I have been a long-time comic fan (since I was 10 years old, to be exact!), and so it was with great enthusiasm when Nancy Drew made her debut into the comic world last year thanks to Papercutz’ graphic novels! But Nancy Drew isn’t the only female detective to make her big break into comics… March 2006 saw the premier issue of Paula Peril hit the comic stands. Published by Atlantis Studios, this new series features the cliffhanger adventures of a beautiful big city reporter who finds herself in the middle of every story she covers, be it ruthless gangsters or supernatural mysteries. The series is written by James Watson with art by veteran artists Seppo Makinen and Rob Ewing, with a full color cover by Franchesco. I recently had the opportunity to talk with James Watson, the author of the Paula Peril series.

THL: Share with us a bit about yourself and your experience as a comic writer.  

JW: I’ve been writing and publishing comics professionally since the early 1990s, when I created a small shop for emerging artists called Newcomers Publishing. During a four-year period, we published over 80 titles featuring the work of over 40 artists. This became Atlantis Studios in 1997, and we now focus primarily on creating custom comics for science fiction, fantasy and action-adventure licensed properties. Like everyone who writes comics for a living, I’m a lifetime fan of most genres, however, my favorites have always been detective mysteries and action-adventure.

THL: Just who is Paula Peril?

JW: Paula is a bright, attractive, and athletic young woman who was taught by her wealthy parents that she could become whatever she wanted. Rather than rely her parents wealth, however, she has determined that she wants to make it on her own. She takes a job at the Daily Gazette, taking on its most dangerous job: Investigative Reporter. Her reporting focuses on solving crimes, as well as learning the truth about supernatural mysteries. Her determination to explore mysteries is admirable, but more often than not, her snooping lands her in cliffhanger peril from evil villains who’d like nothing more than to do away with her in dozens of inventive ways.  

THL: Who or what led you to develop this series?

  JW: I grew up reading Mad Magazine, Eerie, Creepy, Savage Sword of Conan, so I’ve always appreciated what can be done in the black and white format. I think it’s under-appreciated, but certainly a style that recalls the great engravings you see in classic Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew stories, both series that I read regularly when I was young. While I was not born when they were created, other inspirations include the 40s movie serials and pulp magazines, and movie serials such as Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. These became mainstream for our generation with Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I love the cliffhanger, the sense of peril, and “how the heck are they going to get out of that?” moments in films, novels, and comics.

THL: Who is your intended audience for this series?

  JW: Paula Peril is written for general audiences, teen and above, for anyone who likes broad adventure and mystery, with equal dashes of over-the-top cliffhanger action and parody thrown in. Paula has a bit of sex appeal for the men, but is also a strong, independent character for women. In the tradition of damsel-in-distress fiction, sometimes she needs saving, but more often than not, she’s the one whose courage and determination saves the day. Ultimately, she’s the one that everyone around her depends on.

THL: What part did Nancy Drew have in the creative process for Paula Peril?

  JW: Classic Nancy Drew novels have an unconscious impact as I draft the scripts for each issue, and impact our decisions on the visual design of the series. As I mentioned before, it may not have been cool for a boy, but I grew up reading Nancy Drew, along with Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and Sherlock Holmes. I loved the diverse characters, settings, and dangers of these novels. Paula Peril follows the Nancy Drew model by introducing diverse characters, red herrings, and page-turning surprises much like a Nancy Drew novel. Visually, Seppo Makinen has done an outstanding job of replicating the style of Nancy Drew illustrations, and transforming them into a visually compelling narrative. Much of this is by design, much is just his natural talent, and his perfect “fit” as penciller for the comic!

THL: What other influences (other than Nancy Drew) can we expect to see in this series?

JW: Unlike Nancy, Paula often investigates mysteries with supernatural undertones, much in the way that ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Scooby-Doo’ adventures often uncover unexplainable powers beyond mortal comprehension. In Case of the Haunted Mansion, (Paula Peril #2), Paula must uncover the truth behind a ghost’s strange appearances. She definitely lives in a world where magical powers, sorcery, ghosts, and monsters exist and live side-by-side with mobsters, thugs, and scheming villains.

THL: Do you think the market is ready for a series being billed as "Nancy Drew meets Indiana Jones"?

JW: Judging from the sales of Issue #1, which were very strong, I think we’ve hit a niche in the market, and we’re going to expand. We are planning five more issues, all with the same, self-contained format. Expect to see more character development, more extravagant perils, and more fantastic art from Seppo, plus more work from new artist Javier Sanchez Aranda, who does our “B” story in each issue. Check out a preview of his work on “disappearing Act” online at www.atlantisstudios.net/paulaperil

THL: Can you tell us a bit about Paula's supporting cast and how big of a role they play in her adventures?

  JW: Jimmy Smith is a critical partner in Paula’s efforts. He is young, single, and handsome, but the differences between he and Paula make romantic feelings awkward. Jimmy is laid-back and working class, while Paula is professional, beautiful, and rich, which puts her completely out of his league. Of course, when Paula focuses on an investigation, she can be a little careless, which frequently gives Jimmy in the role of saving her, a role I think she appreciates after their first few adventures together.

In Issue Two, we introduce Veronica Vile, a bitter rival of Paula, who resents Paula’s good looks and success as investigative reporter. She does whatever she can to make Paula look bad, even if these efforts often backfire on her, such as in the Mystery of the Haunted Museum. In this adventure, she wants to scoop Paula so bad, she offers to spend the night in a museum haunted by a mysterious ghost, only to end up kidnapped by ruthless counterfeiters. Veronica will be an on-going important character in the series, and part of an interesting triangle between Jimmy and Paula.

THL: In writing each issue, how closely do are you working with the artist on the layouts and panels on each page? Do you have specific ideas for what you want drawn, or do you give Seppo a lot of leeway for his own interpretation of what you've written?

  JW: Seppo is one of my favorite artists, and is always a joy to work with. Since we’ve done a few issues together, we both now have a good idea of what Paula Peril should look like, and the process is flowing much better. Typically, I spend my time drafting a pretty detailed script, which I allow Seppo to interpret however he’d like. Key to each issue is the design of each “splash page”, full page illustrations that focus on the action and cliffhanger visuals. During the penciling stage, I sometimes offer edits, which he somehow turns into magic!  

THL: the first issue out, can you give us a preview or hint as to what we can expect in future issues?

JW: We’ve nearly completed pencils on Paula Peril #3: The Power of the Sewer Serpent. In this one, Paula Peril is kidnapped by mobsters, and it’s up to Jimmy and Veronica to save her from a mystical menace that has taken control of the city’s underworld! In this one, we see Jimmy’s heroic character emerge, and perhaps his true feelings for Paula (?). Penciller Javier Sanchez Aranda is back again with a tribute to serial melodramas – remember those ones with the girl tied to the train tracks? Anyway, you’ll have to wait and see. We should have that ready to preview in June or July.

THL: If sales warrant, do you see the series going beyond the initially planned six issues?

  JW: This is a series I love writing, and as they say, the “well is deep” with ideas for characters and perils. We’ll wait and see how the six issues are received. We’d love to get feedback and suggestions from any and all of our readers on how we can make the series more compelling and fun!

********* Atlantis Studios’ current plan is to produce six issues of the Paula Peril series, each one a self-contained adventure of 32 pages. Paula Peril is available to the direct market through distributors Diamond and FM International. For more information on Atlantis Studios, including a special preview of Paula Peril artwork and characters, visit Atlantis Studios. A website dedicated solely to Paula Peril, is where you can order issue 1 and pre-order issue 2.

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