a dream.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Are there things that challenge you in your work? If so, how do you work through them?

Michael Lunsford: Oh yes, there’s many things that challenge me in both writing and drawing. My attitude for those areas is to just do them! There’s no way I could get better if I avoided problems. So if I notice something is challenging for me, I actively try to put it in somewhere so I can practice it and get better with it. It might look bad at first, but once I get better it’ll be worth it to not look like I cut corners.

THE XCENTRIKZ: If Supernormal Step became a feature film, how do you envision it? Would you pick certain celebrities to play your characters?

Michael Lunsford: I do this pretty often, I love movies so its inevitable that I would. I don’t currently have a lot of actors in mind for characters, I think Brad Pitt’s voice would be great for Jim, and Chyler Leigh would make a good Fiona maybe. If it were animated, I’d definitely go with traditional 2D animation, I don’t think CG would suit it very well. I would love to see it live action though, with people in prosthetics and suits for the monsters.

Bunny Jim would have to be done with a combination of puppetry and CG to give it those extra stretchy and extreme expressions in the face. I actually have an idea of what a real Jim would look like which is different from how he looks in the comic, the main difference being button eyes. I also had the idea of making Jim 2D while everyone else is live action, like Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Tell us a bit about your personality! It’s fun to get to know who’s

behind the comic.

Michael Lunsford: Me? It’s weird trying to describe myself. I’m pretty laid back I guess, I like joking around with people and I think I’m pretty easy to talk to (Though I do tend to enjoy teasing people). I love hearing from fans too, knowing people like what I’m doing helps me keep doing it!

THE XCENTRIKZ: Do you have favorite print comic books and graphic novels? Do they affect your work?

Michael Lunsford: Oh yes, you don’t even know. I could list them, but that’d drag on too long. I’ll list a few big influences though, Spider-Man, Invincible, and Nextwave are big influences on the western side, and Hellsing and One Piece as far as Japanese comics go. One Piece was an especially big influence on Supernormal Step, I loved how the creator made a world that he could just do whatever he wanted in, and wasn’t bound by too many rules of what he could put there, also his character designs were so cool and his character‘s personalities are just a blast!

Comics aren’t the only place I get inspiration though, video games and cartoons pitch in a lot as well, I actually didn’t read too many comics when I was a kid, I watched way too much TV and movies. I was a bit addicted to the Archie Comics Sonic: The Hedgehog comic book, I’m sure that influences everything I do quite a bit.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Great inspirations to have. How often do viewers affect Supernormal Step? Do you ever use people’s ideas?

Michael Lunsford: How viewers react to the comic very much influences how I do thinks, I really value their input and I think about whatever they say. At the same time, I don’t like taking peoples suggestions for story ideas and such, it almost feels like stealing. But yea, I look at what people comment on the most, what questions people ask, and I use that to figure out what I NEED to do, for the readers.

THE XCENTRIKZ: For you, what is the comic’s crowning achievement?

Michael Lunsford: Well its only 2 short chapters long so far, I don’t think its had time to achieve anything spectacular. I am very happy about the attention it’s been getting, a lot of awesome readers and people contacting me about it and linking to it. It all makes me enjoy the whole process more and I realized very quickly that I’ve got to hold onto this one!

THE XCENTRIKZ: Are there some common misconceptions about Supernormal Step? How would you like to address them?

Michael Lunsford: Not really, even with the confusing beginning people seem to be getting what I want them to get for the most part. The only mistake I seem to see a lot is people getting the name wrong…half the time people write the name as three words: Super Normal Step, but its only two! Supernormal is a word, its in the dictionary and everything.

Oh! And I saw a few places classifying it as a furry comic? I don’t get that, I doubt an animated stuffed bunny is enough to give it that classification.

THE XCENTRIKZ: A furry comic eh, that's wacky. Heh. Well anything else to share? A hint on the future of Supernormal Step …?

Michael Lunsford: Supernormal Step is very much inspired by music, so listen to all the right classic rock and you’ll figure out where I’m going with this. :P

THE XCENTRIKZ: Okay thanks, heh! Thank you again for the interview! May you continue to update this lovely creation, for many years to come. Everyone -- Do give the comic a try!

Michael Lunsford: Thanks for having me! Please come by and fuel the fire, this comic runs on Fan-love!

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