Interview with Mike Maihack!

Joining us today at The Brave and the Old is comic book writer and artist Mike Maihack. 

Mike recently contributed a drawing the DC Fifty-Two project and was gracious enough to take a few minutes to talk to us about it. 

CAPTAIN COMICS: How did you get involved with DC Fifty-Too and why did you decide on a Supergirl & Batgirl team-up book?

MIKE MAIHACK: Jon Morris, the organizer and idea-man behind DC Fifty-Too, contacted me to see if I was interested. I agreed within two seconds and told him I wanted to draw Supergirl and Batgirl without even thinking. Babs and Kara are my two favorite DC heroines and I’ve always wanted to see a book starring the two of them. I loved the Batman: Animated Series episodes they teamed up in and think it would be fun to rekindle that kind of energy in comic book form.

CC: What prompted you to follow up the cover with a one page comic?

MIKE: Evan Shaner posted this excellent Captain Marvel one page comic based on some dialog writer Nate Cosby wrote (Captain Marvel was also the book Evan drew for DC Fifty-Too). I casually mentioned on twitter that it looked like fun and Nate immediately emails me that I need to draw a Supergirl/Batgirl one. Later he tweeted his request and informed everyone to do the same. I knew the man would never shut up about it unless I drew one. Fortunately, I already had an idea so it didn’t take a lot out of me to draw something. :)

CC: What is the appeal of Supergirl? Especially an all-ages version?

MIKE: I love how she basically has all the same god-like powers of Superman, but with less of the “savior” qualities he is burdened with. She knows because of her powers she has this responsibility to save the day and help others, but a large part of her just wants to be a teen. To have fun and live life. This is even more interesting since Kara is less human than Clark. Clark was raised on earth since a baby so, power set aside, he’s essential an earthling. Kara didn’t arrive till she was much older so she’s still realizing all the wonderment that Earth has to offer. And since her powers also came fully formed, she’s discovering what it’s like to be human at the exact same time she’s discovering how to be a superhero. That adolescent discovery is something that simply lends itself to a fun all-ages take on the character.

CC: DC Fifty-Two recently put you on our radar, but it seems that you've been hard at work on a long running webcomic, Cow & Buffalo, and, more recently, Cleopatra in Space. What can you tell us about the two?

MIKE: Cow and Buffalo is essentially conversations I have with myself personified by bovines. Kind of my “two sides of the same code” ridiculous view of the world. I drew that for about six years before starting Cleo and it’s a very wacky, humorous gag-a-day styled strip (although those gag-a-days have been known to spiral into year-long story arcs).

In much in the same way my take on Supergirl is a superhero wanting to be a teenager, Cleopatra in Space is about a teenager wanting to be a superhero. Only she doesn’t have powers. Just a very strong willed personality and a couple of ray guns. Oh, and a talking cat. It’s a pretty action packed comic, but at its root it’s about an Egyptian princess running away from one destiny in search of another, and learning along the way she’s not going to be able to do it on her own.

CC: What is your advice for kids who want to create their own comic books?

MIKE: Draw all the time! I’m sure they hear that a lot but it’s so true. Also read a lot. Not just comics, but prose too. And watch movies, TV shows, video games… Take in everything you see and hear. Even conversations you have with your friends. Everything around you is a potential story to be told.

CC: Thanks Mike!

MIKE: You're welcome!

CAPTAIN COMICS: For more information about Cleopatra in Space and Mike's other work, please check out his website Cow Shell Graphics.