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Not Quite 20 Questions: Scott & Benita Story
by John Wilson

The best part of my job here at Comic Related (and there are lots of good parts) is getting to meet and talk to really cool interesting people. Two of the best people I have had the pleasure of meeting are the creators behind Johnny Saturn: Scott and Benita Story. Let me step aside and let the Storys tell their...story

1. Tell us about yourselves.

Benita: Well we live in central Indiana, have been married 23 and a half years, still act like newlyweds, don't watch TV, and have a house that's basically a HUGE studio with living quarters (Seriously, the living room is Studio B where my looms and fiber arts stuff reside (except for those items that live elsewhere in the house), the master bedroom is the Media room with the TV, movies, Scott's music recording equipment and his 1023 musical instruments (only a slight exaggeration), and the largest bedroom upstairs is Studio A where Scott hangs out all day). I still have a day job as the Accounting Manager of a small commercial real estate management firm, but dream of the day when I can make a living in my studio instead.

Scott: Contrary to popular reports, I do not have 1023 music instruments. More like 30. I like music! What else is there about me? I don't play video games, and pretty much never have. I'm a cat person, but I'm an animal lover in general. I have lots of eclectic interests.

2. You are a married couple who create and self publish comics together...something of a rarity. Who does what? Is there a specific chain of activity or is it whoever is free, does what needs to be done?

Scott: I can't think of too many married couples who do this... Wendy and Richard Pini? Phil and Kaja Foglio? That's all I can think of. As far as our division of labor goes, I draw, ink, and color the comic, and Benita letters and edits the comic. As for writing, that's a totally mixed bag. We split up scenes between us to write, but were still both really involved in each others' writing.

Benita: Our way of writing together is pretty unusual, but fun. We'll start throwing out ideas for a scene or a new character, then play "what if" until something strikes our fancy, and go back and forth with more ideas until someone says, "Okay, I'll write that scene." Also, one of us might come up with the character, but the other person ends up being the "voice" for that character. For instance, Scott came up with the original Johnny Saturn, but after the first couple of issues, I ended up doing his dialogue rather than Scott. Greg Buchanan, too. Whereas, I created Dr. Synn, but Scott has really become the dialogue writer for this character. We tend to go with our strengths. Luckily, one person's weakness tends to be the other's strengths, so we are very well matched when it comes to team-writing.

3. Who is Johnny Saturn and what is he up to now?

Scott: Johnny Saturn is a non-powered mystery man in a world of high-flying superheroes that live like celebrities. He's the underdog that bites back!

Benita: The original Johnny Saturn now lives in semi-retirement with his wife, Persephone, in Monaco. But that retirement is only from "Active" crime fighting. He is using his wealth, knowledge and time by creating an underground crime fighting world using the homeless people living in Elysium City, creating his own intra-net, and using abandoned subway tunnels to create his own subway line for those who work for him. And, while Greg Buchanan (the new Johnny Saturn) still officially works for the police department as a detective, he is also on John's payroll. You'll get to see more and more evidence of this as the current story-line unfolds.

4. You produce Johnny as a webcomic and a standard floppy comic...what led you to this approach?

Scott: "Johnny Saturn" began as print comic, but we quickly seized on the idea of also presenting it on the web. That way, the same art could do triple duty, appearing on the internet, printed as single comics, and be collected as graphic novels.

Benita: As much as we enjoy selling the graphic novel and the floppies, we are story-tellers first and foremost. This means we want people to be able to read the story. Of course, we are striving to create a story so interesting and intriguing that people will want to buy the books after having read it online.

Scott: Exactly. That's been a pretty good business model for us.

5. Where do you see webcomics as a part of the comics industry?

Scott: Webcomics, and the indy small press scene, have collided and intermixed at this point. It wasn't always that way, of course. Used to be, we couldn't tell people at conventions that Johnny Saturn was also a webcomic or we'd lose the sale. For the small press scene, I imagine that webcomics will come to replace individual print comics and go straight to graphic novel collections.

Benita: I agree. I foresee a day, in the near future, when all comics will be on the web, then as graphic novels. I see a day when the floppies will be rare rather than the rule.

6. Where do you see the industry heading in the next 10 years?

Scott: That's a tough question, really. In the webcomic world, I believe a lot more people will make their comics their full-time jobs and make reasonable livings off their labor. On the other side, I don't expect the heyday of indy print comics will come back, not like it was in the 1980's and early 1990's.

Benita: I guess I see webcomics becoming the normal, first-line distribution avenue for comics in general. Also, I see webcomics becoming more and more divergent in story-telling styles, genres, intended audience and talent. Which is great! The more different styles out there, the more popular the medium will become because wide diversity in genres means a wide diversity in readers - and more of them!

7. Who are your influences in the industry?

Benita: I read lots of different webcomics (in fact, it is rare that I read a print comic, and then it's usually to review it for an article), and I find myself being influenced by the types of stories that are different than the typical stuff you see in print today. Yes, Johnny Saturn may have superhero elements to it, but I don't read superhero books, really. My main influences in the webcomic industry today are the Foglios with Girl Genius, Dave Kellett with Sheldon, and Sarah Ellerton with The Phoenix Requiem.

Scott: My original influences were mostly Silver and Bronze Age comics and their creators, such as John Buscema, Neal Adams, Gil Kane, etc.

8. What is on your pull list right now?

Scott: I don't have a pull list anymore. I still miss collecting comics, but once we began self-publishing we had to put all our money back into our own comic. I'll still buy graphic novels on occasion, usually things written by Grant Morrison or Mike Mignola.

Benita: If I buy any comics, it is a graphic novel. When Strangers in Paradise was still being published, I snapped the new GNs up nearly as soon as they hit the shelves. I've also been collecting the Girl Genius graphic novels and Scott and I both read Fables in graphic novel format. Other than that, I'm a webcomic reader.

9. What is your opinion of the "Big 3" (DC, Marvel & Image)? Are they still the places to aspire to or are they hurting the industry?

Scott: Great question. I would not say they are hurting the comic industry, because Marvel and DC pretty much ARE the comic industry. The rest of us live in their margins. I love a lot of the characters that are published at Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse-Those are the characters that inspired us as kids and made us want to become cartoonists! As far as I'm concerned, doing work for Marvel or DC would be a wonderful opportunity for me as an artist, but it's not my end goal.

Benita: I guess I see things a bit different from Scott in this matter since I was never a huge fan of what the Big 3 have produced. Are they hurting the industry? No, they have their own nitch in it, but I do see the huge commercialism from them as being a bit fake. They tell the same stories over and over again, they make movies on the same characters over and over again, and I see them as having no originality. Why people still put up with this crap, I have no idea. I guess people just get caught up in the hype of it. I'm one of those who distrusts "hype" though, and have always gone in a different direction than the mainstream. I like originality and look for it in my entertainment. As for aspiring to be them? Well, I'd like to pull their popularity over toward what independent presses are producing, but that is because I believe the independent presses are where the true talent lies. Go into any Artist Alley at any comic book convention and you'll see that.

10. What advice do you have for someone starting out in comics?

Benita: Be original! Do not tell a story that has already been told a thousand times already. I like Terry Moore's advice. Take a story element then turn it one turn to the left. Make people fit unstereotypical roles and see how they react. Tell a story that you want to read more rather than trying to tell a story that you think others want to read. In that direction lies madness and frustration. Most of all, do what you enjoy. If creating something is like going to the dentist, then try a different direction or tactic.

11. Without naming names, what are the biggest mistakes you've seen in others webcomics?

Scott: My biggest complaint with some webcomics is not keeping their update schedules! Or, making me click through a bunch of pages to get to the comic is a pain in the butt, and hiding the comic down below the fold irritates me too. I also won't read a webcomic when the words are too small to read easily.

Benita: I have to agree on the updating part. If you say you are updating Monday and Wednesday but new ones come up on Tuesday and Thursday, then say Tuesday and Thursday. Also, those that go for weeks in between updates without letting us know they are taking some time off irk me. Consistency is crucial in this industry.

12. What is the one secret that everyone should know to make a successful webcomic?

Scott: Update regularly. When you announce your update schedule, you are making an agreement of sorts with the readers that you will have new episodes there when you say they will be there. Plus, if you are going to miss some updates, announce it in advance and let readers know how long you'll be gone and when you'll be back.

Benita: I'm going to add "And tell a story worth telling." The art gets the people to look at it, but it's the story that keeps them coming back.

13. Scott, in addition to your other talents, you are a gifted graphic designer...how has the use of applications like Photoshop affected your creative process?

Scott: I call Adobe Photoshop the hammer of the gods. It's my favorite program of all time. I still draw and ink on paper, but all the colors and letters and special effects happen in Photoshop. Shortcuts and automation has allowed me to format and color strips faster than ever, making our Monday, Wednesday, Friday update schedule possible.

14. What are the most common Photoshop mistakes made by novice creators?

Scott: Most novices believe that comic coloring is a function of the paint bucket tool, pouring the color into the actual line art. This gives me shivers! Stop it! There are lots of other Photoshop misdemeanors, of course, but I'll spare you the list.

15. What is your guiltiest (but greatest) comics purchase?

Scott: Undoubtedly, the Ten Year Slipcover, hardback edition of the "Dark Knight Returns."

Benita: Yeah, that...

16. What is your favorite convention moment?

Benita: I love it when people come up to us and say, "I read Johnny Saturn online and I came here today just to meet and talk with you guys!" That and the people who just bought issue one coming back and saying, "Okay, I want the graphic novel. I have to know how this story ends!" That just makes my ol' heart sing! We are entertaining the fans!!!

17. Speaking of conventions...what is up with that wacky spinning wheel, Benita?

Benita: Ha! Back when Scott had a table to promote himself as an artist, I would bring something to do to keep me entertained - like my inkle loom or a sewing project or something. We noticed these "extra-curricular" activities would draw people to the table and a lot of people would buy something whereas, normally, they would have just walked on by. When we started Johnny Saturn, I still needed something to do because most people want to talk to the artist rather than the writer (and most people don't understand what letterers do), so I brought my spinning wheel. It kept me busy, drew peoples' eyes to our table, and it let me be productive at something more in my line. Now, the spinning wheel is as important at our table as we are! I'm known as the Spinning Lady and I get recognized because of it when I roam around. At Mid-Ohio Con, I even got griped at because I had NOT brought my wheel. It's a funny old world...

18. If not comics, what would you be doing?

Scott: I would be a painter and a full-time fantasy artist.

Benita: Well, life would sure be a lot simpler...

19. Final thoughts?

Benita: Yes! Come and visit us at http://www.johnnysaturn.com and bring all your friends!

Indeed! Thanks guys, you are the best!

John Wilson - John Wilson is a life long comic book fan and recent comics professional. In addition to his Graphic Content column of Comic and How-to book reviews on Comic Related, he writes content for Sketch Magazine.net, is a digital colorist for Unleashed Press, a moderator on the Art Unleashed forum for Blue Line Pro and Sketch Magazine and writes his own comic stories. John is also an Art educator, Multi-media artist and graphic designer. In the other five minutes of his day, he spends time with his wife, Kim and their two dogs and reads more magazines than should be humanly possible.