Q&A with Midnight (November 2021) (Patreon)

—I’ve always wanted to make a webcomic but it’s so hard to find an artist. Since you’ve worked with so many wonderful artists on DZO what do you look for in an artist?

There are certain things I’ll typically look for when seeking out a new artist:

—Art style. A question I always ask myself when looking for new artists is “Does this artist’s individual style match the tone of the comic I’m writing.” For example, one who mostly draws chibi-style or cutesy Moe-anime characters likely won’t be a suitable fit for a darker, more serious story (unless, of course, you're going for a subversive spin on it). In the case of Danger Zone One, I always try to make sure—no matter how different the style is—that the art meshes with the tone of the series. For example, Sikretwepon’s style back in Chapters 10 and 12 looks very different from Salaiix’s but, regardless, both successfully capture the “feel” and overall “vibe” of DZO that I’m aiming for.

—Fluidity. This is the ability to capture a “sense of motion” in the comic and not make the characters or action sequences look too static, flat, or unnatural. This isn’t only for action/fight sequences—it’s just as important in moments where characters are conversing or interacting with the world around them.

—Coherence. Maintaining a coherent story-flow so that everything makes sense from panel-to-panel and page-to-page is vital. Also, consistency is key. Characters, props, vehicles, weapons, backgrounds, etc. should stay “on model” throughout a chapter. A big part of this is also making sure characters are always recognizable.

—Communication. An artist needs to be able to understand and interpret the script. Accepting feedback if anything needs to be changed/altered between the sketch stage and finished page is a must too.

—Reliability. While all of these are incredibly important, reliability is the most crucial. I’ve found some outstanding artists with incredible levels of skill, but who can barely turn out 2 to 3 pages a month. No matter how great an artist is, if they just can’t maintain a reasonable schedule, it’ll be the death knell for any comic project.

—Any plans for DZO merch?

Yes! We’ve been actively working on this and hope to release some merchandise in the very near future. I’ll be posting a few T-shirts on the Danger Zone One website in early December. I’m also still in the process of looking into 3D mousepads. It’s been tough finding wholesalers who can provide high-quality ones (and who are reasonably affordable). 

—That Miss Bliss/L’Ceal scene last month was great. I like the R rated direction the comic’s going in. Any behind the scenes details on writing that scene?

Originally, the Miss Bliss/L’Ceal scene was shorter and significantly less “R-rated”. Salaiix expressed interest in expanding it and, ultimately, I felt it was the right choice since it helped set-up a pivotal plot point.

At first we were undecided on Miss Bliss’s outfit. I didn’t want her in the same one she wore in the Fantasy Funland chapters, and since she was going to be having a “session” with Officer L’Ceal, Salaiix went with a much more BDSM-inspired costume. One of Salaiix’s initial concepts was to have Miss Bliss in see-through panties—but I liked the idea of her being a bit more covered, as opposed to L’Ceal who was far more exposed/vulnerable.

L’Ceal’s bra/panties went through a few changes too. Salaiix initially drew her with sexier underwear, but I felt the more plain/innocent look not only fit the character better, it made for a stronger visual contrast between her and Miss Bliss.

—I’ve got to know, what was the “reward” Miss Bliss gave L’Ceal? The end of that scene was a bit ambiguous, making me wonder if L’Ceal submitted to Miss Bliss, if she was still fighting it, or if she was in on it the whole time? And what is Miss Bliss planning with the i.dac? Can’t wait to see more.

All those questions will be answered in the future (especially with regards to the I.DAC) and we’ll definitely find out what L’Ceal’s “reward” was :) Both Salaiix and myself have been eager to do a spin-off chapter featuring Miss Bliss’s backstory—which may make for a great 18+ chapter (a canon one!)—and it will also tie into the events occurring in that scene.

—Which chapters will be in the print version of Volume 3?

Chapters 14 - 18 will be included in the Volume 3 print edition, along with bonus content (Danger Zone Onesies, production sketches, character sheets, etc).