Apocalypse 4 is a new independent comic co-created by Hugh Rookwood and Corrado Rizza, and published by MDS Studios. Comix Asylum recently had the pleasure to chat with artist, Hugh Rookwood to get some details on Apocalypse 4 as well as his experiences as an independent creator.
QUESTION: What can you tell us about Apocalypse 4?
ANSWER: Apocalypse 4 in a nutshell is about the choice between faith and righteousness, when faith comes into conflict with moral righteousness and the inner struggle to find truth within each. The final judgment of the Human race is to begin and a single angel finds turmoil within himself to follow a decree; which is to destroy all of mankind! Now an outcast and pursued relentlessly, he holds the key that can change the fate of mankind and stem off the coming apocalypse.
QUESTION: At your Apocalypse 4 launch party in Toronto last month, you mentioned that you planned to release the issues digitally. Are there any plans for the series to hit comic book store newsstands anytime soon?
ANSWER: It is definitely my hope that if things keep going as well as it is, to have the first volume in the stands by 2015.
QUESTION: Apocalypse 4 isn’t your first independent title. What can you tell us about your experience with self-publishing?
ANSWER: My first go at self-publishing was with Kosmic Productions where I co- created on the comic, Lung Mei: Dragon Current with Kirk Jones. Back then it was a lot harder and waaay more expensive! We ended up creating a pretty good product, but the recession hit just as we were going to launch and for a small company it was very damaging. But who knows, it is my hope one day that Lung Mei could be revisited. It really was a fun title to work on.
QUESTION: Marketing is a vital component of any successful venture. It’s also one of the things that self-publishers must do themselves what would normally be taken care of by a publisher. What aspect of marketing have you found to be the most helpful in getting Apocalypse 4 into the public consciousness?
ANSWER: The aspect of marketing I found most helpful is still the old school way of getting out to shows and meeting the people, There are many websites you can promote your book on, but I still find hitting conventions and meeting people is great because they get a face behind the product which is very beneficial to an independent trying to build a fan base.
QUESTION: You debuted Issue 2 at Fan Expo Vancouver a few weeks ago and then had a chance to showcase the issue at the Calgary Expo. What kind of feedback did you get from fans and does it have any impact on what you’ll be doing in future issues?
ANSWER: The feedback has been amazing!! When you’re new and coming out and you only have one book, it is harder to get people to give it a chance because so many times people get invested with an independent and they are never able to continue the series. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth for the buyer, but now that we have Book Two we are being taken more seriously and people are willing to take a chance on our product. I am excited to continue with the series. The first story arc is slotted for 12 books and trust me it gets better and better!
QUESTION: What else can we expect from Apocalypse 4 and its creative team in the future?
ANSWER: You can expect more and more ruckus from Apocalypse 4! This series has so many twists and turns it will keep the reader on his toes! It is my hope to see Apocalypse 4 as an animated cartoon, video game and live action movie. We are working with GDLK apparel and are looking at clothing and various other things to run with the title. As for the future of MDS you can expect more titles coming out soon.
