Cullen Bunn has very quickly established himself as a writer to be reckoned with.  From his demon-laden gangster tale The Damned to his upcoming Western The Sixth Gun (free 7-page preview right here), he has shown what a fantastic and original voice he has (and, truly, what’s needed in the comic book industry).

We had a chance to talk to Cullen about his upcoming projects, the trials of owning your own indie publisher, and what we can expect from him in the future.

SJ: What’s the earliest memory you have involving comic books?

CB: As a kid, I got most of my comic books from flea markets and yard sales. My earliest comic- related memory is sitting on the floor, surrounded by dozens of random issues. I had all these Mego action figures, and it was really exciting to see the characters in action in the comics. The first comic that managed to anchor itself in my memory was an issue of AVENGERS in which the heroes squared off against these Atlantian villains. I read the issue all by itself, completely outside of any kind of continuity. The Avengers got their asses handed to them in a major way, and I really thought they were really getting killed, like maybe this was the last issue of the book. I remember Iron Man, who was my favorite Mego toy, getting his armored chest ripped open, and I was horrified.

SJ: Saint James is a small press publisher that started last year. In 1999 you formed your own small press publishing company. What made you start you own? What challenges did you face as a small press publisher?

CB: From an early age, I had an interest in publishing. When I was really young, like pre-Kindergarten, I illustrated and published a picture book called (I think) “Attack of the Monsters.” I don’t remember much about it, but it featured Godzilla, King Kong, Mothra, and others attacking New York City. I also remember that the U.S. Army defeated Godzilla by flying over him in a helicopter and dropping a sword on his head.

Years later, I wrote and illustrated a comic book series (“The X-Laser Knights”) that I printed and distributed to my fifth grade classmates. It ran for eight or nine issues.

Then, a few years later, I tried my hand at comics again, starting Hero Comics, including “Fat Man” and “Captain Cosmo.” I even set up at local comic shows to peddle those books. I still have the first issues of each of those, and as awful as they are I’ll probably put them on my blog at some point.

Flash forward many years, and you’d find me trying to get involved in the community of horror writers. I loved many of the ‘zines that were being published, and I decided to start my own small publishing house, Undaunted Press. We published a horror magazine, WHISPERS FROM THE SHATTERED FORUM, a fantasy magazine, GLYPH, and a number of anthologies and chapbooks. I was really proud of what we put together in a relatively short period of time.

The problem with running a small press, for me at least, was that it quickly consumed all my time, and I was unable to work on my own writing. That’s why I had to close up shop, although I may revisit Undaunted Press again one day.

SJ: I just read the first trade of your horror noir comic book, THE DAMNED. How did this come about? How did you hook up with the amazing artist, Brian Hurtt and how did you get it published with Oni Press?

CB: Brian and I have known each other for many years. We actually met while we were both working at a comic book shop. We were always pitching ideas back and forth, and we even sent a few in to publishers (to no avail). As the years went on, Brian started working with Oni Press, and we started talking about putting something new together for them. We knew we wanted to do some sort of period piece, and we knew we wanted it to be loaded with monsters. From there, The Damned was born.

SJ: The first story arc of THE DAMNED is out in trade, the second story arc has been released as a mini-series. When will that trade be available and what are you plans for the third story arc?

CB: The third arc of the series will be titled “Daughter’s Danse,” and, if we have our way, it will be released late in 2010. Like the second arc (“Prodigal Sons”) it will be a three-issue series. In terms of tone, it will be our darkest story yet. It will also answer a lot of questions and set up some major events to come. Once that arc is complete, “Prodigal Sons” and “Daughter’s Danse” will be collected together in the second trade.

SJ: If THE DAMNED was a movie, who would play Eddie?

CB: I thought long and hard about this, and the only person who could do the character justice is me. Too bad I’m not willing to ruin my boyish good looks with all those scars.

SJ: Your next project with Brian is called THE SIXTH GUN and an issue will be released on Free Comic Book Day. Can you tell us a little more about this project and what we can expect from it?

CB: THE SIXTH GUN is an epic dark fantasy set in the Old West. The basic premise is that during the Civil War, a group of evil men came into possession of six pistols of terrible power. The most powerful of the guns was lost at the close of the war, and it resurfaces years later in the hands of an innocent young woman. Of course, the forces of evil are hell-bent on retrieving the weapon. The story is a lot more action-packed than, say, THE DAMNED. It’s full of ghosts and evil wizards and shoot outs and, of course, magical guns.

Oni has posted a 7-page preview of the first issue at http://onipress.com/preview.php?bid=417&pid=213

SJ: Tell us a little about RAZE, the project you’re working on for Evil Eye Books.

CB: RAZE is an upcoming cross-platform project I’m working on with co-writer Shawn Lee. The series will include webcomics, graphic novels, and prose novellas. It’s a fantasy series that follows the adventures of Siris and Kast, a pair that definitely can’t be considered heroic. Their world is grinding slowly to a dark and brutal end, and they’re trying to figure out a way to cash in before it’s all over. It’s a violent, grim story, and these characters are like engines of change and discord. The first story, “Pursuit,” will be released as a web comic, illustrated by Jeff Wamester. The first novella is titled MOTHER, MAIDEN, CRONE.

SJ: Saint James is an independent comic book company publishing our own titles. What do indie and small press publishers need to do to survive in the industry?

CB: Aside from offering a quality product, I think it’s really important for a publishing company to have its own brand, a style on which they can hang their hat and something the reader can expect when they pick up one of the publisher’s books.

SJ: With the digitization of comic books becoming the newest trend, allowing users to download content on devices ranging from iPhones to the Sony PSP, how do you think this will effect the comic industry going forward?

CB: I think you’ll see more creative teams releasing short stories and serialized work online to try to build some buzz and get the attention of readers and publishers. An aspiring writer and artist might not be able to put together a 125-page OGN in a short period of time, but if they want their work to be seen, they might be able to release a page or two online every week to build a readership.

We’ve already seen many publishers delving into digital content, and that’s only going to continue. As the tastes of the readership change, the publishers have to keep up.

Yes, a lot of people would say they want to hold a hardcopy of a comic in their hands, but that’s an issue of medium instead of content. I used to hear the same arguments when it came to floppies versus trade paperbacks, and we all know how popular trades are now.

SJ: What artists would you love to work with?

CB: I’ve been really spoiled when it comes to the artists I’ve worked with. They’ve all been amazing collaborators. A few artists that I would love to work with in the future include Chris Samnee, Shawn Crystal, Jason Latour, and Francesco Francavilla, just to name a few.

SJ: If you weren’t working in comics, what would you be doing?

CB: Well, in addition to writing, I currently work as a marketing executive, so I guess that answers that. In my time, I’ve wanted to be a DEA agent, hypnotist, SFX makeup artist, and pilot. For a while, I wanted to drive around the country in a Winnebago and right wrongs, but some dreams just aren’t meant to be.

SJ: What’s the best part about working in comics?

CB: As a writer, it’s absolutely awesome to see a great artist bring my work to life. Hands down, that’s the best thing about comics. The collaborative nature of it, though, is a close second.

SJ: What advice can you give to those trying to break into the industry?

CB: Work on creating something every day. Read a lot, and not just comics. And, most importantly, try to meet people, whether you’re talking collaborators or publishers or potential fans. I really think it’s vital to network at conventions. If you can’t make it to any shows, get involved online in forums, Facebook, and Twitter. Comment on your favorite writer’s blog. Keep in mind, you shouldn’t sign up for a Twitter account and proceed to beg people for work. That’s not how you make friends. Just be yourself, join the conversation, and let relationships grow organically. That’s how you network.

SJ: What are you reading right now?

CB: My favorite comic right now is SCALPED, and I’m also really digging FABLES. When it comes to fiction, I recently read Mike Oliveri’s THE PACK, which was a lot of fun. I just finished Dan Simmons’ DROOD, which was great, too. I’ve been reading a lot of other novels as inspiration for a top-secret project I’ve been toying with. I also read a lot of motivational and productivity-focused non-fiction. I’m currently reading MAKE TODAY COUNT by John Maxwell.

SJ: What does the future hold for Cullen Bunn?

CB: I’m keeping busy. First up is THE TOOTH, a horror/hero comic in the vein of the Marvel horror heroes of the 70s. It’s co-written with Shawn Lee and illustrated by Matt Kindt. 2010 will also see the release of a Young Adult horror novel titled CROOKED HILLS. Later, a new mini-series (as yet unannounced) should hit the stands. I can’t say much about it, but it’s a balls-to-the-wall horror story, and I’m really excited to hear what people think of it. I’m also working on a number of projects that I can’t mention just yet, and I’m busily pitching new ideas.

Make sure to check out Cullen’s website here, and you can follow him on Twitter here.

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website