Interview: Paul Allor Talks Strange Nation

Posted By on October 16, 2013

Today marks the debut of Paul Allor’s newest book, Strange Nation with artist Juan Romera from MonkeyBrain Comics. Paul was kind enough to answer a couple of questions concerning Strange Nation, working with Monkeybrain, and the use of urban legends as story ideas the book goes on sale. Strange Nation #1 is an action-packed 22 pages can be picked up for just 99 cents on Comixology.

Leo Johnson: Your new book Strange Nation with artist Juan Romera is coming out from MonkeyBrain. What’s this book about?

StrangeNation_1_Cover

Strange Nation #1

Paul Allor: Strange Nation is about Norma Park, a newspaper reporter who discovers a vast and weird conspiracy that ties together aliens, Sasquatch and other tabloid staples. This discovery ends up wrecking her mainstream journalism career, and the only work she can find is at Strange Nation, a supermarket tabloid. It’s a story about exposing the truth, about facing down power and about what we’re willing to sacrifice for the things we believe in.

LJ: Strange Nation is joining the already stellar ranks of MonkeyBrain books currently being offered. What about Monkeybrain made it the right place for Strange Nation to call home each month?

PA: Monkeybrain is fantastic. As you said, their roster is great, and I love so many of their books, from High Crimes to Kinski to Code Monkey Save World. Chris Roberson and Allison Baker are incredibly supportive publishers, and work so very hard behind the scenes on behalf of their books. And beyond all that, it just seemed like Strange Nation’s mix of character-based drama and wild, wacky action would fit in well with Monkeybrain’s other titles. It felt like a good fit, on a gut level. I’m incredibly proud and grateful that Chris and Allison agreed.

LJ: In the last year or so, it seems like cryptids and urban legends are a focal point in more and more comics, what with Hoax Hunters from Image,Cryptozoic Man from Dynamite, and now Strange Nation. What about these stories make them fun to play with in comics? 

PA: Personally, I love the idea that there are extraordinary things that exist just beyond our view. And not just one or two – a whole rich tapestry of them. That’s fascinating to me. One of storytelling’s main functions is to alter the way we look at our world; to help us understand how wide and varied and complex it all is. I think that’s a big part of what urban legends do for us.

LJ: Strange Nation, as with all Monkeybrain titles, will be digital first. How does this method of publishing make things better, you think? Did it affect your approach when writing at all?

PA: I don’t think it makes things better, necessarily; it’s just a different approach, with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. A lot of the book was already written before we went digital, but I did do some rewriting to fit the digital approach, most definitely. After issue 1 (22 pages) our issues are about 12 pages each, and I worked hard to make each one an interesting, dynamic and fast-paced ride. I want people to get a lot of bang for their buck.

 

 

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About the Author

Leo Johnson
Leo is a biology/secondary education major and one day may just be teaching your children. In the meantime, he's podcasting, reading comics, and hoping that they find life on another planet. He currently resides in Mississippi and can be found on Twitter at @LFLJ.