Onward Golden Guard Interview: A Kickstarter Comic/RPG Tribute to Golden Age Superheroes

In the 21st century, comic books and superheroes have changed a lot. Companies are doing constant revisions of the overall history of their characters, characters are being redone and redesigned to fit the changing tastes and desires of the fanbase. Books are canceled, then revived, then canceled again, and teams/groups that at one point were the #1 sellers are shuffled under the rug or given such a makeover that there's no resemblance to the original. That's where The ONWARD GOLDEN GUARD Kickstarter from 3 Rogues Studios comes into play. This project, the brainchild of Vito Delsante, Carlos Cabalerio and Charlie McElvy, is a comic book/tabletop RPG that introduces backers to the world of The Golden Guard, a superteam from the grand Golden Age of the 1940s. All three of these fellows are accomplished members of the comic book/RPG community, so a collaboration of this magnitude will have a fantastic end result. And now to tell you about the project and The Golden Guard itself in their own words, is the three fine gentlemen who are the fathers of this superhero world. 

Carlos and Charlie: How did Vito bring you both in on the project? 

Carlos- Vito and I go back to meeting at SDCC (San Diego Comic Con) back in 2006. Through mostly my fault (ok, all my fault--I never responded back to his email), that meeting didn't lead to any collaboration. Flash forward years later and I found Vito on FB and sent him a friend request. I supported both Stray KS campaigns, cheered him on. I had just worked on a trading card set for DC and I had a chance to draw some of my favorite characters, the Golden Age JSA. I had a bit of rare down time between gigs and decided to do a little piece for myself of the JSA. At that same time, Charlie and Vito were getting the ball rolling on Golden Guard and had no artist attached to the project yet when this JSA piece of mine showed up on Vito's newsfeed. He contacted me if I had sequential work and after sharing that with Charlie, they pitched me the idea for the project and I said yes.

Charlie- Vito and I shared a mutual affection for each other's work, and we just naturally gravitated together. It's probably a longer story than that, but not particularly exciting. It's more like trying to explain how you met your lifelong friend -- you don't recall all of the really fine details, it just...happens. :) 

Questions for Carlos

Carlos: What has been the most challenging part of doing all the art for the comics and the RPG?

Carlos- Time is the biggest challenge. This project is a labor of passion, that means no payments till this book gets funded. Now, most of the work I've been doing has been character creation and the History Book pages. All this has been going on between paid work, and I've been insanely busy since late last year. I've worked my butt off to secure enough in the bank and with the funding of this book to take off the next 3-4 months to work exclusively on getting the main book completed and out to backers by October. I'm a page a day guy, so that is more than enough time for me. The History Book is there to keep the backers engaged (and informed) as I toll away on the book.

        

Follow up: Are there any panels or pages in the RPG you are especially proud of?

I honestly don't have a favorite. I think every page and every panel matter in a story. I'm really proud of the work I'm doing on this project overall. Ask me again when the whole book is done and in people's hands because there are amazing panels and pages coming up that I haven't finished yet.

Is there a character you’ve enjoyed drawing and bringing to life for the comic and RPG?

I think Eidolon and Cadmus are my 2 favorite designs and the first 2 solely created with my involvement but I really enjoy getting to come up with outfits for Americana to fit each time period she's been active in. 


Questions for Charlie

I’ve read through the WatchGuard (Charlie's own published comic book) and the characters you crafted for the issue all stand out in their own ways, but especially the characters of James, Sentinel and Garrison. Are there going to be characters in the Golden Guard RPG that you place the spotlight on in particular?

First, I'm glad a few characters stand out, and I'm always excited to find out who gravitates to whom, so thanks! Voyager (James) is technically the leader of the team, so he was a natural fit for more attention; Sentinel just happened. I didn't mean to love that guy so much, but he's a personal favorite, so I probably, subconsciously, wrote him more affectionately. As for TGG characters in the RPG works for this Kickstarter, I have my admitted passion for Cadmus, but thankfully Vito wrote the bios already. That said, who knows what scenarios I'll cook up for these guys. I also have some guest writers, so you can bet their favorite(s) will get a little spotlight writer's love.

Questions for Vito

How did the idea for the Golden Guard project come about?

It just came from a need, a desire, to create a really all encompassing history for a lot of my work. I try to make sure that everything I do has a connection. That everything fits together, everything is a piece of a larger puzzle. You have to stand back and look at the big picture really closely, but it's all there.

In the FAQ, you answer the question of that the Kickstarter will tie into the Stray Universe (a comic book universe Vito created), but HOW will it fit into the world you’ve been building over the years?

The ties are loose. As I have a contract with Action Lab, I can't be extremely overt in how the two projects fit together, but you don't have to read one to enjoy the other. Again, you have to stand back and look at the bigger picture once everything is done.

Questions for All Three Creators

What’s been your favorite part working on this project together?

Vito: Everything, really. There's a lot of back and forth, there's a lot of ideas thrown at each other and a lot of compromise. I think we all have a unique talent to spot the best idea in "the room," and it's not always the one we personally suggest. It's a tight team...the only thing we're missing currently is a colorist, but once we have one, that compromise and being open to an idea that's not yours will extend to her or him.

Carlos: The team and by that I mean Charlie and Vito. We really work well together and genuinely care for each other. Comics isn't an easy business. 96 pages and additional art for covers and the RPG is a HUGE chunk of my life. Its a big ass commitment but I have faith in these guys and dealing with them day in and day out makes this significant investment of my career worth it.

Charlie: Just that: working together! Collaboration is so rewarding when there's a natural synergy amongst the creators. I love these guys, and I love how they think and work. When I did WatchGuard, I worked 100% solo. Writing, publishing, developing, hiring freelancers, building designs, page layouts, figuring out how to get stuff done...LOTS of work went into that project, and it was entirely on my shoulders to get it done. So, just having someone to share the load would be enough, but doing so with guys you enjoy working with is its own reward!

Do each of you have a character you’re excited for backers and fans to see?

Vito: I've gone on record as saying King Jaguar and Captain Scarab are my favorites. They have a Booster Gold/Blue Beetle relationship, and just like how they bounce off of each other.

Carlos: Not a character, but the team together in action. Both in the past and in the present. That's what I'm excited for them to see.

Charlie: CADMUS!!! AMERICANA!!! CAPTAIN SCARAB!!! Honestly, I'm excited for readers to get a chance to really meet each of these characters!

After the Kickstarter is fully funded and the books come out, what is the next step for the Golden Guard?

Vito: Sleep. Then make the book.

Carlos: BOOK 2 and a that book's free weekly 48 page book...Tales of the Golden Guard. 4 page shorts featuring characters from the History Book and tackling a multitude of genres (western, war, sci fi, adventure, pulp, noir, crime, etc).

Charlie: For me, it'll probably be expanding the RPG with more characters, some new scenarios, and so forth. I'm pretty sure we'll have plenty to show off in the next couple years with TGG, well beyond this Kickstarter's goals. ONWARD GOLDEN GUARD!!



And there you have it readers! Straight from all three of The Golden Guard's creators!! This is one Kickstarter that when fully funded, will be worth the while of all its backers!! A comic book series and RPG bringing forth a new world of superheroes, each one unique and fantastic in their own right!! Click this link here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3roguesstudio/the-golden-guard-book-one-columbia-rediviva-comic  and show your support and bring The Golden Guard out of the minds of these guys and into the light!! Its a superpowered adventure you don't want to miss out on!! ONWARD GOLDEN GUARD!!!!