In the world of the Indies, there are many who want to draw and write worlds people like you and I have never seen before. Along with the colorists who love to help bring a little color into these amazing worlds that the writers put so much time into thinking up that they wanted to share. And then, there are those in the world of the Indies who want to do more then just that. Such as Peter Simeti of Alterna Comics, who is out to bring Comics back to the newsstands and magazine racks with the Alterna Newsprint. And recently, I had the chance to talk with him about that very goal of his!
1. Hi there and welcome to the Mind Meld here at IndieComiX! Now for those who might not know of you, could you tell us a bit about yourself and what it is you do in the world of comics?
My name is Peter Simeti and I am an artist, writer, letterer, and also the founder and publisher of Alterna Comics.
4. What 12 titles can we expect to see in Newsprint?Scimshaw, Trespasser, The Wicked Righteous, Mr. Crypt, Moon
Girl, and Doppelganger. And those are just the titles that are debuting this year. We’ve got more lined up for 2018.
7. As a huge fan of the original Adam Wreck story, I really hope the mini-series is a huge success to gain a sequel. How difficult has it been in getting retailers to agree to the Newsprint idea?
Retailers AND readers have been loving it. The comics that are releasing in May have all sold out at the publisher level and so far it looks like we might be on pace to do the same thing for June’s releases as well.
Yes. We’ve struck a deal with PDG which will be distributing to select newsstands, specialty stores, convenience stores, etc. across the world. It’d be great to see the comics do well in this market as well. Hopefully we’ll have some good news to report once the newsstand editions hit shelves in July.
9. The Chair is one of many titles Alterna has, and has also been adapted for a movie adaptation, how’s the response been for that since its release?
The response for the film has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s a dark and disturbing film with some really heavy themes to it, so it’s not going to be for everyone, but horror fans have loved it and we’ve been getting a lot of great reviews for it. The film’s currently touring festivals and conventions right now, with the next screenings taking place at Phoenix Comic Con and at the Triple Six Horror Fest in Manchester, England. People can visit thechairhorror.com for more information and to see a trailer.
10. Sounds absolutely fantastic! Would be nice to be able to buy a comic book on a Newsstand/Magazine rack again like in the old days. When an Alterna title ends up getting sold out, how much joy does that end up filling you with?
I’m
really happy for the creators here. These guys are all telling great stories and a sold out title means that people are looking forward to a book and enjoying a book. It’s awesome to see.
11. With the clear success of ‘The Chair’ in movie form, what Alterna title could we possibly see next on the big screen?
Right now we’re keenly focused on comics, no films slated at this time. Sorry!
12. Where do you personally hope to see the Newsprint at in terms of success within a year’s time?
If people are enjoying the comics and we’re still making them in a year’s time, then I’ll feel thrilled about it. I’ve got some reasonable expectations here. Right now I’m focusing on April Previews/June releases and making sure we’ve got everything good to go.
again, would you do so? And why?
14. And as for my final question, what advice do you have for those just starting out or looking to get into the Comics Industry?
Be prepared to put in the time and the work — and even then, it’s not a guaranteed formula for success — so make sure you’re doing this because you couldn’t picture yourself doing anything else with your life.
