Made Of Stone - An Interview with Writer/Artist Extraordinaire, David Bishop!
Welcome back to another episode of RPC Capes, where we have the privilege of speaking with prolific webcomic and indie comic creator, David Bishop, about his awesome book Of Stone. Bishop has worked on many webcomics like the zombie horror story Stranger, Source Point Press’ Morte, and the upcoming Crude. His portfolio can be found at Renerd.com, and he’s been featured in many newspaper articles and interviews. Bishop’s a very fun person to speak with and supremely humble. I had a great time chatting with him about Of Stone, his past work, and where his career in comics is going from here! Check out our conversation by pressing the play button, and don’t forget to follow our podcast on Spotify!
The story in Of Stone, which was the focus of our discussion, finds its central character in the massive humanoid Gan, king of the people of stone. He sets out to defend his land from terrifying wraiths known as the Vraithunde, and faces internal strife because his family suffered a devastating loss in the past. Much of Gan’s past is shrouded in mystery, but his relationships with the book’s supporting cast serves to illuminate who he is. His wife, Phedre, is definitely not someone to be trifled with, as she proves within the tale. His manservant and advisor, Vhash, is honor-bound to Gan, though his son may have a different perspective on that score. And his friend, Rh’ees, is a huge minotaur who dwarfs even Gan himself and is prone to temper tantrums. It’s interesting to see the interplay that goes on between the cast in this book, and I haven’t even gotten to the human characters yet. I think I’ll let you discover them on your own, beyond the pic below. They’re a real treat.
Here are those human characters we mentioned.
I love the universe Bishop has created in the book, as well. While his art is great in all of his books, there’s something that really stands out in Of Stone. The textures that his detailed pencils, inks, and colors add to the scenery and characters are really gorgeous and make the world look and feel lived-in and realistic. Gan, for example, is a hulking creature with metal ringlets attached to his “flesh” and these mud-covered gauntlets (for lack of a better term) covering his forearms. We instantly know how much pain he can tolerate and how far he’s willing to go in a fight just by looking at him. Rh’ees is a massive minotaur who wields an equally imposing hammer that makes Mjolnir look like a paperweight. And Vhash is a dead ringer for Ozymandias from the old Uncanny X-Men comics (y’know, he was the dude who served Apocalypse, and who was made of stone, coincidentally).
Gan is a very peaceful dude. Plus, y’know, I chose this pic because we all want to do this to 2020.
I haven’t read Stranger or Morte just yet, but I can’t wait to check them out! In my opinion, someone at Marvel or DC should look into Bishop’s work and get him on a miniseries featuring Hulk or Swamp Thing! The man is amazingly talented, a joy to chat with, and something tells me he’s got more to say with the characters in Of Stone and his upcoming comic, Crude! I can’t wait to see where his career goes in the future!
And that wraps up another special edition of RPC Capes, featuring special guest David Bishop! Visit his Twitter page for more, and be sure to check out his website! Until next time, be safe, Renegades!
*Guys, one final note: Please check out this fundraiser to help a dear friend of our website and podcast, Kevin Smets, in his ongoing battle against cancer. Kevin is a close friend of Mike (the Captain), and a beloved member of the Movie Trivia Schmoedown family. If you can support him or spread the word in any way, please do so. Thank you. And remember: Smash Cancer!
Welcome, citizens, to another special episode of RPC Capes! Josh and Keona are joined by the co-creators and writers of Starlite, Travis Webb and Greg Smith, as we chat about their successful Kickstarter relaunch and where their cosmic superhero story is set to go in the future! We also chat about Travis’ background in the rave scene and Greg’s other comic, Junior Braves of the Apocalypse! Be prepared for a hilarious and edifying discussion as we blast off into the Starlite yet again! Hit that link for more!