INTERVIEW: The Citizens of Toyburg Talk Torsobear!

Now entering its final week on Kickstarter, Torsobear: Yarns From Toyburg is an anthology comic featuring 11 stories all set in the world of Toyburg. Spearheaded by Brett Uren, who also wrote the original story that inspired the anthology, there are many talented writers and artists working on Torsobear. We had a chance to speak with several of these citizens of Toyburg and ask them about this amazing comic!

1. Can you give us a quick insight into your story within Torsobear?

Randy Haldeman (Line Artist, “Sour in the Sweet”): “Sour in the Sweet” is exactly what the title says. Jake Young wrote a fantastic short about one toy soldier’s bout with his current life and how it stacks against his many travels from the past.

Glenn Møane (Co-editor of the book, writer on “The Collector”): The story is about the tin elephant Officer Nelly, and his encounter with Stretcho Savage – a brutal stretch doll who’s been extorting buttons from innocent toys. In the confrontation that follows, Nelly will learn about an horrible, otherwordly entity called “The collector”, which is the title of the story.

Cy Dethan (Writer on “Some Assembly Required”): “Some Assembly Required” is the story of Snaplok, an 80s action figure struggling to live down a villainous past, who’s implicated in a string of violent robot-part robberies. With the police breathing down his neck, he sets out to crack the case and clear his ruined name – only to discover a far greater villainy than his own at work in the underbelly of Toyburg. Essentially, it’s a noir-influenced story about someone trying to break out of the mould he’s been literally cast in.

Harry Saxon (Colourist): I coloured two stories, “She Sang For Buttons , She Unstitched My Heart” and “Home Invasion”. In the first we get to see a part of Ruxby’s past and in the second we get a taste of what happens when you leave a bear cub home alone watching scary movies. But I’m sure the writers can say more, I’m just a colourist, sometimes I don’t even read the scripts I’m given! (No, that’s a blatant lie.)

Brockton McKinney (Co-writer on “Home Invasion”):I had the pleasure of collaborating with Torsobear creator Brett Uren on a tale we’ve entitled “Home Invasion”. I tried to bring my weird sense of absurdity together with his dark and witty noir­feel. We ended up with the Reese’s Cup of comic book shorts. It tastes awesome and is incredibly bad for you.

Janos Honkonen (Writer, “The Big Wind-Up”):   When I read the original Torsobear comic, a very specific idea popped to my mind: I wanted to write a story that took place in The Olden Times of Toyburg, at a time when men were wind-up and women were porcelain, money was old but a new sort of workforce and economy was filling the streets. I find old toys fascinating, since to a modern eye they are creepy, and at the same time weirdly crude and overwrought. Think about old harlequin dolls or wind-up robots, and things like that. I also wanted to build some depth to the character of Hazbrow – why was he such a horrible, old racist. So, my story that is called “The Big Wind-Up” [and] takes part in a setting that’s a mix of immigration times New York with a dose of European aristocracy and toy logic thrown in – of course with ties to the main story arc of the anthology.

Kieran Squires (Writer and artist on “A New Hopelessness”): Every story needs a revolution. Every story needs and rags to riches hero. Every story needs hope. We need to know that when given the opportunity we can all rise up and make a difference to the world, no matter who you are or where you’re from. Now combine that ethos with the worst knock off toy you can find and you’ll have a strong insight into where my story is heading! “A New Hopelessness” is a biographical epic about the journey of one toy from the edge of despair to the heights of inspiration in a savage world of corruption and indignity. Can one toy make a difference?

Frank Martin (Writer on “Dress to Impress”): My story “Dress to Impress” deals with the mayor trying to revitalize Toyburg through new businesses, but the corruption and crime of the city knows no bounds.

Grainne McEntee (Writer on “Rich Toy, Poor Toy”): “Rich Toy, Poor Toy” gives a little snapshot into the life of Ben Barsun, a down and out grifter toy who charms and smarms his way through Toyburg, parting other toys from [their] buttons and their body parts to trade on the parts black market.

Check out the Torsobear Kickstarter!

Read on to see why anybody would get involved in a comic about toys in the first place!

2. What attracted you to the Torsobear project?

Nic Wilkinson (Letterer on “Some Assembly Required”, marketing brain): The chance to work with such a talented group of creators, and to expand the world of Toyburg. The intrusion of bleak noir storytelling into the bright colourful world of the the toys caught my imagination right away. The exuberantly brilliant ideas that Brett Uren has for every aspect of Toyburg and The Playtime meant I had to get involved in this project by hook or by crook as soon as I heard about it. When I got to read the script for “Some Assembly Required”, on page one, I was captivated; by page 3 I was in tears; by the end of 8 short pages I’d been so emotionally shaken up and down that I felt like I’d been through The Playtime! I had to letter it!

Jake Young (Writer on “Sour In The Sweet”): I stumbled on the original short by accident one night. I really enjoyed the contrast between the child-like environment and the gritty storytelling. I began to wonder what other citizens of Toyburg might be like and came up with G.I. Jay. That’s the really neat thing about the project. There are so many possible stories to be told in this setting. I’m very happy to be a part of this book.

Randy Haldeman: I remember reading the original short in Outre, and I’ve been a fan of Brett’s work with Kuzimu. I have been fascinated by the stories he has told and I was honored when he asked me to take part. Getting to work with all of these great small press creators is definitely a dream come true, and the world of Torsobear is the best place to realize that dream.

Brockton McKinney: I had read the original 8 page short Brett did for the Outré’ anthology and really fell in love with it. When I heard he was looking to expand that universe, I signed up immediately. That and the fact that Brett threatened to blow up my cat if I refused.

Glenn Møane: I’m an editor of the digital comics anthology Outré, where the original Torsobear story first appeared. It was a joy to work with Brett then and seeing his story come to life, and it ended up being the most popular feature in that particular issue. When Brett asked if I wanted to help him out on this book I couldn’t resist. Given the book’s size and the number of pitches received, it gave me more and invaluable editorial experience. I also got to flex my creative muscles by writing an 8-pager set in a fantastic world where anything can happen.

Cy Dethan: When Brett first approached me about submitting a proposal for the anthology, he sent what was one of the most jaw-dropping plot bibles I’d ever seen. By the time I finished reading it, I already had the bones of a story in mind, and a full script was hammered out not long after that. Sometimes, when you read something that’s so obviously the result of genuine enthusiasm and deep understanding, you’re reminded of all the reasons why you’re writing in the first place. That was the experience I had looking through Brett’s Torsobear material, and that’s why I needed to contribute to it.

Kieran Squires: I think most people used to always think about what would happen if their toys came alive when they weren’t around. I know I did and Toy Story kind of answered that question…in a nice way. After reading the original short by Brett Uren my mind flashed back to those thoughts I used to have and I realised that this project was going to make them real, in a way Toy Story just couldn’t. I answered the call to arms and was lucky enough to be selected to contribute to the project as both writer and artist.

Frank Martin: I was attracted to Torsobear by the drastic extremes in tone compared to the subject matter. The visuals are so light and warm, but the stories are dark and dirty. Its a great contrast.

Janos Honkonen:  I love settings that take a totally ridiculous concept and then play it straight – without that mood that’s halfway between being arch and apologetic. Serious stories in an absurd world, that just fascinates me, and that was what the first Torsobear story offered. The whole concept was deliciously twisted. Also, you know the romanticized bullshit idea of an inspiration working in a way that “story just comes to you” – well, that exact thing happened here. I wrote the pitch during one lunch hour, and it took me two afternoons to finish the actual script, with edits. After having written a novel for years and honed certain texts for quite a while, that was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Grainne McEntee: Having worked with creator and Toymaster Brett Uren previously, when he invited us into his world, how could we possibly refuse? The man behind the surreal and wonderful graphic novel Kuzimu and the supernatural tale of The Vale is set to ignite the independent comic book scene with this crazy creation of toys gone bad.

Check out the Torsobear Kickstarter!

Find out what toys these writers and artists would be if they lived in Toyburg!

3. If you were a resident of Toyburg, what sort of toy do you think you’d be and why?

Janos Honkonen:  I’ve been told that I look like some sort of a mythical storybook character in real life, so I’d say I’d be one of those garden gnomes whose wide manic grin gets more and more disturbing the longer you stare at it.

Grainne McEntee: I think I’d be one of those crazy cymballing monkeys.

Randy Haldeman: I’d definitely be a teddy. They are such fulfilled characters in their design. They seem to go about their business and never bother anyone, all while trying to become accomplished in everything they do. They are a bit hesitant in their decision making, but that’s something you’ll find out when you get a chance to read “Sour in the Sweet.” I’m all of those things and then some.

Glenn Møane: Probably the lamest character in an action figure set, with some useless power (“Look! It’s the Reattachable Ponytail Man!”). I’d love to think of myself as a bad-ass variant of He-Man or Skeletor, but one look in the mirror would tell me otherwise. Those overblown muscles just aren’t there!

Jake Young: Probably some kind of bulky, cheap, 90’s action figure.

Frank Martin: I’d be a superhero action figure…but I’d probably just wind up at the bar getting into super fights all the time.

Cy Dethan: Something poorly safety tested and probably illegal – like the old die-cast Corgi Batmobile from the 70s with the spring-mounted blade that flipped out on a pivot. I loved that thing, but in selling it to an 8-year-old you’re basically putting a clumsily designed, beautiful flick-knife in the hands of a miniature sociopath.

Nic Wilkinson: I would be a plushie Triceraptops because I excel at adventures, roaring and stomping – but am also soft and adorable.

Brockton McKinney: I like to think I’d be a good cop like Ruxby Bear but in the end I know I’d probably end up being an action figure of Gary Busey with a strap­on jet pack and junk­punch feature.

Harry Saxon: Possibly something sci-fi, like an action figure from Doctor Who, well, because I can. Dibs on Roger Delgado!

Check out the Torsobear Kickstarter!

Up next, read all about the passion that brought this project together and why everyone loved working with Brett Uren!

4. What have you enjoyed most about working on this project?

Glenn Møane: Seeing Brett transform it from an idea to an actual book in such a short time. I have a title as a co-editor on this project, but Brett is the guy who’s been pulling the strings. He’s the one who’s brought in the talent and co-ordinated the whole thing. Not the mention the three stories he’s created, each written, drawn, and colored by him. This is Brett’s baby and the amount of work he’s put into this project makes me want to stand up and applaud. Brett has a great passion for comics and I think he’ll have a bright future in this industry.

Randy Haldeman: Creative freedom to really put in the little details that make me smile. Also, Brett has made this project a blast. From his constant updates about the way everything is going, to just being a great guy to work for, I couldn’t have asked for a better person to run this anthology. Jake Young was also wonderful to work with. We didn’t get much talk time, but when we did talk, I could tell how much he cared about this project.

Jake Young: The setting, and the fact that Brett let me create my own character. It’s fun working with a group that’s so open to new ideas. This really makes me excited for the future of Torsobear.

Cy Dethan: It’s always great to work with people like Pete Mason – creators with a genuine love for the medium. Writing for themed anthologies has a sort of inspirational warmth to it, too. It’s an opportunity not just to watch your own story develop, but also to get a real insight into how other people approach a project.

Nic Wilkinson: There has been such a lot of scope to be playful and experimental with the lettering due to the nature of the story and the art. Being, as I am, mainly a product of the 80s working on this story – actually I can’t say “working” as it’s waaaaaay too much [fun] for that – has been like a trip to Neverland. When I saw his first character sketches of Snaplok, and then the full pages, come in I could not suppress a gleefully feral whoop – straight from the heart of my 10-year-old self. Working with such brilliant and passionate people to bring this project together has been one of the highlights of my work in comics.

Kieran Squires: Truly I’ve enjoyed watching everyone else’s projects come to life. I wasn’t sure what to expect or even how my ideas would be accepted but everyday has been inspirational. Seeing some amazing stories and illustrations go from nothing to life on the page is amazing and being able to bounce ideas round to help shape this fantastic world has been a joy. I have to thank Brett for allowing me to be a part of this.

Harry Saxon: As aforementioned I like me a challenge and I need to change styles so I don’t get rusty. In these 2 projects I tried something minimal, a different approach because I needed a change from the endless layers of shading and lights I’ve been using in my latest works. I like simple things as well, or as a teacher of mine used to say “if you only use one layer of shadow, better make it GOOD”. In “Home Invasion” I challenged myself a bit more by using a colour palette from the 50s (oh the yellows…)

Janos Honkonen: There’s actually two things. First of all, whenever you get into an indie project of any kind, you’ll never know what you’ll get people- and organization-wise. It may be a bunch of people who talk a lot and nothing happens. Torsobear: Yarns from the Toyburg was totally the opposite: there was a whirlwind of activity, awesome scripts and drafts and marketing and plans just flooding our creators’ online group. That was such a relief and an awesome thing to be part in. Secondly, the work of Saoirse Louise Towler who’s illustrating my story. I had no idea what to expect, but what I got were these incredibly skillful, cute and yet disturbing children’s book illustrations that went beyond what I hoped when I wrote the script. I’m not usually very gushy in the sense that I am pretty critical and I’m not afraid to voice it, but this was just stunning. I found myself stealing back during stressful work days to just look at the drafts she sent and emitting very unmanly “squee” sounds.

Brockton McKinney: Watching Brett bring to life on the page the insane and grotesque characters we created. Oh, and he sent me a 42 pack of KFC alcoholic Gravy Beer as payment for the work.

Check out the Torsobear Kickstarter!

And finally…

5. Can you sum up why we should support the campaign, in just one line?

Glenn Møane: If you like this year’s most unique graphic novel to sit on your shelf, you really want to support this campaign.

Cy Dethan: Torsobear is non-toxic, contains no sharp corners and is fun for the whole family!

Nic Wilkinson: The buttons you pledge will help support Detective Ruxby in keeping Toyburg safe, and the stories will fluff the stuffing of your heart so you feel like a kid on an adventure again.

Randy Haldeman: You should support this project knowing that you are helping fuel the fires of more than 20 hard working, comic creators that will be more appreciative than you’ll ever know about your help funding a project that we all love so much. Is that technically one line?

Kieran Squires: This project will make your childhood fantasies come true, in ways you never wanted them to!

Frank Martin: The immense talent that’s been recruited towards this project has been incredible, and together we’ve created such a wide variety of stories in such a diverse world that it just shouldn’t be passed up.

Grainne McEntee: If you don’t, your toys will be really offended, likely go on strike and playtime will never be the same again.

Janos Honkonen: If you don’t, you’ll keep waking up once or twice a month with your old teddy bear sitting on your chest staring at you in disappointment with its single eye – you know, the one that you didn’t swallow when you were three.

Harry Saxon: Because you love comics and thus you love the people that make them.