A thoughtful friend bought me Scott Pilgrim vol. 3 thinking that I already owned vol. 1 and 2. I was grateful when he gave it to me, but, being the completist that I am, I also felt obligated to drop the dough on the other two books. I don't think I've ever been so happy to have backed myself into a corner.
Knowing nothing of what the books were about, I ventured into the series expecting another happy-go-lucky, slice-of-life indie book. That's exactly what I got for the first 170 pages or so. The writing was great, the relationships hilarious and dynamic, and I was entertained. Then there was an explosion of everything awesome.
Choreography. Punching. Energy. Save points.
And that's what Scott Pilgrim is all about for me. It's the most grounded, humanizing comic I've ever read, while still knocking my socks off dozens of times in each volume with it's big budget, 8-bit madness.
Bryan Lee O'Malley is the creator, writer, and artist of Scott Pilgrim and Lost at Sea. Me and Matt White managed to catch up with him on Sunday, June 22nd at HeroesCon in Charlotte. As well as indulging us in this interview, he also did a Fallen Son sketch cover drawing of Scott as Captain America for Xylon, a Secret Invasion sketch cover of a Skrull playing a Richenbaucher bass for Matt, and a Secret Invasion sketch cover of Young Neil as a Skrull for me.
Stephen Mayer: I went to Canada for the first time last summer and I discovered Tim Horton's while I was in St. John's. I ended up eating there five times in two days, so I was exstatic when I saw Knives and Young Neil were at a Tim Horton's in volume 3. What's your Tim Horton's order?
Bryan Lee O'Malley: Always when I would go there I'd order a "double-double," which is coffee with two creams and two sugars, and a sour cream glaze, which is a donut made with sour cream and glaze.
SM: So pretty much the same as Scott's order?
BLO: Yeah, pretty much. I just gave him the same thing as me. We used to eat lunch there a lot though, at least once a week.
SM: What video games have you played or have inspired you the most while working on Scott Pilgrim?
BLO: The main ones for Scott Pilgrim itself are River City Ransom and Super Dodgeball and Double Dragon and Street Fighter, games like that. The games I've actually been played while working on it are Bully, which is like a Grand Theft Auto game, but it's set in a school, and the latest Zelda game for Gameboy Advance, and Phantom Hourglass, and a lot of DS lately.
SM: For those that don't know, there's going to be a Scott Pilgrim movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Michael Cera has been cast as Scott. Since Michael is Canadian as well, does that mean it's going to be integral to the film that Scott is Canadian?
BLO: Yes. Well, not because it's Michael Cera, but the film is supposed to be the same thing. It's in Toronto and everything.
SM: As a side note, will there be Tim Horton's in the movie?
BLO: I'm not sure. That's all in the licensing and stuff. It's possible.
SM: What does Scott Pilgrim sing in the shower?
BLO: I would say probably "Eternal Flame" by the Bengals.
Matt White: What's the origin of the Richenbacker [Scott's bass]? How did he get that thing?
BLO: That was my dream guitar and I couldn't afford it, so I gave it to my character to live out my dreams. It's hard to draw, but it's worth it.
SM: Do people ever get frustrated with Scott Pilgrim because it works on the schedule of a manga digest versus a monthly schedule? How do you deal with that?
BLO: There is kind of an expectations that it'll be done as soon as possible. It just takes time. It takes a while. I'm doing it all by myself and it takes a while to write. Then I have to go to conventions and do promotion and things like that. Then there's the movie thing on the side. There's a whole kind of business that goes along with it, so it taking longer and longer every time.
SM: And volume 5 is due out in December?
BLO: Around the end of the year, yeah. Maybe early next year.
MW: Kupek. Any more music coming?
BLO: Yeah, actually I'm still finishing another thing that I'll put on my website (link) pretty soon. That's all I can say really. Nothing everyone is into my self.
MW: But it's fun to have it.
BLO: Yeah, it's a side project.
SM: Thanks so much.
BLO: Thank you guys.
[I later purchased the page pictured at the very end of the video!]
Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim series has taken the comics world by storm, selected as "Indie Comic of the Year" by both Entertainment Weekly and Wizard, and optioned as a major motion picture at Universal. O'Malley's accolades include winning the Doug Wright Ward for Best Emerging Talent and the Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Cartoonist. He has been nominated for three Harvey Awards, two Eagle Awards, and an Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist-Humor. He is married to fabulous cartoonist Hope Larson.1
1-"Bryan Lee O'Malley." Oni Press. 2008. Portland, OR. 23 June, 2008 <http://www.onipress.com/display.php?type=au&id=2>
