Comic book creator Oscar Martin is best known for his artistic vision for anthropomorphic characters. The acclaimed artist has made such an impression with his particular creative stamp that it earned him a Warner Bros. Lifetime Achievement Award, and for good reason.
While Oscar Martin may not be a well-known household name, the characters that he has brought to life for decades certainly are. Although he is most recognized for his long-term work on Tom & Jerry, he also brought us his takes on The Lion King, Angry Birds, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse.
More recently, the creator has turned his love for anthropomorphic characters towards a more adult-oriented audience. His newest project through Titan Comics is titled Solo: The Survivors of Chaos, and focuses on a post-nuclear dystopian world and the mutated beings that survive the chaos.
This title is much more graphically violent than his normal work, and it is certainly a far cry from kid-friendly stories like Tom & Jerry, but the book has received an outstanding response and is now set to launch a second volume this month.
Ahead of the release of Solo: The Survivors of Chaos Vol. 2 on the 20th of this month, we were able to chat with Martin about his new title and how it advances the plot points of the first book. Due to French being Oscar's first language, we conducted the interview via e-mail, but we've also added eight panels from the upcoming title to whet your appetite as you read!
Literary Joe: For those who enjoyed Solo and are looking forward to Volume 2, what would you say the sequel offers that the first book doesn't?
Oscar Martin: It shows us the deconstruction of the character. A reunion with oneself and the hope of reaching a better ending. The appearance of new characters that must be very important in the series.
Literary Joe: Even the synopsis makes it clear that this story is full of emotion. Would you say it is more moving than the first book?
Oscar Martin: They are different situations. In the first book, it is passionate to see the spirit of self-improvement of the character so as not to be a victim of a completely hostile environment. In the second book we will see a journey towards nobler feelings and to surrender without fear to demonstrate them, although that may show a certain fragility.
Literary Joe: Is there something in Volume 2 initially thought of as a story rhythm for the first book but was eventually left out for the sequel?
Oscar Martin: No. The story is thought from the beginning as it is narrated. The choice to divide a story into several books is not, in my case, a whimsical decision. From my point of view, each book is a specific moment in the life of the character, between the publication of one book and the next, an ellipse is created in time that narrates the passage of time very well.
Literary Joe: In what other mediums would you like to see this world adapted? Would you be interested in an animated version of Solo, or would you rather preserve the comic book aesthetic you have so far?
Oscar Martin: I have worked the scripts in such a way that the animated adaptation or to any other audiovisual format is easy. I'm a big movie buff in general, and for me, the comic is a succession of small movie screens filled with still images that tell a story just as well. Graphically the staging of my stories is very cinematic. I don't understand the comic in any other way.
Literary Joe: You have worked on several anthropomorphic rats/mice with Solo and Tom and Jerry as main examples. If the world's rodents were to confront you and ask why you find them so interesting, how would you address those creatures?
Oscar Martin: All animals are fascinating. I am a great lover of nature and the mechanisms that balance it (when the human being does not intervene). Actually, the SOLO series is based on ideas that have emerged after watching nature documentaries. Rodents are very tough survivors, you can believe that you have annihilated them and they always reappear. I thought that that quality, because of the plot of the story, was essential for my character. That Jerry has been with me for 30 years of my life is pure coincidence. I have also drawn Mickey Mouse ... but also Goofy or Lion King, Angry Birds ...
Literary Joe: How do things look for the future of Solo? It is vol. 2 the conclusion, or will we see more adventures in this universe?
Oscar Martin: The end of a first cycle. These two volumes can be read as a complete story. Of course there are more books and they are still being produced. The saga grows every year.
Literary Joe: What else would you like our readers to know about this project that I have not mentioned?
Oscar Martin: In my head, there is only room to build an interesting universe that ends up being adapted into animated film, video games, novels ... I'm working on it and in that direction. I hope to get it. All my time is dedicated to SOLO, I currently accept very few commissions, even if they are important and well paid. I have turned down great offers in the last year because my goal is clear. There is a lot of interest in the saga by readers and important companies, I am simply waiting for the best offer, the one that offers me the most guarantees of making a quality product. It's a matter of time.
Be sure to check out the official poster for Solo: Survivors of Chaos Vol. 2 below along with the synopsis and release info. And as always, share your thoughts in the usual spot!
Warner Bros Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Oscar Martin – the renowned writer and artist behind Tom and Jerry comics – brings his own imaginative take on a dystopian world of anthropomorphic animals in this breath-taking sequel to the hit graphic novel, Solo: Survivors of Chaos.
Warner Bros Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Oscar Martin, creates a unique dystopian world of chaos, where every day is a fight to survive. In a future ravaged by nuclear wars, the Earth has given birth to an array of new mutated species, which have grown and repopulated the land. But this new world is far from peaceful, and life in it is often short and brutal…
To make life easier for his poor family, Solo, a young rat, left his home to become a warrior. Contending with vicious animals and savage hunters, Solo does everything he can to survive. This action-packed, heart-breaking sequel sees Solo’s world turned upside-down once again.
Solo Vol. 2: The Survivors of Chaos releases on July 20th.