Steven Sykora 4000
Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 10:55 PM
<img src="http://www.projectfanboy.com/images/interviews/Darrenbiopic_interview.jpg" align="left" hspace="10">Darren Sanchez, writer of Foxwood Falcons - slated to become a motion picture by Tapestry Films, took some time to talk to Project Fanboy about his past, present and future works.
Steve: Darren, thank you for speaking with us today. I understand you've been in the comic book industry since 1991 when you went to work for Valiant Comics. What prompted you and Buddy Scalera to open After Hours Press?
Darren : Buddy and I were both frustrated writers. We were in the comic industry (atWizard), but not doing the job that we knew we could do, which was write. He was a webguy, and I headed the Production department. He had a cool mummy story (Necrotic) that he had just written, so we decided to go ahead and publish it ourselves. I had been doing comic production for years, so I knew we could make it look professional. We got Chris Eliopoulos on board, and the three of us cranked it out. When Necrotic came out, I decided to do a book too, and I finally wrote the story that had been in the back of my mind since I was in the Army (Celestial Alliance). That’s how we got started.
Steve: Your first creation for After Hours Press, Celestial Alliance was an idea you'd gotten in 1988 when you served in the United States Army as a helicopter pilot. Do you think your time in the military helped to mold your current endeavors
in any way?
Darren: My time in the Army seems like a lifetime ago, but it is the reason I am in theposition I am today. Years ago when I worked at Valiant, I think I got my foot in the door because Kevin Vanhook and Fred Pierce believed I could run the department, since I had management experience as an Army officer and pilot. That looks good on a resume and it opened lots of doors for me. I was flying attack helicopters one day, and about a year later I was working in the comic business; strange how that worked out. Those Valiant days still hold some of my best memories and lots of those guys have become lifelong friends.
Steve: Did you learn anything at Valiant Comics that you'd like to bring to the table at After Hours Press?
Darren: Honestly, I learned more in five years at Valiant, than I have in the eleven years since… at least about writing and producing comics. Working with some super talented pros like Joe Quesada, Bob Layton, Rags Morales, Fabian Nicieza, Jimmy Palmiotti and too many more to list, gave me an understanding of what pro art is supposed to look like and how to actually finish a project. I learned the concept of building a solid story and even building a cohesive universe. I sat in meetings as new characters were created and new titles. I saw marketing plans come together by innovative guys. Jon Hartz and Fred Pierce came up with everything from Chromium covers to Valiant Vision (a sort of 3D comic technology). Basically, I learned the business of making and promoting a comic property from concept through execution. It was an exciting time and a great place to work. I’ve applied all that I could from that to AHP and my own projects.
Steve: Who do you view as having a major influence on your work?
Darren: Comic guys who influenced my writing style would be Bob Layton, KevinVanHook, Keith Giffen (JLA), Peter David and maybe Mark Waid. That’s a really hard question because there have been so many great writers through the years. I basically like smart-ass characters and fun stories where the underdog somehow prevails. Maybe having three kids and coaching so much youth sports has taken away my gritty edge. You could also say that Jules Verne, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have had a pretty big impact in my writing as well.
Steve: Who do you think was the most fun to work with on past or present projects?
Darren: I’ve been lucky enough to have had some pretty good experiences, especially with my artists. Sean Chen, Juan Doe and Bernard Chang are all great pros and a pleasure to work with. But I’d have to say it would be down to two pencilers who had never been published before. Daniel Leister on Celestial Alliance was awesome. He has since gone on to lots of other gigs. And there is also Mathew Tow, who draws Foxwood Falcons. I’m really enjoying the way Mat interprets my plots. I’m constantly thrilled with some expression or ad-lib that he adds to the page. He gives Foxwood Falcons the exact look that I want.
Steve: Do you love what you do, or has the fanboyism worn off at all and now it's just another paycheck?
Darren: I still enjoy what I do. My ultimate dream is to be able to write from home though, both novels and comics, and move on from the 9 to 5 job at the office. But don’t get me wrong, my job at Wizard has been great, and they’ve always been good to my family and to me. But I do love creating stories and characters and putting them out there for people to read. I just wish I had more time to write and do the stuff that I love.
Steve: Tell us more about Foxwood Falcons, what is the story is about, and what sort of powers and responsibilities does a "Vault Guardian" have exactly?
Darren: The Foxwood Falcons is basically about a twelve year old boy name Robbie Wise and what he learns about his family and himself after his dad dies. There is a whole lineage of something called the Vault Guardian, which is passed down from father to son. Robbie was supposed to begin his training on his twelfth birthday, but his dad isn’t around. We get to see his Grampa come to town, after not being around for years, and Robbie has to learn from the retired and eccentric former guardian.
The vault is filled with ancient and powerful relics from history that have been collected through the ages by the Guardians. It is hidden between dimensional planes and is only accessible through a certain secret portal. Guardians begin to develop their power around the age of twelve. Those powers are teased at a little in the book, but I can tell you that they include the ability to sense the presence of enchanted artifacts, and they also possess the ability to activate and use these items, where as a normal person would only see it as a dusty relic. Sort of how King Arthur could pull the sword out of the stone, when nobody else could.
This story is about what happens when Robbie breaks the Guardian rules and attempts to use one of the artifacts in the Vault to bring his dad back from the dead.
Steve: Is there any talent that you would like to bring to After Hours Press?
Darren: As an independent publisher, bringing in high priced talent really isn’t an option. I would love to get Gary Frank, John Cassaday or Rags Morales to draw a book for me; or ask Joe Quesada or Michael Turner for a cover or something. I admire the work they do. But the truth is I’d have to get a huge discount or call in a favor to get something like that. We do have some projects in the works with some talented pros though. Kevin VanHook will be co-writing an Impossible Tales story with me, and Ryan Bodenheim has agreed to pencil a one-shot of mine as well. But that will be late ’08 at the earliest.
Steve: As a publisher, I'm sure you're always looking for new ideas and creations. Many of our readers are aspiring comic book writers and artists, how can they send you submissions of their work?
Darren: We love seeing art samples. I try to send e-mail comments about everything we receive, so the artist at least knows what we thought. Buddy Scalera and I are alwayslooking to help a new artist get their first published work. It’s been a successful formula so far. When it comes to writers, we don’t really have much as we are writers ourselves and it is all we can do to put out the variety of stuff that we do. Artists can send copies of their samples to my attention at, 151 Wells Ave. Congers, NY 10920.
<img src="http://www.projectfanboy.com/images/interviews/Levy_Panay_Abrams_interview.jpg" align="right" hspace="10">Steve: Any ideas on when the movie optioned by Tapestry films will make its debut?
Darren: I’m told there is a thing in Hollywood called ‘Production Hell.’ I’m new to the whole thing so I couldn’t possibly tell you for sure. I know that Tapestry has someexciting plans that they want to begin right away. But whether or not this book will be a movie in 2010 or not, I couldn’t tell you. I am highly optimistic though.
Steve: How much influence are you going to have over the movie casting and production?
Darren: That would depend on the contract I get with the eventual studio. I would like it to be a good experience for me, but I am not holding my breath for anything beyond a screen credit and tickets to the premiere. The screenwriter, studio and director will likely take lots of liberties that I will have to live with. I’m okay with that. This is my first option, so I’m just thrilled to have a foot in the door. I get to make all the decisions on what happens in the novels and comics though, so I can take some solace there.
Steve: Got anyone in mind that you'd love to see take on the role of Robbie Wise, orany other roles in the story?
My son is actually friends with a kid that I think would have been great. He’s Hayden Panatierre’s little brother, Jansen. He’s done some Disney Channel stuff, and is looking to break out in something. I think he’s 14 now, so he might be too old by the time this gets done, but he has that sort of look. I would love to see Bill Murray or Christopher Walken take on the role of Grampa though. And I could see Courtney Cox and David Arquette as his mom and dad. But I’ll let the studio do the casting. I’m pretty sure I won’t have much say.
Steve: Do you have any future projects that After Hours Press is currently working on?
Thanks for asking that. I have an Impossible Tales story that will come out some time towards the end of ’08 or beginning of ’09; depends on the art team. But we do have a comic called PARTS, by Buddy Scalera that will be available exclusively on our websiteand at conventions. It’s like a sit-com, we call it a “sit-comic,” about a group of people who work at an auto-parts store in Jersey. Buddy has a great knack for this kind of story and the art compliments the story really nicely. There may also be another odelOperandi story coming out soon, but we have to get the scoop from Joe Caramagna to see when that might come out.
<img src="http://www.projectfanboy.com/images/interviews/FF2_cover_loRes_interview.jpg" align="left" hspace="10">Steve: I see you're also the VP-Production at Wizard Entertainment. How long have you been with Wizard and what's it like to work there?
I’ve been with Wizard for almost 11 years. I enjoy the job, and Rockland County is beautiful. I get to be a hero at my kid’s school too, so that’s a plus. I coach little league and I’m the “Comic Book Writer.” My kids used to want to have their birthday parties here at the office. So I pitched a tent in the lobby and the kids would play pinball, basketball, foosball or ping-pong in the lobby and warehouse. Then they’d go up to the conference room and watch movies or play video games until it was time to go to sleep in the tent. They loved it. Working at Wizard isn’t all fun and games, as you can imagine. But I enjoy my job, the travel, the industry and the people… so I can’t complain.
Steve: As per your bio on the After Hours Press website, you're an avid sports fan and regularly coordinate sporting events with other comic book publishers. Got any funny stories you'd care to share? Maybe sacking Joe Quesada or smoking Geoff Johns for a touchdown?
I have two Joe Quesada sports stories, actually. One involves him playing a game of touch football with us. He showed up in his Glenn Foley, #4 Jets jersey and played the game like a madman. He hustled like crazy, and he was out of breath between every play. But that didn’t stop him, or any of us for that matter. He’s not that fast so I may have scored on him, I don’t remember. But I wouldn’t be doing him justice if I didn’t tell you he’s a pretty good athlete. I think he may have even caught a touchdown or two that day.
The other is when we had a Valiant softball team, Joe batted clean-up and played third base. He was a dead pull hitter who had good power to left and a pretty good glove. I asked him a few times since then if he ever wanted to play again, but he’s had some back issues and I hear he’s got a job that keeps him pretty busy these days. Our Valiant team was terrible by the way (despite Joe’s efforts). Artists, writers and computer guys are notoriously bad athletes for the most part. We lost to Wizard (ironically) and to DC and Marvel. I don’t think we ever actually won a game.
Some other quick bits… our company president at Valiant hit a dribbler back to the pitcher and then pulled a hammy on his sprint to first, as the lead-off batter in the game. The energetic Billy Tucci came to play football in his Army football jersey and loved it. He’s actually not bad, and almost became a regular. Gareb Shamus (all 150 pounds of him) once almost won the home-run derby at the Wizard company picnic, with his lefty swing(Gareb is a great golfer by the way). I once lost a volleyball game, with my Wizard teammates, up in Woodstock to Jim Starlin, Ron Marz and company. I still can’t believe we lost to them.
Steve: Anything you'd like to plug while we have you here?
Darren: Check out After Hours Press at the next Wizard World Convention that comes to a town near you. We’ll have Foxwood Falcons #2, PARTS, and soon… the Foxwood Falcons collected TPB. And look for the Foxwood Falcons movie sometime (hopefully) in 2010. Our website is, AHPComics.com
Steve: Thanks again for speaking with us Darren and best of luck on your future projects.
Darren: My pleasure. I look forward to hearing from you guys when the TPB comes out. Sorry for the long-winded answers. It’s the internet though… thankfully space isn’t an issue.
Steve: Darren, thank you for speaking with us today. I understand you've been in the comic book industry since 1991 when you went to work for Valiant Comics. What prompted you and Buddy Scalera to open After Hours Press?
Darren : Buddy and I were both frustrated writers. We were in the comic industry (atWizard), but not doing the job that we knew we could do, which was write. He was a webguy, and I headed the Production department. He had a cool mummy story (Necrotic) that he had just written, so we decided to go ahead and publish it ourselves. I had been doing comic production for years, so I knew we could make it look professional. We got Chris Eliopoulos on board, and the three of us cranked it out. When Necrotic came out, I decided to do a book too, and I finally wrote the story that had been in the back of my mind since I was in the Army (Celestial Alliance). That’s how we got started.
Steve: Your first creation for After Hours Press, Celestial Alliance was an idea you'd gotten in 1988 when you served in the United States Army as a helicopter pilot. Do you think your time in the military helped to mold your current endeavors
in any way?
Darren: My time in the Army seems like a lifetime ago, but it is the reason I am in theposition I am today. Years ago when I worked at Valiant, I think I got my foot in the door because Kevin Vanhook and Fred Pierce believed I could run the department, since I had management experience as an Army officer and pilot. That looks good on a resume and it opened lots of doors for me. I was flying attack helicopters one day, and about a year later I was working in the comic business; strange how that worked out. Those Valiant days still hold some of my best memories and lots of those guys have become lifelong friends.
Steve: Did you learn anything at Valiant Comics that you'd like to bring to the table at After Hours Press?
Darren: Honestly, I learned more in five years at Valiant, than I have in the eleven years since… at least about writing and producing comics. Working with some super talented pros like Joe Quesada, Bob Layton, Rags Morales, Fabian Nicieza, Jimmy Palmiotti and too many more to list, gave me an understanding of what pro art is supposed to look like and how to actually finish a project. I learned the concept of building a solid story and even building a cohesive universe. I sat in meetings as new characters were created and new titles. I saw marketing plans come together by innovative guys. Jon Hartz and Fred Pierce came up with everything from Chromium covers to Valiant Vision (a sort of 3D comic technology). Basically, I learned the business of making and promoting a comic property from concept through execution. It was an exciting time and a great place to work. I’ve applied all that I could from that to AHP and my own projects.
Steve: Who do you view as having a major influence on your work?
Darren: Comic guys who influenced my writing style would be Bob Layton, KevinVanHook, Keith Giffen (JLA), Peter David and maybe Mark Waid. That’s a really hard question because there have been so many great writers through the years. I basically like smart-ass characters and fun stories where the underdog somehow prevails. Maybe having three kids and coaching so much youth sports has taken away my gritty edge. You could also say that Jules Verne, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have had a pretty big impact in my writing as well.
Steve: Who do you think was the most fun to work with on past or present projects?
Darren: I’ve been lucky enough to have had some pretty good experiences, especially with my artists. Sean Chen, Juan Doe and Bernard Chang are all great pros and a pleasure to work with. But I’d have to say it would be down to two pencilers who had never been published before. Daniel Leister on Celestial Alliance was awesome. He has since gone on to lots of other gigs. And there is also Mathew Tow, who draws Foxwood Falcons. I’m really enjoying the way Mat interprets my plots. I’m constantly thrilled with some expression or ad-lib that he adds to the page. He gives Foxwood Falcons the exact look that I want.
Steve: Do you love what you do, or has the fanboyism worn off at all and now it's just another paycheck?
Darren: I still enjoy what I do. My ultimate dream is to be able to write from home though, both novels and comics, and move on from the 9 to 5 job at the office. But don’t get me wrong, my job at Wizard has been great, and they’ve always been good to my family and to me. But I do love creating stories and characters and putting them out there for people to read. I just wish I had more time to write and do the stuff that I love.
Steve: Tell us more about Foxwood Falcons, what is the story is about, and what sort of powers and responsibilities does a "Vault Guardian" have exactly?
Darren: The Foxwood Falcons is basically about a twelve year old boy name Robbie Wise and what he learns about his family and himself after his dad dies. There is a whole lineage of something called the Vault Guardian, which is passed down from father to son. Robbie was supposed to begin his training on his twelfth birthday, but his dad isn’t around. We get to see his Grampa come to town, after not being around for years, and Robbie has to learn from the retired and eccentric former guardian.
The vault is filled with ancient and powerful relics from history that have been collected through the ages by the Guardians. It is hidden between dimensional planes and is only accessible through a certain secret portal. Guardians begin to develop their power around the age of twelve. Those powers are teased at a little in the book, but I can tell you that they include the ability to sense the presence of enchanted artifacts, and they also possess the ability to activate and use these items, where as a normal person would only see it as a dusty relic. Sort of how King Arthur could pull the sword out of the stone, when nobody else could.
This story is about what happens when Robbie breaks the Guardian rules and attempts to use one of the artifacts in the Vault to bring his dad back from the dead.
Steve: Is there any talent that you would like to bring to After Hours Press?
Darren: As an independent publisher, bringing in high priced talent really isn’t an option. I would love to get Gary Frank, John Cassaday or Rags Morales to draw a book for me; or ask Joe Quesada or Michael Turner for a cover or something. I admire the work they do. But the truth is I’d have to get a huge discount or call in a favor to get something like that. We do have some projects in the works with some talented pros though. Kevin VanHook will be co-writing an Impossible Tales story with me, and Ryan Bodenheim has agreed to pencil a one-shot of mine as well. But that will be late ’08 at the earliest.
Steve: As a publisher, I'm sure you're always looking for new ideas and creations. Many of our readers are aspiring comic book writers and artists, how can they send you submissions of their work?
Darren: We love seeing art samples. I try to send e-mail comments about everything we receive, so the artist at least knows what we thought. Buddy Scalera and I are alwayslooking to help a new artist get their first published work. It’s been a successful formula so far. When it comes to writers, we don’t really have much as we are writers ourselves and it is all we can do to put out the variety of stuff that we do. Artists can send copies of their samples to my attention at, 151 Wells Ave. Congers, NY 10920.
<img src="http://www.projectfanboy.com/images/interviews/Levy_Panay_Abrams_interview.jpg" align="right" hspace="10">Steve: Any ideas on when the movie optioned by Tapestry films will make its debut?
Darren: I’m told there is a thing in Hollywood called ‘Production Hell.’ I’m new to the whole thing so I couldn’t possibly tell you for sure. I know that Tapestry has someexciting plans that they want to begin right away. But whether or not this book will be a movie in 2010 or not, I couldn’t tell you. I am highly optimistic though.
Steve: How much influence are you going to have over the movie casting and production?
Darren: That would depend on the contract I get with the eventual studio. I would like it to be a good experience for me, but I am not holding my breath for anything beyond a screen credit and tickets to the premiere. The screenwriter, studio and director will likely take lots of liberties that I will have to live with. I’m okay with that. This is my first option, so I’m just thrilled to have a foot in the door. I get to make all the decisions on what happens in the novels and comics though, so I can take some solace there.
Steve: Got anyone in mind that you'd love to see take on the role of Robbie Wise, orany other roles in the story?
My son is actually friends with a kid that I think would have been great. He’s Hayden Panatierre’s little brother, Jansen. He’s done some Disney Channel stuff, and is looking to break out in something. I think he’s 14 now, so he might be too old by the time this gets done, but he has that sort of look. I would love to see Bill Murray or Christopher Walken take on the role of Grampa though. And I could see Courtney Cox and David Arquette as his mom and dad. But I’ll let the studio do the casting. I’m pretty sure I won’t have much say.
Steve: Do you have any future projects that After Hours Press is currently working on?
Thanks for asking that. I have an Impossible Tales story that will come out some time towards the end of ’08 or beginning of ’09; depends on the art team. But we do have a comic called PARTS, by Buddy Scalera that will be available exclusively on our websiteand at conventions. It’s like a sit-com, we call it a “sit-comic,” about a group of people who work at an auto-parts store in Jersey. Buddy has a great knack for this kind of story and the art compliments the story really nicely. There may also be another odelOperandi story coming out soon, but we have to get the scoop from Joe Caramagna to see when that might come out.
<img src="http://www.projectfanboy.com/images/interviews/FF2_cover_loRes_interview.jpg" align="left" hspace="10">Steve: I see you're also the VP-Production at Wizard Entertainment. How long have you been with Wizard and what's it like to work there?
I’ve been with Wizard for almost 11 years. I enjoy the job, and Rockland County is beautiful. I get to be a hero at my kid’s school too, so that’s a plus. I coach little league and I’m the “Comic Book Writer.” My kids used to want to have their birthday parties here at the office. So I pitched a tent in the lobby and the kids would play pinball, basketball, foosball or ping-pong in the lobby and warehouse. Then they’d go up to the conference room and watch movies or play video games until it was time to go to sleep in the tent. They loved it. Working at Wizard isn’t all fun and games, as you can imagine. But I enjoy my job, the travel, the industry and the people… so I can’t complain.
Steve: As per your bio on the After Hours Press website, you're an avid sports fan and regularly coordinate sporting events with other comic book publishers. Got any funny stories you'd care to share? Maybe sacking Joe Quesada or smoking Geoff Johns for a touchdown?
I have two Joe Quesada sports stories, actually. One involves him playing a game of touch football with us. He showed up in his Glenn Foley, #4 Jets jersey and played the game like a madman. He hustled like crazy, and he was out of breath between every play. But that didn’t stop him, or any of us for that matter. He’s not that fast so I may have scored on him, I don’t remember. But I wouldn’t be doing him justice if I didn’t tell you he’s a pretty good athlete. I think he may have even caught a touchdown or two that day.
The other is when we had a Valiant softball team, Joe batted clean-up and played third base. He was a dead pull hitter who had good power to left and a pretty good glove. I asked him a few times since then if he ever wanted to play again, but he’s had some back issues and I hear he’s got a job that keeps him pretty busy these days. Our Valiant team was terrible by the way (despite Joe’s efforts). Artists, writers and computer guys are notoriously bad athletes for the most part. We lost to Wizard (ironically) and to DC and Marvel. I don’t think we ever actually won a game.
Some other quick bits… our company president at Valiant hit a dribbler back to the pitcher and then pulled a hammy on his sprint to first, as the lead-off batter in the game. The energetic Billy Tucci came to play football in his Army football jersey and loved it. He’s actually not bad, and almost became a regular. Gareb Shamus (all 150 pounds of him) once almost won the home-run derby at the Wizard company picnic, with his lefty swing(Gareb is a great golfer by the way). I once lost a volleyball game, with my Wizard teammates, up in Woodstock to Jim Starlin, Ron Marz and company. I still can’t believe we lost to them.
Steve: Anything you'd like to plug while we have you here?
Darren: Check out After Hours Press at the next Wizard World Convention that comes to a town near you. We’ll have Foxwood Falcons #2, PARTS, and soon… the Foxwood Falcons collected TPB. And look for the Foxwood Falcons movie sometime (hopefully) in 2010. Our website is, AHPComics.com
Steve: Thanks again for speaking with us Darren and best of luck on your future projects.
Darren: My pleasure. I look forward to hearing from you guys when the TPB comes out. Sorry for the long-winded answers. It’s the internet though… thankfully space isn’t an issue.