Greg Pak Goes East In The New Kingsway West

by Vince Brusio

The Totally Awesome Hulk is something that you’ll usually find Greg Pak talking about at comic conventions. He knows there’s a lot of excitement for the title … but that’s not to say he doesn’t match that excitement for his own creator-owned project, which is now collected in the Kingsway West TP (NOV160057) from Dark Horse Comics. It’s a new kind of western adventure, which you would immediately gather once you look at the book’s cover and notice the dragon perched on the cowboy’s shoulder. It’s something that Greg Pak was more than happy to talk about with us when we caught up to him at this year’s Baltimore Comic Con, and in this PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview Pak explains the book’s launch is testament to how when you have an idea, and you believe in it, don’t let it go: hold onto it. And see it through to the end.

Kingsway West TP (NOV160057) is in comic shops May 31.

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Vince Brusio: A woman with a red-gold sword and a dragon chillin’ on a cowboy’s shoulder makes us think this isn’t something that’s on a par with the Two-Gun Kid or The Lone Ranger, correct?

Greg Pak: Yeah, Kingsway West is about a Chinese gunslinger searching for his wife in an old West overrun with a magic book.

Vince Brusio: Definitely not the Lone Ranger.

Greg Pak: Nope. But I’ve got a bunch of ‘em here at the show, and they’re doing great! It’s gotten tremendous reviews, and I did a little mini-signing tour on the East Coast. It’s just been a blast, and I’ve kind of been overwhelmed. It’s a Dark Horse book, and they’ve treated me very well over there. Miroko Colak is doing the art, and Wil Quintana is coloring. Some of my favorite people to work with. And it’s just been awesome.

Vince Brusio: What’s the genesis of the story?

Greg Pak: Well, I grew up in Texas, so I always loved westerns. And I’m Asian American: I’m Korean and White. So when I found out about the actual history of the Chinese in the old west, my head popped off. So then I was, like, “Oh. Wait. There are all these westerns that I love, and there’s an actual history of Asian people in the old west.”

So over a couple of decades I’ve had this idea of doing a story with a Chinese gunslinger in the old west. I wrote three different screenplays, using a character that was like that. And I just kept thinking about it, and thinking about it, and I eventually started working on comics, and now….well, now this book’s finally here.

Vince Brusio: Never let it go, did you?

Greg Pak: Nope. And I’m glad I didn’t, ‘cause it’s doing great! So check it out!

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Vince Brusio writes about comics, and writes comics. He is the long-serving Editor of PREVIEWSworld.com, the creator of PUSSYCATS, and encourages everyone to keep the faith...and keep reading comics.