This IndieCreator column goes back to its roots – uncovering emerging creators, sharing their undiscovered work with the world, and discussing what fuels their passion.

10 QUESTIONS WITH MIKE “FRICK” WEBER @ FILMSandCOMICS.com

This IndieCreator column goes back to its roots – uncovering emerging creators, sharing their undiscovered work with the world, and discussing what fuels their passion. I admire people like Mike “Frick” Weber who juggle a demanding day jobs, family commitments, and their creative vision. Even more impressive is that Mike is a video producer – meaning he has to keep his creative juices charged all day and then power them back up after the wife and kid go to bed.

Blessed coffee!

Take time, dear readers, to meet one of us – a regular guy with an overactive imagination and the drive to put his idea on the page and put it out to the world. More than a storyteller, Mike is also a bit of a marketing maverick with a “get it done” grassroots approach. And shoot, with a nickname like “Frick,” you hafta root for the guy! Away we go …

1. You've been a multi-Emmy award-winning video producer for 13 years at www.momknows.com. What made you make the leap to comics?

FRICK: I was making indy films and doing it pretty much all on my own, and it really kicked my ass. It took a ridiculous amount of time and commitment. When I got married and had a son, I realized that I loved spending time with my family. So something had to give – which was sleeping. Now I’m writing a lot more after everyone goes to bed and my films pretty much stop at the storyboard phase.

2. The Field on the Edge of the Woods is a sardonic fantasy tale of Good vs. Evil with a mysterious trinket with untold powers (in this case, the bundle). The premise is akin to "literary nonsense" tales such as Alice in Wonderland and The Hobbit – only with more cursing and hottie field nymphs. What inspired you to write this? Or were you just very, very drunk?

FRICK: Red wine does help, and it’s also good to help lower your cholesterol. Spot on, we’ve been inspired by all this stuff. I guess as I get older the whole big black and white world is turning grey . . . and I’m seeing a lot more of the absurd stuff people do in everyday life (like that jag-off who cut me off in traffic today just to move up one spot). And growing up, we’ve been inspired by all sorts of movies, books, and comics. So I guess you could say that Field on the Edge of the Woods is a creative catharsis of a guy with a midlife crisis trying to reconnect with his childhood fantasies – or wait, wasn’t that Peter Pan?!

3. How long did it take to write the story? What is your timetable for releasing the entire story?

FRICK: Hmm …I wrote the first draft as a one-act play in high school and it just kind of mulled around in my head like a stew for a long time. As a day dreamer, I guess I would add to it and revise it while I sat in traffic listening to epic soundtrack music. The full story exists as a screenplay, so there is an ending. We’re hoping to have Book 2 out by the end of the year, and then follow it up with Books 3 and 4 in 2011. We’re hoping one of the copies out there gets into the “right hands” and we get a little help to finish it sooner.

4. How did you find the artists for the series? Tell us a little bit about them.

FRICK: The Penciler, Gary Morgan, was a friend of a good friend. And we met in a bar. He was trying to impress some cute, little, blonde girl by drawing a picture of a sexy fairy and he drew this awesome picture in like 10 seconds. I was floored, and when I found out he was working as a jeweler, all I could think was “WHY THE #$%^ IS THIS AMAZING TALENT NOT DRAWING FOR A LIVING?” I hope very soon he will be, and I think once people take notice, he’ll be a very busy artist.

The Inker, Loran Skinkis, is probably one of the kindest people I know, and also amazingly talented. While Gary and I are somewhat new to comics, Loran has been producing, writing, and drawing his own indy books for a while now. He’s pretty much the backbone of the group, being a Gulf War marine must also help. We worked together for a while, and would occasionally talk about comic books at the copier or coffee machine. We put out a book together, and while it didn’t go very far, we did learn a lot, and are applying all of that to this book. Loran is also the kind of guy who could tell you all of the names of everyone who worked on Actions Comics #14, Amazing Spider-Man #69, G.I. Joe #21 and The Shadow #27. I also really hope someone sees how talented he is and hires him to draw and ink full time.

5. You've been proactive in marketing the book; for example, setting up a website and posting comical videos on YouTube where you visit the first comic shops that carry your book. How do you plan to market the book going forward?

FRICK: Thanks for noticing. Basically, I’m planning on doing anything and everything I need to and listening to everyone out there who has any ideas. “Got one? I’d love to hear it.”

Reviews, trailers, comic cons, blogs, Facebook, walking into stores to see my book on the shelf and posting comedic videos of the experience... they all contribute to getting eyeballs and building the brand. And now, you can add “interviews” to that list.

Going to comic cons is great because there is such a huge range of creators to talk to, and find out what has worked for them and what doesn’t. This last week I talked with the guys from Aspen and several small self-publishers at the Pittsburgh Comic-Con. I won’t lie . . . seems to take a lot of work, and when you slack off … the results and momentum you’ve created pretty much dries up. So you’ve got to keep crackin’ and creating fresh content. And when you’re not creating content … market, market, market yourself!

6. In Book 1 we meet a number of key characters, including GARY, WOMAN IN THE WOODS, WHITE RIDER, PILATE and the DARK NASTIES. Briefly tell us about them and why they are important to the storyline.

FRICK: “Brief” would be kind of tough as those characters are the key players and, like the first act of most stories (or opening 20 minutes of a film), we’ve just scratched the surface on them. There is a lot of story to tell, and a lot more characters to introduce (The Man in Black, Reggie, Ildeth, Dark Meter Maidens, The Dark Master, Ramses, Hair Band Nasties, The Field Sowers, Tech Support Chickens, etc.).

In Book 2 you find out a little more about what the mysterious stolen bundle is and you find out whom is behind it. Sorry, I know I didn’t really answer your question, but hey … at least it wasbrief (kind of). And a-la “ LOST” there will be flash backs for each of the main characters.

7. What's the backstory behind the feuding factions from the The Great White Wall and the bleak, dark Woods? There's a lot of taunting and chatter in their battles, almost as if an NBA game were about to break out. What inspired you to infuse the underlying sarcasm among these combatants - was it a particular film or book? Or just something that you came up with on your own?

FRICK: Well, like any great game or battle, there’s your quiet lead-by-example types and your trash talkers who are obnoxious and entertaining. We think the quiet noble gladiator is every bit as important as the big, fat loud-mouthed defensive tackle who can pump out 60 or 70 “you’re momma jokes” in a minute. What lies beyond the Great White Wall and the in the Dark Woods are analogies … go figure.

8. OK, have to ask – who gave you the nickname "Frick" and why did it stick?

FRICK: You know, I really wish I had a better answer for this and I think I might need to make one up. Swim team in high school (yeah, gross . . . I had to wear one of those little Speedos) a friend and I used to joke around a lot and we got nick-named Frick and Frack. So when I went to college, my roommate was named Mike, I’m named Mike, the guy across the hall was named Mike, my R.A was named Mike, and there was another Mike up stairs. So they asked me if I had a nick-name and that was the first one I remembered. (OK, not the first one, but the best of the names I could think of … middle school sucked so there were a few I’d rather forget.)

9. Are there any plans to use your production skills to make either an animated feature or to do some combination of live action and animation like Where the Wild Things Are?

FRICK: Hell yeah! Once this takes off (and I know it will soon), I’ve got a dozen ideas to pursue. I just finished a novelette, have 3 full-length film scripts written, 4 story outlines, and a dozen other ideas in my head. So yes, yes, yes … I just need a little more TIME and MONEY!!!

And of course, more importantly, incredibly great guys like you, Bob. You didn’t know us from a hole in the wall, and you were nice enough to email us back, check out our book, give us your 2 cents … and now this, an interview! Wow, you rock … and you have us as fans for life. THANK YOU! Bob, please make sure you hit us up for tickets when “The Field” movie premieres.

10. I will … and I’ll hit up your post-production facilities when I shoot my own micro-budget horror film*. Wrapping up, tell us how we can find out more about your works and follow the development of your series?

FRICK: Check out our website at www.filmsandcomics.com, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Google us, or visit us on Facebook. We really value what readers think and tell us, so check out our Facebook page where we’ve been posting roughs, pencils, and preview from Book 2. In fact, we’d love to hear what you thought of this interview!

SPECIAL BONUS: Send us an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and mention “IndieCreator”, and we’ll send out a free book to the first 10 readers who say “pretty please”. Thanks for reading this article and I hope you check out our book. It’s a great read, a good value at only $2.99, and you’ll be supporting the indie arts.

Thanks Frick, and may you find success at the end of your Indy Rainbow!

Bob Heske is creator of The Night Projectionist, a vampire horror series by publisher Studio 407 with film rights optioned by Myriad Pictures. Through his Heske Horror shingle, Bob self-published his critically acclaimed horror series Cold Blooded Chillers. Bob's trade paperback Bone Chiller (a "best of" CBC anthology) won a Bronze medal in the horror category at the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards. His "end times" anthology 2012: Final Prayer was released on November 13, 2009. Bob's works are available online at Amazon.com, Zaldiva.com, ComixPress, IndyPlanet, HeavyInk, SmallZone, DriveThruComics, WOWIO.com and YuDu.com (store). You can email Bob at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .