Mike Eakins
Derrick Weifor and Nate Taylor have a vision, and that vision is to make badass comics. What Makes A Man is that badass comic. They were nice enough to take time from their lives and give Comic Watch some insight as to what makes them creatively tick. If you haven’t read What Makes A Man, head on over to GlobalComix and dive on in; the water feels great!
Comic Watch: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today; it’s our pleasure. For those who may not be familiar with What Makes a Man, can you give us a rundown of what the story is about?
Derrick Weiford: Thanks for taking the time, homie!! What Makes a Man is a western, following our main protagonist, Bo. Bo has ridden with a gang of outlaws the majority of his life, and he’s beginning to feel the need for something more. Is the grass greener on the other side of the law? Questions of morals and judgment. Are we redeemable? Can we, as people, truly change?
CW: How did the story come about, and how did you guys come together as a creative team?
DW: What Makes a Man was born immediately after I finished Red Dead Redemption 2. I was blown away from that story, and I’ve never felt so inspired. After I completed the game, I immediately grabbed my notebook and just started writing ideas. I met Nate when I was still doing comics press. I reviewed his own comics, Wonkamania and Willy Wonka and the Death Factory, on my YouTube channel. I tweeted out that I finally wrote my first comic script. Nate reached out, and we’ve been best homies since.
Nate Taylor: Initially, I only knew Dereck after asking him to review one of my comic books, and from there, I pretty much kept in contact through Twitter posts as friends. One day I noticed he wrote a western story and had explained he didn’t know if it’d ever be created into a comic book. At that point, I said, “What the hell,” and volunteered myself as his artist for the series.
CW: Nate, what was your main goal/influence when bringing the story to life?
NT: The goal was, and always has been, to create visual stories that are truly entertaining. After reading Dereck’s script for the first time, I was convinced it held those qualities. This, of course, was the influence that drove me to volunteer my creative services.
CW: Can you both talk about what have been some of your influences that have guided you into the industry?
DW: I’ll read anything. I love comics. I love Ed Brubaker. His and Sean Phillips’s Pulp is what got me back into reading comics. I love crime and noir, and they’re just masterful storytellers. I also find great inspiration from Chris Condon’s and Jacob Phillips’s That Texas Blood. I hope someday to be able to write a story of that caliber.
NT: My experience of being drawn into comics originated when I first read Captain Underpants as a child. Then in my early teens, I began reading The Amazing Spiderman and Ultimate Spiderman, which inspired my desire to emulate the artform. Fast-forward to late 2017, and I finally consider doing something with those creative passions of mine.
CW: Why should people read What Makes A Man?
DW: People say all the time, “find your audience.” While What Makes a Man may not be for everyone, I feel like the story elements are relatable to almost everyone. We’ve all had things about ourselves we wish to change. We may not all be cowboy outlaws, but we’ve all ran from something within ourselves. I’m sure most people out there have gone through major lifestyle changes such as getting sober, losing weight, leaving a bad relationship, etc. The real question is what are we willing to do about it, and that’s what Bo’s story is.
NT: Well, if you’re a fan of Red Dead Redemption or westerns in general, you won’t want to miss out on our series!
CW: How has it been working with GlobalComix?
DW: GlobalComix kicks ass, dude. Once they have an app, ComiXology better look out. It’s seamless to use, and we’ve received a ton of eyes on both issues. It’s a great platform for indie folks.
NT: It’s really been beneficial for us so that anyone can read our stories and access them anywhere. A great platform, and I’m happy with how it’s helped us reach so many people.
CW: Without giving away any spoilers, are there any upcoming projects you guys want to talk about
DW: Definitely have issue 3 in the works. Hopefully will have it all done by the end of the year into the beginning of next. We plan on having a TPB collection and hopefully a hardcover available through Amazon. We have our next idea for a series in the works. My brain is always going a million different directions. I have things that I haven’t even told Nate yet. We’ll see where my heart lands in what I want to write next.
NT: I’m all game for whatever Dereck cooks up! As far as my personal projects, it’s much too early to say what story I’ve written that I may work on next.
