INTERVIEW: Joe St.Pierre Discusses Liberaider: The Hard Drive Edition

I recently had the opportunity to interview legendary comic artist and writer Joe St.Pierre. If for any reason you may not recognize his name, you will definitely recognize his work. Originally beginning his career in 1992 as an artist for Valiant, Joe went on to work as an artist for both Marvel and DC, penciling some of the most popular comic book heroes ever created. After taking a break from comics to focus on commercial work from 2000-2010, Joe returned with a new web comic New Zodiax: The Liberaider which he wrote, penciled, inked, colored and lettered himself. This year Joe is hoping to publish the first printed volume of the series, a graphic novel set to contain the first 90 episodes of the web comic. Exciting news, but not surprisingly, self publishing is no easy task, so Joe has taken to the funding platform Kickstarter to not only give fans a little piece of the creative action, but also hoping their support may help him to see Liberaider: The Hard Drive Edition realized. I asked Joe some questions about the inspiration behind the Liberaider, his decision to fund its publication through Kickstarter and obviously which super hero is the most fun to draw.

1. What was the inspiration for New Zodiax: The Liberaider?

THE LIBERAIDER is the Robin Hood of Cyberspace. I would say besides the Robin Hood model, he is my own amalgam of a Silver Age hero like Spider-Man spun thru the sci-fi universe of William Gibson’s Neuromancer. Neuromancer is one of my favorite books, and one that I still re-read when I have the time. Gibson is a pioneer of the Cyberpunk genre and one of my favorite writers of ANY genre.

2. Why did you choose to publish the series as a web comic?

THE LIBERAIDER had been in my brain for almost fifteen years, knocking on the inside of my skull, saying “let me out, let me out,”until finally I couldn’t take it any more:P While I am a freelance illustrator by day, I figured adding a weekly web comic to the schedule would be more manageable than a longer form graphic novel. The single web comic strip is something finite and unintimidating, and there’s a sense of accomplishment when it’s completed that you can build on. Although I’ve had to take a break from it to manage the Kickstarter, the series has developed a creative momentum that I find really exhilarating. A kind of “can’t wait to get the next one” feeling. I’m closing in on episode 100 really soon. I have a Kickstarter reward level where you or a character you design will be featured in episode 100. You can be a part of Liberaider history!

3. What made you decide it was time to make a graphic novel of the series?

I finished the first story arc, which is essentially the origin of the LIBERAIDER. It’s the tale of how Benjamin F, teenage hacktivist, steals incriminating files and his metallic ‘second skin’ from the oppressive Dinosaur Inc., and becomes the most hunted man in the world. I am running the Kickstarter campaign to publish it as a Hard Cover Graphic Novel, which I call the Hard Drive Edition;)

4. As someone who has self-published your work in the past, why did you decide to go with Kickstarter with this project?

I would say I am still self-publishing the work, Kickstarter has no ownership of any kind in the project. Printing and production costs can be taxing on the credit cards, don’t you know;)– I think it’s a worthwhile experiment to run a Kickstarter campaign; we’ll see if there are some fans out there in the comics community who might be interested in helping make the project become a reality, and get some darn fine deals along the way. I’m offering the HC for $20, which includes shipping in the US. You can also have your copy signed and numbered, and with a sketch on the inside cover. I also have a print set that features art with some A-List comics collaborators like Sandu Florea (Batman, Detective), Steve Firchow (Morrison’s X-Men, Top Cow) and Jay Leisten (Death of Wolverine). You can also purchase your own commissioned piece, illustrated by me.

5. As many of your fans, fellow artists and industry professionals have mentioned on your Kickstarter page, you have have illustrated some of the most beloved and iconic comic book characters of all time including Batman, Superman, Spider-man, the X-men and the list goes on. Of them all, which character was your favorite to draw?

I’m a long time Spidey fan, so I would have to choose him.

If you’d like to help fund Liberaider: The Hard Drive Edition, you can donate to Joe’s Kickstarter campaign here.