Mark C. Frankel is a comic book writer, you might remember that I reviewed his comic Horsemen (which I loved). In this quick Q&A he discusses what he finds difficult in the comic industry and the group of people he admires in it. Mark can be found on Twitter @PantherPitt.

How long have you been making comic books?

About two years. I’ve been a writer longer than that, but it took some time for me to find the proper medium. I started with short stories and stage plays, which are great training grounds for comics. I still write short stories but stage plays aren’t as much fun as comics, so I moved away from them.

What made you want to make comics?

I’ve always loved them! Something about a great story perfectly illustrated makes me happy. I’m pretty visual, so it’s cool to see things actually come to life. I love reading books too, they allow my imagination to run rampant, but seeing a great illustrator breath life into words is amazing.

What do you enjoy most about making comics?

Two things. One is seeing my words come to life. I’m quite literally watching my dreams come true. The second thing, and no less valuable, is having people read my work and enjoy it. I had someone buy a book from me at the Wizard World Philly Con a couple days ago. He stopped back to see me the very next day to tell me how much he liked it. It’s hard to find something more rewarding than that!

What’s the hardest part of making comics?

I also have two answers for this one. First off, rejection sucks. You simply have to have a thick skin and believe in the product though, because doubts will creep in. You want everyone to like your stuff, but let’s face it, even people doing this for decades don’t make everyone happy. I’ve had to learn to not let criticism and indifference bother me.

The second thing is that comics take time to do correctly and are a lot of work. The process is a marathon, not a sprint. We live in an instant gratification world, so this is often tough to keep in mind. I can write something, but then it needs to go to a penciler, an inker, a colorist and finally a letterer before it is complete. As a writer/creator, it is my job to work with them through the whole process to make sure it comes through correctly. I’ve been pretty lucky so far and found some talented folks to work with me. Having people who are excited and engaged in the work is important because when they are they often take the extra time to add their spin on things, which I appreciate. It may be my vision, but I need to listen to the experts who are doing the work too. Good ideas often come from those interactions.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I’m always observing, listening and reading. It is important to feed your brain or it atrophies. Much of my material comes from my observations of how the world works. Not everything comes from personal experience, but you never know when an idea will strike. I have a pretty active imagination too, ever since I was a little kid I’ve played scenarios out in my mind. I guess it was only natural to start writing them down. I’m also lucky that the job that pays the bills right now involves lots of human interaction. I believe you need to jump in the water to understand the ocean, not just sit in the sand and watch the tides role in.

What was your first comic book?

I don’t remember exactly which one, but it was almost certainly a Spiderman. He always felt more real to me than the perfect superheroes that just couldn’t be hurt. Like real people, he screws up, hurts people, gets hurt, and has people who don’t understand and dislike him. That resonates with me. To this day my wife makes fun of me because, in her words “I try to do good and I do bad (read: evil).” She says it jokingly, but sadly it has some truth to it.

Is there anyone that you admire in the comic book industry?

Now that I know how hard it is do do this and how much time and money I shell out to create my vision, I really respect all the independent creators who have been doing this for years. If I had to pick one person though, I’d probably say Stan Lee for everything that he has contributed to the medium. I don’t think I would be doing this without guys like him to have already paved the way. In fact, I don’t think anyone else would either.

What’s your favourite comic book right now?

Sorry, I can’t possibly pick just one. There is a lot of great stuff out right now, it is like a comic book renaissance. For the big guys, I’ve enjoyed what DC has done with Batman. On the larger independent side, I dig Chew a lot. I wish I had that idea! Probably one of the more unique books out there. Also, I encourage people to check out The Red Ten by Comixtribe. Great take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Of course there are tons of others that I’ve been reading, but those are three that come to mind right now.