IDEAS DON'T BLEED episode nineteen | Christopher Sebela, part one

WELCOME BACK TO IDEAS DON’T BLEED!

This week, we’re joined by Christopher Sebela (Crowded / Blink) as we discuss his career, his process, and his new Vault series GODFELL!

IDB is an all-new weekly podcast presented by Ashcan Press and featuring Matthew Rosenberg, the Supple Boiz, and wonderful guests from the world of comic books!

Our theme song is “Where’s the Poison” by Summer People.

Enjoy!

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Hey there!

I’ve known Chris Sebela a long time. He’s been a good friend of mine for almost as long. He’s let me crash on his couch many times. I’ve let him crash on mine. I’ve taken him out to dinner a bunch. His dog has tried to eat me a few times. I would say that he is one of my favorite people in comics. Except…

I secretly hate him!

Is he a good friend who is always supportive? Yes. Is he funny and kind? Yes. Would I try to be there for him when he needs me, knowing he’d do the same? Of course. None of that usual stuff is why I hate him. I hate him because he makes me seethe with jealousy on the regular.

Chris is, to my mind, one of the best high concept people in comics. And honestly, with the volume and pace comic creators work at, that probably makes him one of the best in the world. Every time we talk he tells me about some mind-blowing new idea for a series. The kind of stuff other writers chase their whole careers, Chris just comes up with every few weeks. Everything he comes up with is either something I’ve never even thought about before or a radical reinvention of something familiar. His books like CROWDED, SHANGHAI RED, HIGH CRIMES, TEST, COLD WAR, DEAD LETTERS, SHORT ORDER CROOKS, HEARTTHROB, BLINK, HOUSE AMOK, and a bunch more I can’t remember right now, are always at the top of my to read pile. And even knowing the concepts going in, they never disappoint.

For most writers it would be fine to just get those big ideas out and be satisfied, but Chris has to also be great at world building, creating really compelling characters, and having plots that grab a hold of you and don’t let go.

Well now Chris has a new book with Ben Hennessy, the excellent GODFELL from Vault Comics. It’s a fantasy book, but with a wild premise that turns the whole thing on its head. It’s out in about a month but TODAY is the final order cutoff for issue #1. Which means today is the last day your local comic shop can guarantee you a copy. So you should probably go ahead and call, email, tweet, text, message, or stop into your local comic shop and let them know you need a copy. Because you do need it. Chris is a great guy, and that alone is a good reason to read it. But more than that, it is a great book. And what more do you need than that?

Or you could do like I do and read it to make yourself feel inadequate. I promise you’ll still enjoy the hell out of it.

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Stay safe. Take care of each other. It’s okay to be jealous of your friends as long as you support them.

-Matthew Rosenberg

NYC 1/23/23