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Soldier Or Psycho In Brian Wood’s Briggs Land

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by Vince Brusio

What horrors does a veteran see overseas? Could you relate to sleepless nights, bloody fights, or a loss of hope when a senator says those unable to navigate the country’s education system “get stuck in Iraq”? Would you still feel the same if your service was in Afghanistan instead of Iraq? That is a question that you could ask Isaac Briggs in Briggs Land: Lone Wolves #1 (APR170012). If Isaac would talk to you, that is. We, instead, talked to the creative team behind Isaac’s plight. In this PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview with Brian Wood and Mack Chater, we get inside the heart of this latest chapter in the Briggs Land saga for Dark Horse Comics.

Briggs Land: Lone Wolves #1 (APR170012) is in comic shops June 14.

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Vince Brusio: As this is the next story arc to be published on the heels of the first Briggs Land mini-series — and we always try to keep people up to speed on fresh properties — how would you best summarize the concept of Briggs Land for readers that are new to the book? What is the meat and potatoes of who does what, and why?

Brian Wood: Briggs Land is a crime drama set on an American secessionist compound. The Briggs family owns and runs this big chunk of private land, and they consider themselves outside the jurisdiction of the United States. This was originally a purist endeavor, a real “back to the land” movement, but in the age of religious extremism, ultranationalism, and domestic terror, the Land’s become host to some bad elements. Grace Briggs, the matriarch, is on a mission to purge the Land — and her family — of this toxic influence.

At the same time, federal law enforcement is opening up an investigation into the Land since Grace’s husband, currently behind bars, is expressing an interest in selling out the family in exchange for his own freedom.

So, obviously, a very topical book in a lot of ways. The crime-drama aspect is very Sopranos-esque, as it has a large family at its core with plenty of infighting.

Vince Brusio: Time magazine recently published a cover asking if truth was dead. Is that the mindset of Isaac Briggs when he returns from Afghanistan? Did he return from a war to find that it didn’t matter? How do both of you — writer and artist — approach the psychology of Isaac, and how did you try to show it in your words and images?

Brian Wood: Isaac, probably more than anyone else, has evolved a lot in the short time the series has been around. He was originally conceived as a shy loner type, in the shadows of his older brothers. He came back from the war a hesitant, probably PTSD-afflicted guy. But almost immediately I recognized a lot of wasted potential. And I’ve gradually shifted his character to better mirror the Isaac Briggs in the TV-show version. Which is, without giving anything away, much more of Grace’s right-hand man.

Another aspect to Isaac is that he is the only Briggs to have lived off the Land. That affords him a pretty unique perspective — he’s immune to whatever “us vs. the world” brainwashing might exist on the Land, but at the same time, it’s kept him isolated from the corruption and extremism that exist there. For Grace, having someone with a true ability to see the big picture is valuable.

Mack Chater: Because the comic page is inherently static, it’s tougher to show the world-weary image I have of Isaac through the visuals. But the way I try to approach Isaac is to make him seem more focused. His actions, movements, and reactions should be more controlled and low key. That is something I’m always working on — the acting.

Vince Brusio: Besides Isaac, who are the other supporting characters in this story? Do we see more bystanders or active participants? We have to ask this question because — given the sample page in the April issue of PREVIEWS — we see intense media coverage outside the perimeter of Briggs Land.

Brian Wood: Briggs Land has a large cast for sure, and it’s generally more than enough to keep me on my toes. However, we do introduce a couple of new people in this arc, as well as bring some background folk to the front.

Sam Sinclair is the family lawyer, and what that means in practice is he’s a sort of fixer, their man on the outside who can facilitate whatever needs doing, from legal work to sketchy money transfers and beyond. Gabrielle Price is a border agent assigned to the northern edge of Briggs Land where it abuts the Canadian border. She’s way more like Isaac Briggs than either cares to admit, and we’re setting her up as a long-term adversary.

For the most part, events in the stories have been contained to the Land, or to outside people affiliated with the Briggs family. In this case, they literally make the evening news, and that will affect the events of the series going forward.

Vince Brusio: Mack, what are your models for the scenery and topography in this book? We’re told Briggs Land is roughly “a hundred square miles of rural wilderness.” How are your graphics rendered? What acts as your camera eye?

Mack Chater: Coming from the northeast of England, I don’t have immediate access to the upstate New York settings of the book — but Brian has been fantastic in supplying images that I can use, as well as pointing me in the direction of locations that are similar to those mentioned in the book. The same goes for the weapons and vehicles: all specific to the areas and the story, so being accurate in the rendering is another challenge I enjoy.

As for how I work, it’s all old school — pens, brushes, and inks rendered on paper. I try to use some of the techniques I’ve picked up from illustrating to help define the panels and the scenery. I’m always striving for authenticity with the pages — this isn’t an over-the-top, action-packed superhero book. All the tropes we normally associate with those books are avoided in Briggs Land. It has to be more subtle. A tilt of the camera here, a close-up shot there.

I’d say I’m more influenced by seventies movies (John Cassavetes, etc.) and modern TV shows in the way I try to pace the pages. It has to feel “real.”

Vince Brusio: Given the timing for this book’s release, will either of you be attending any shows during con season this year? Will either of you be making any announcements on social media as to what appearances you might make to support this book?

Brian Wood: My plans will always be announced on my Twitter feed, which is @brianwood. Right now, the bulk of my travel this year will be TV show related, but I usually manage a couple of conventions each year.

Mack Chater: I’m pretty busy working on this series now, but if I could, I’d love to get to NYCC — then I could speak to Brian in person!




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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.

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