by Mike Favila, Senior Editor

I loved Valiant Comics back in their first go around, and have really enjoyed the recent run they’ve had under the new storylines.  Rafer Roberts, who helmed Archer & Armstrong, along Harbinger with Darick Robertson, is as integral part of their revival.  I had a chance to talk with him at AwesomeCon in Washington DC and pick his brain a bit:

ComicsOnline: How did you get started with Valiant? Were you a reader before in the initial company run?

Rafer Roberts: I had been working with Justin Jordan, drawing a bunch of backup stories for the various Valiant anniversary issues. The fan reaction to those shorts, as well as being even a small part of such an incredible lineup of books and creators, made me want more. I knew that my art style probably wouldn’t fit an actual book, and I can’t draw that fast anyway, so I sent Warren Simons a sample package of comics that I had written and a few months later he asked me to write up a few pitches.

I was working in a comic shop when the original Valiant first started putting comics out in the early 90s. I was probably biggest into X-O and Turok at the time, but eventually I read most of them. (I worked in the back, pricing back issues, and spent a lot of that time reading the comic and failing to do my job.) I quit the store in late 1994 and most of my budget went towards addictions other than comics, so I missed most of the later Acclaim stuff.

When Justin and I got hired to do backup stories for the current run of Valiant books, I hadn’t, at that point, read most of the new stuff. I read as much of the current Valiant as I could to prepare for the backup gig and discovered, to my great delight, that the new stuff was even better than the comics I read as a kid. i really should have been reading them all along.

CO: What has been your favorite book to work on?

RR: That’s like trying to choose my favorite child!

Every book I worked on at Valiant was a lot of hard work and a lot of fun, each with their own unique challenges. And every single artist or editor or member of the editorial team was a blast to work with.

RR: I recently just reread part of the Archer and Armstrong run and found that I still like it quite a lot!

CO: Who have you liked working with the most so far, and who would you like to work with in the future?

RR: Man, seriously, everyone was an absolute blast. From David LaFuente, to Mike Norton, to Darick Robertson, to Juan Jose Ryp, to Ryan Lee, Ryan Winn, Brian Reber, and on and on. Some of those folks I’ve mentioned I’m already working with on other stuff, none of which I can talk about in public yet!

If I had my way, I’d work with EVERY single one of these fine comic makers again.

CO: Do you have a preference between drawing and writing?

RR: Not really. I mean, each has its benefits. With writing I get to collaborate with some amazing artists who run circles around my own drawing abilities. I can also write stuff that I couldn’t possibly be able to pull off in my own art.

That said, there’s a certain relaxation effect that comes from drawing that I don’t get with writing. I can fall into this zen-like meditative state when I really get into a drawing where my brain just goes completely quiet. It’s the opposite of writing where my brain is fully engaged and fully aware.

CO: What are you working on now? When is it coming out?

RR: The next thing from me is MODERN FANTASY with artist and co-creator Kristen Gudsnuk. It’s the world outside your window if our world’s history was every D&D module and fantasy novel ever written. Orcs and goblins going on bad Tinder dates, barbarians working in customer service call centers, and wizard battles causing traffic jams. We follow a young ranger woman who’s moved to the big city in search of adventure, but finds nothing but high rent and low paying deadend jobs. That’ll be coming out from Dark Horse and be available for sale on June 27th (though folks can preorder from their local stores now.)

CO: How did you connect with Kristen?

RR: We met at a New York Comic Con a few years back when I was mooching table space off Justin Jordan and she was promoting Henchgirl. We got to talking, hit it off, and decided to try making a comic together. MODERN FANTASY is the product of us just wanting to work together on something fun.

CO: Did the idea for Modern Fantasy start with one person, or did you brainstorm it together?

RR: I asked Kristen what she wanted to draw and she replied “something with magic.” That somehow evolved in my brain into a modern day fantasy world with traditional campaign characters in a mundane scenario. (I’m not sure how that happened either.) From there, it was a matter of lots and lots of emails back and forth. I’d write something up, Kristen would let me know her thoughts, she’d pitch me some ideas, and we’d go from there. She really is an incredible collaborator and a pleasure to work with.

CO: Is this a limited series or ongoing?

RR: MODERN FANTASY is a 4-issue miniseries, though we have ideas for further adventures. Whether we get to tell those stories depends on the readers. I really hope folks dig the book because I very much want to live in this world some more.

CO: What are you reading these days?

RR: The sad truth of making comics is that you don’t have enough time to read all the comics you want. However, whenever a new issue of STRAY BULLETS comes out, I drop everything to read that. The current MISTER MIRACLE book is real good, though I’m quite a few issues behind on that and may just wait for the collection. I’m also a big fan of Matthew Allison’s CANKOR, which is somehow everything I ever wanted my own self-published comics to be, but better.

CO: Great! Do you have a website/store that people can keep up with you or buy your art?

RR: My website is http://www.plasticfarm.com which has news and comics and a place to buy stuff and send me money.

CO: Do you keep up with Twitter or Instagram?

RR: I’m on both, but on Twitter much more regularly. I am @plasticfarm on both for anyone interested in seeing some random works-in-progress or putting up with the occasional late-night comic readalong.

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