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 Seppo Makinen, the artist of the Paula Peril series.

THL: Tell us a little bit about your career as an artist.

SM: I was always interested in storytelling using pictures. Before working in comics, I did airbrush art, Car hoods, and motorcycle tanks, and that type of thing. I started doing comics in 1985, and have since worked for projects for Marvel and DC as well as projects for smaller publishers such as Caliber and Moonstone. My most well-known project is the Sherlock Holmes comic series published by Caliber in the mid-1990s.

THL: How did you get involved with drawing the Paula Peril series?

SM: In May of 1997, I was contacted by James Watson to pencil the first Paula Peril comic. The project remained in “unpublished limbo” for many years until it was resurrected in its current format for publication by Atlantis Studios. I’m very pleased with the final result – it’s a fun series to work on!

THL: Were you involved at all in the creative process? If not, then what was your first reaction to the series concept?

SM: From the very start, I thought it was a great script and series concept. As we began pencils, James and I worked closely together to develop the character’s appearance, especially Paula and Jimmy. I typically propose some concepts and he approves. Most recently, for Issue Two, we fleshed out the character of Veronica, who will be a major rival for Paula. Her appearance is based on the look of 40s actress Veronica Lake, who was very sultry, glamorous, totally unapproachable.  

THL: As you draw Paula, what characteristics are you hoping to get across to the reader? I.E., do you want readers to see her as a “sexy detective” or as an “innocent, but determined journalist” or such…  

SM: Paula is ultimately a smart and athletic female. Our visual model is the actress Jennifer Connelly as she was in the 1990s. Paula is the All-American girl, pretty, wholesome, and full of personal drive. She is not naďve, but she is determined to make a difference through a courageous reporting of the truth.

THL: I've noticed that some of the panels seem to be similar to the type of scenes used for internal illustrations in the Nancy Drew series – is that just coincidence or planned?

SM: That’s just coincidence. Typically, we build our panels following the story-telling needs of the script, not by referring to illustrations by other artists.

THL: On the other hand, some scenes clearly have an element of pulp-style tradition in the way the panel is done – how do you think that adds to the telling of the story with pictures?

SM: We are purposely trying for an older type of layout on this series, to give it the look of old Detective series popular in the 50s and 60s. There is definitely something retro about the comic’s look, however, the frequent use of splash pages allows us to open up each story, making them fresh and visual for the modern reader.  

THL: If Paula Peril extends beyond the initial 6-issue run, would you like to stick with it, or move on?

SM: We are certainly interested in watching sales to see where this goes, but for the moment we’re focusing on the production of the series as is. I’m currently working on Issue #3, a storyline that I think has a lot of surprises for those who liked the first two issues. Certainly the fans can tell us if they want more!

THL: Did you read Nancy Drew (or other children’s series) when you were growing up?

SM: I was much more of a comics reader. My favorites were Flash Gordon, Tarzan, Batman, Superman, The Spirit, Prince Valiant, Buz Sawyer, Steve Canyon, Juliet Jones. In my mind, these are the classic comics!

THL: Just for fun, if you were given carte blanche to create a “cover” for a Nancy Drew book, how would you imagine it?

SM: I’d probably draw it as a mix between Sherlock Holmes and Paula Peril . I’d want to create suspense, mixed with a little sex appeal.  

THL: How do you think series such as Nancy Drew (or even Paula Peril ) and other children’s mystery series inspire or influence the readers (including yourself)?

SM: I think that Paula could be an excellent role model for anybody. She’s someone who helps others, who doesn’t give up, who is determined to find the truth, in spite of all obstacles. We could all use a little of her spirit to face our everyday problems!

********* 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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