Creator Spotlight: Adrianne Grayson

Another creator spotlight interview/conversation by guest interviewer Stephen Leotti, creator of Stardust The Cat, which originally appeared here.

Today I’m presenting my interview with Adrianne Grayson, creator of Escape from Dino Isle, a digital comic book available for purchase.

S: Alright. Well tell me a bit about yourself (current city, education, day job, whatever else you want).

A: I live in Los Angeles, I attended Patten College (bible college), which is now Patten University. I studied english there. I’m a full time creator.

S: Awesome. Congratulations. Most people I talk to are hobbyists.

A: Thank you. I tried that route at first . Now, it’s about giving all I have into Supercilious Comics.

S: Cool. So what did you do before you were able to make the transition?

A: I was a caregiver.

S: Ah.

A: When I do talk about caregiving, I think about the line from Jurassic park 2. When Nolan is asked to work at the San Diego park and declines by saying, “No thank you, I think I spent enough time in the company of death.”

S: Okay then, so what is your comic about? Give me a pitch of the story.

A: Escape from Dino Isle is The Biggest Loser meets Jurassic Park.

S: That sounds interesting.

A: The idea came about from a question from Tumblr when I first joined. I’m not sure what the exact phrasing of the question but my answer was Dinosaurs would be welcomed again on earth. No one would be overweight with dinosaurs back on earth.

S: Haha true. I think Louis CK had a joke about if humans weren’t on top of the food chain.

A: Right! How different would our lives be? From there it came down to how to create a series, a story that involves the sensitivity of weight without it being overly offensive.

S: Yeah, it can be tricky to not get too mean spirited with something like that.

A: The characters learn a lot about themselves through the course of the series. The dino-engineer on the isle, had searched through thousands of peoples online history to bring to the isle for this unique way to lose weight. There is a purpose to this level of madness.

S: Let me guess, they spared no expense?

A: LMAO! It’s a lot more rough and tough but you and I both know you can’t skimp on recreating dinosaurs nor creating safe places for the people on the isle. I’ve literally mapped and walked myself through Dino Isle. Of course I used the city of LA for my runs.

S: So, given that dinosaurs are no longer around, I’m guessing you had to do a lot of research?

A: Yes, along with filling in some holes to possibilities that haven’t been created yet. I picked certain dinosaurs to be on the isle that aren’t on any jurassic park movies. I wanted the possibility of Dino Isle to be so clear, that it could be created. The dinosaurs on the isle are gentically engineered to fit the needs of the contestants. I haven’t released to the public the different things altered in each of the dinosaurs on the isle.

S: So it being done episodically? Like in issues?

A: Yes. Although, I have written over 100 pages of Escape from Dino Isle in book form.

S: As a novel?

A: Yes. It was the first thing I did. I sat down and knocked it out in two days. Then broke it up into 4 comic books. Then, into script format.

S: So you know where the story’s going to end?

A: Yes.

S: Smart idea. It helps things from going off on tangents, I find. So how did you go about writing the script? Was it like a screenplay or did you actually go panel by panel?

A: Panel by panel. I do draw, not as well as I would like to draw Dino Isle myself. I draw the thumbnails for the comic book too.

S: Now you’re working with another artist?

A: Yes, Joe DeSantos helped finish Escape from Dino Isle. Right now I’m writing and haven’t sent over the second book yet.

S: So have you only been doing digital or have you gotten into printing?

A: Printing is next. Everything I’ve done has been digital.

S: It’s a whole different ball game, from what I know of it.

A: Yeah, it can be.

S: What other comics are you reading (web or otherwise)?

A: The Walking dead, every Archie Comic title. Favorite is Archie Afterlife, Bo Plushy Gangsta, Holy fck. I do read older marvel comic titles from the 80’s. Spiderman, She-hulk and Secret Wars. X-men, Avengers.

S: Yeah, I’ve been getting into some of those too.

A: I think they are better quality. especially the writing.

S: Guardians of the Galaxy is a ton of fun.

A: I try to read titles in the indie world. I want to be taken on a ride when I read a comic book.

S: Yeah, I always respond more to indie stuff.

A: Right now, my biggest high comes from The Walking Dead comic book.

S: Too many superhero comics feel self involved.

A: Yeah. One of the things I want to do or always do is take the reader on a trip and hopefully open their minds to some insane stuff.

S: Sure. It helps not having to read 20 years of back story to get the gist.

A: Lol! I don’t want to be a comic book characters therapist.

S: Right, haha!

A: No one gets on a roller coaster and wants to know the history of every rivet on the ride. You get on because you want feel things you wouldn’t feel in your everyday life.

S: Right. So, which would you say you enjoy more: creating the story, the characters, or the world?

A: The world. It’s all about acknowledging the what if’s and challenging whatever you think is real.

S: So when you sat down to create the world, did you go the Tolkein route and write the entire history? Or just figure out enough to tell the story?

A: Figure out enough to tell the story. But in that process, I am still creating worlds. I write the story and then take notes on what the world would be. I have notes everywhere. They don’t get built right away but I can come back to them, pile up my notes and have them. Dino Isle isn’t a far fetched premise.

S: Nah, I believe it. I believe it.

A: With the technology we have now, it could be a fun little adventure for folks. People would pay to be a contestant on Dino Isle for the experience, for the rush.

S: You think we’ll ever see dinosaurs cloned?

A: Absolutely, I think we will. A lot sooner than we expect. Because, its not about whether we should. it’s about whether we can.

S: Hey, if we are gonna have commercial flights to the moon, I’ll believe anything.

A: Exactly. I bet you there is some guy/girl hunkered down with a team of folks messing up a whole lot to recreate a dinosaur. I’m sure they started small and found some success. Now, it’s how can be get this T-rex to stay a live long enough to warrant it successful.

S: Yeah, if they can get a sample of the DNA. Which wouldn’t work the way it did in the movie.

A: I’m sure they will grab a copy of Dino Isle or read parts of the book I have online and figure out the missing link. There were studies done with fossils. The tree sap thing was sold as a more solid possibility.

S: Right.

A: A few years from now, you and I will be having this discussion while looking over our shoulders because we are in the raptor area that happens to be near the coffee shop we get coffee.

S: You mean I’ll be living in CA?! AWESOME! Or you have to come to Virginia.

A: LoL! We wish each other luck to making it to our cars safely.

S: Clever girl!

A: LMAO! That’s actually a good scenario. But that’s basically how it is on Dino Isle. Virginia might be too cold for my Cali blood.

S: Guess so. Well, I’ve definitely got enough for a good length interview so I guess I’ll let cha go.

A: Great. have a good night.

S: Ok. Later!