So yeah, there’s a definite tie in. For people who have read it, you have to get them ramped up again and remembering things about the book, and for people who haven’t read it, this is a way to get them to read it for the first time and see if they like it.PRG: With issue 99, are you picking up the story where you left it off in issue 98?SR: I thought long and hard about that, Mike Baron and I both did, and there was just something not right about picking up the encumbering story moments that we were building up to in issue 98…. Baron isn’t as sympathetic to the people that would fall under your category, so I’m making sure that I kick his ass really good and get down to basics and try to keep in mind that it doesn’t matter how well Baron or I know it, common sense dictates that if were going to do the kind of numbers we need to survive, and I plan on far surmounting the numbers that we did back with any of the companies we used to work for, we have to walk the line pretty intelligently.I especially want to know if you got confused someplace.

Diana Pharaoh Francis is the author of the high fantasy adventure novels Path of Fate, Path of Honor and Path of Blood, which make up her fantasy trilogy, The Path Series. Francis is also a professor at the Univeristy of Montana and a mom. Here, she talks to Pink Raygun about writing, creating fantasy worlds [...]

Jessica Barone digs vampires. And what’s not to love? Have you ever seen an unnattractive vampire, other than Nosferatu or the creepy blue one in Salem’s Lot? Barone’s novels, The Dream Series, is a vampire trilogy that takes the reader from 17th century Paris to 20th century Vermont and even as far as 21st century [...]

We came across Ruby’s profile on Comicspace, and immediately thought that she’d be a good subject for Pink Raygun. Here was a girl with some insanely great costuming abilities, and not afraid to let her inner geek flag fly. John handled the first and last parts of this interview, while Lisa jumped in and helped [...]

Erika Bach is the Digital Project Coordinator at Gentle Giant Studios, a special effects company that has created digital visual effects for the Harry Potter films, Pirates of the Caribbean and the X-Men trilogy. Upcoming releases and films in currently in production include Stardust, Transformers and I Am Legend. Bach recently took the time to [...]

Amanda Visell and Michelle Valigura are building a toy army in Los Angeles. Robot Girl, shown to the left, is the first member of that army. For six years, Visell and Valigura worked in stop-motion animation as sculptors and fabricators. Together they formed The Girls Productions, where they create their offbeat paintings and objects, which [...]

I’m drawn to bright colors and shiny things; the booth at the Phoenix Comicon featuring Blazin’ Brandy had both. Blazin’ Brandy is a comic series co-created by writer Lesley Kainsel and artist Stephanie Lesniak, featuring a 16th century British runaway who winds up shipwrecked on an island full of hungry monsters. And these monsters are [...]

Sweet 7000 Baaadassss Comics (7000 BC) is a collective of Northern New Mexico self-publishers who have banded together to generate exposure for the members. Much of what the collective produces is experimental, addressing the idea of the comic book itself as an object of art, rather than a mere container of stories. 7000 BC is [...]

I said “hi” to Travis Hanson about twenty times at the Phoenix Comicon. Hanson’s booth was in a high traffic area: by the main walkway, next to Mike Mignola’s table, and right across from the concession stand. Despite the high traffic and craziness, Hanson didn’t seem to lose energy. Hanson operates Bean Leaf Press, which [...]

James A. Owen sold all of his copies of Here, There Be Dragons at the Phoenix Comicon by Saturday afternoon. He had to send someone to the nearest bookstore to pick up more copies. Here, There Be Dragons is an American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults nominee and is poised to fill the [...]

I talked to the several small press comic creators toward the end of the day on Saturday, the craziest day for any Con. I actually have no memory of these last interviews; but I know they happened because it’s all on my digital recorder. Listening to these for transcription, I was retroactively embarrassed because I [...]

This interview was conducted via AIM on Saturday, February 10. Pink Raygun – Let’s start with some basic biographical information – your name, age, whatever you want. Becky Dreistadt – If you want to be fancy and Elizabethan, my full name is Rebecca Elizabeth Dreistadt. But everyone just calls me Becky. I’m 20. Related Stuff:

George Perez was wearing one of the shirts his wife made for him at the Phoenix Comicon, this one with dinosaurs. Before the doors opened, he was outside the Mesa Convention Center giving autographs and talking to the fans waiting in line. I almost didn’t approach him for an interview because what could I ask [...]