In an exclusive interview with Villain Media, artist Vincenzo Federici talks about the supernatural and the family drama within the Going Green comic. Along with co-creators/writers, Sean Reliford and Scott Duvall dive into the twisted world of biological horror.
The Plot: “The story begins in the Pacific Northwest after the Dunn children suffer the tragic loss of their father. Instead of burying him, they go the route of an affordable new method of laying your loved ones to rest called Going Green, which composts the remains into soil as a greener alternative. Shortly after, their lives of the Dunn kids, Cliff and Molly, begin to change dramatically as their formerly deceased dad is reincarnated as a plant-hybrid creature.”
Ahead of the comic’s launch date – November 8th – on Zoop, Vincenzo Federici opens up about how the character designs came about, balancing the themes, and diving into the realm of horror. Joins us as we head into the artist’s room and discuss the craft of drawing.
Villain Media: Tell me how you became involved with GOING GREEN.
Vincenzo Federici: Scott and I worked together on the Dynamite/IDW crossover series Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep and the experience was so amazing that we decided to work together again on something horror.
VM: Tell me about finding the emotional core between Cliff and Molly in your illustrations.
VF: I have many sisters, and one of them is younger than me. We grew up together and have, more or less, the same age difference between the two characters. So, you know, it was easy!
VM: Tell me about creating the different looks of the kids (Molly has a unicorn hat) and teens (who wear white thermals and caps).
VF: I took inspiration from tv shows and movies. I tried to create an honest look for them, but being from Italy, we have a different fashion for teenagers here. Not too much of course, but stil..
VM: Tell me about creating the look of The Hybrids.
VF: It was easy because I love to draw monsters and creatures. This was one of the main reasons Scott wanted me on this. I just had to decide which level of brutality and monstrosity I wanted to use, then it’s game over!
VM: Tell me about the challenges of drawing the family drama and the scary moments.
VF: Scary moments are not a huge problem, even if I try to be REALLY scary every time, so I need to find the right way to show this feeling in panels. Family drama is more difficult for me, the feelings have many shades. As a father and a husband, I really feel the sadness and the other feelings deeply.
VM: Tell me how GOING GREEN changed you as an artist?
VF: The most correct thing to say is that working with Scott changed me as an artist. He is a really passionate writer and a totally reliable professional, so I tried to maintain the same approach and improve my skills and approaches.
VM: What are you working on now?
VF: Currently I’m the main artist on the TMNT ongoing series for IDW Publishing and doing covers for various publishers, such as Skybound.
Readers can find out more about Going Green on Zoop.