Interview by Mary Sheridan
MS: Welcome to FANgirl Blog, Glenn. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.
My pleasure! Thanks for having me. It’s an honor.
MS: First, could you tell our readers a bit about how you became the Irish fanboy-in-residence, as well as a writer and editor at GrayHaven Comics?
The tale of my origins as an Irish fanboy is a long one. A few years ago I did a series of articles for GrayHaven called ‘My Life As An Irish Fanboy’ where I went over it in a lot of detail.
In short, it’s mostly due to the work my mother was doing – I got to read the UK comics such as the Beano, Dandy and the Buster. That’s when it started and that led on to superheroes which led on to other things. It’s quite a domino effect once you get going.
With GrayHaven it was because I was a frequent poster (and still am) on Brian Michael Bendis’ ‘Jinxworld’ forums. It was really Ultimate Spider-Man that got me seriously collecting comics and I was a big fan of the writer. I decided to join to talk to people with similar interests because I don’t know that many comic fans here in Northern Ireland. After a few years I made the DCU thread a regular posting spot and fellow poster Andrew Goletz said “How’d you guys like to do an anthology for fun?” Writing comics has been my dream since I was like 13 so I was like, “Me! Me! Me!” That led to the first Volume of The Gathering ‘The Thing With Feathers’ which people enjoyed so much we did another and another and another…
Eventually the workload got so substantial that Andrew asked for some help from me and a few others to pick pitches. He then invited me to be an editor which I’d never done before. I took the reins on the first Sci-fi volume which was having some major issues and got a crash course in editing. The rest is history, as they say.
MS: Then it must be exciting to see the first issue of your “Living With Death” series in print. How are you feeling about the reception it’s getting?
I’m thrilled. I really am. This is something I’ve wanted, like I said, since I was a kid. Just having that issue in my hands is an unreal feeling. I was scared to death people wouldn’t like it. I just wanted one person to say, “Yeah, it was alright.” Seeing the overwhelmingly generous reviews just blows my mind. I can’t even begin to tell you, it’s so nice to see.
MS: A large part of our mandate here at FANgirlblog is advocating for strong female characters in all types of fiction. It isn’t often that we see a book with four interesting and unique females as its main characters and yet you have written exactly such a cast – and started them off very well in this first issue, “Living With Death: Murder at Oxford.” What can you tell us about how you developed these complex women and their story?
There aren’t enough female characters in comics, there really aren’t. Just last week I got a very touching e-mail from a charity that works with physically and mentally disabled children. They were looking for some art for a project to help the kids see that heroes can be flawed too. They mentioned that they have a lot of young girls they help and there isn’t much for these girls to sort of idolize. I don’t agree with that 100% but there definitely aren’t enough female characters out there. In “Living With Death” I wanted to do something different with my murder mystery while paying homage to the stories I love. Apart from Ms. Marple, I couldn’t really think of a mystery of this kind with a female lead so I started to work out the girls’ personalities. It was a long road. I think Jenna came a lot easier than Stephanie. It took me a while to figure out who I wanted Stephanie Hawkins to be, and I think early on I made a lot of mistakes in that regard. I’m very, very happy with how she’s turned out though. I love my girls.
MS: Stephanie Hawkins seems tough but not masculine, which is a trap that we have seen other male writers fall into when they try to develop female characters. Did you make a conscious effort to avoid this pitfall, or are you simply comfortable writing a female voice?
I like writing female characters. I’m not sure why. I like writing male characters as well, of course, but writing female characters is never something I’ve found particularly difficult. I’m glad it’s going over so well. I think the interesting thing about Stephanie is that people will make assumptions about her (much like Jenna did) which aren’t correct. This is completely on purpose. She may seem strong but in some ways she’s the weakest character of all.
MS: In your recent Spotlight interview for GrayHaven, you mentioned a fondness for detective stories and that you are influenced by the works of authors like Agatha Christie. While that is obvious in the classic murder mystery feel of this book, I suspect that there have also been some strong female role models in your real life. Is that true, and could you share a little bit about them with our readers?
My mother. I can’t say enough amazing things about that woman. She worked hard all her life with her own business, raising me and my brother and she battled a serious illness over 10 years ago. Everything that is good about me is because of her. I wouldn’t be where I am or who I am today without her. Her work ethic is something I’ve thankfully inherited and it’s something I’m very proud of.
I also have to mention my future wife, Claire. I didn’t do it in purpose but I think Jenna has a lot in common with her. I think they’d be good friends. She’s the smartest person I know and keeps me very well balanced.
MS: Do you see differences in the ways that women are written in Indie books compared with the more mainstream comics from high-profile publishers?
It depends on the writer. At the moment I think Scott Snyder is writing great female characters in Batman and the Wake. One is as corporate as corporate characters get, and one is his own thing. Quality writing is quality writing no matter if it’s Buffy Summers, Jessica Jones in Alias or Michonne in Walking Dead. There are a few misfires out there of course, but I think it’s true for both indie and mainstream comics, I don’t think one or the other makes the difference, it depends who is telling the story.
MS: In the last couple of years there has been much discussion, controversy, and criticism about the representation of women as comics characters (particularly as stereotyped superheroines). Are you seeing changes in the old attitudes, and is a wider variety of female roles truly gaining acceptance within the industry?
It’s becoming better, absolutely, but I think there’s still a long way to go though. Like I said, this charity thought there were no mainstream heroines for girls to look up to. I pointed out the likes of Barbara Gordon and Kate Bishop who are two characters that overcame adversity to fight crime and are relatively normal girls. It’s amazing, I think, how far we’ve come in the last decade or so.
MS: You clearly enjoy writing dynamic women. Can we look forward to meeting more interesting females in future Glenn Matchett books?
I’ve got a book that’s been cooking for the last few years with another female protagonist called ‘Sparks’. It’s gaining momentum after a lot of problems behind the scenes and it’s based on an idea I’ve had for 12 years. The main character is Melanie (Mel) Sparks and she’s a PI in London. It’s another crime book with a female lead but I think this is one people are going to be very surprised by.
I’ve also co-written a book with Erica Heflin that features some of my favorite female characters that I’ve ever written. I wish I could take credit for those but this is definitely one to watch. I’m very proud of it.
I also could tell 100 stories with Alex Quick from my Gathering: Western story, or Lucy Letwood form my Silver Age story (GrayHavenComics.com). I’m very happy the latter will be returning for the Paranormal Romance volume and I’m hoping to see a lot of both of them in future.
I’ve got two other books slowly simmering in my brain which both feature female characters. Lots to come I hope.
MS: You may not have a lot of spare time, but what are you reading for fun right now?
I’m loving Scott Snyder’s Batman like there’s no tomorrow, and the Wake is amazing as well. That guy makes being amazing look so easy.
I’m also reading Brian Azzarelo’s “Luthor” for the first time which I’m really liking so far. Novel-wise, I’m trudging through Game Of Thrones Book 4 and really enjoying the journey.
MS: Is there a book – other than Living With Death, which I certainly recommend – that you can suggest as a must-read for the FANgirl Blog audience?
All GrayHaven books. I’m not just saying that. We have some of the best unknown talent in the industry.
I’d also recommend “Clown Town” by Kevin LaPonte and Amanda Rachels. Ridiculously good book that shows you what a good indie book can really be. Apart from that just the usual like Fables, Walking Dead, etc. I am really liking Marvel’s Oz books which of course feature many strong female characters, and I must say Dark Horse’s Angel and Faith title has been a VERY pleasant surprise and a must-have for Buffy fans.
MS: Once again, we appreciate the fact that you made time in your very busy schedule for this interview, Glenn. It has been a pleasure speaking with you.
My pleasure Mary! I think as a sign of gratitude I’d like to give you a little exclusive:
Meet Stephanie and Jenna…all over again.
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