AMA with Rippaverse's Chuck Dixon On 12/11 @ 1pm EST

[alexj-12]

Another AMA coming soon! Next up is Chuck Dixon, writer at Rippaverse!

Chuck Dixon is one of the most prolific comic book writers of our time and has worked on some of the most iconic characters in the pantheon of American comics. His creative presence has a ripple effect to augment and bolster the writers around him, and he, paired with superstar artist Joe Bennett, has proven time and again to be a truly dynamic duo force of creation within our comic book universe. Bearing the responsibility of being the caretaker of Alphacore, Chuck has also brought forth original creations Horseman and Zalen to the Rippaverse world, making him a foundational contributor to the building of the Rippaverse universe.

We are so excited and honored to be able to have Chuck Dixon here for this AMA. Bring your questions about anything and everything and leave them below!

 

[NovaHollow]

What’s the biggest creative challenge you’ve faced while shaping Alphacore and how did you work through it?

 

[NovaHollow]

You’ve created so many original characters across your career, what makes a new character “stick” for you in the Rippaverse?

 

[EmberVine]

What advice would you give younger writers entering a new shared universe for the first time?

 

[Mr0303]

What is the process of keeping continuity in check at the Rippaverse? Is Chuck consulted when his characters are used like in Chasing Ghosts?

 

[Billy]

Mine is a little general. I would love his opinion on the lack of investment in comic books despite the increased popularity of comic-based media and where he sees Rippaverse in 10 years.

 

[CaffeinatedWolfe]

Thanks so much for taking the time out of our schedule to be a part of this, sir!

Hector Caballero, aka the Horseman, is by far one of the Rippaverse's most popular characters. He clearly fits right into the archetype that you've so famously knocked out of the park at other publishers while remaining his own thing. When crafting Horseman with Joe Bennett, how did you go about deciding which elements to take inspiration from and lean into, and which to set aside as not helpful for the purposes of the character you were creating? How do you balance fan expectations with your own creativity regarding a character archetype that is so well-known and that you're already so well-known for, without retreading your own old ground?

If you could have any artist do a variant cover for a future Horseman release, who would it be?

 

[Joshua Ignatowski]

Hi Chuck! Thanks so much for doing this!

Since the Rippaverse crew has gained many new members (yourself included) since their first Meet The Team videos were created two years ago, there are now a bunch of new members (yourself included) that haven't gone through all the Meet The Team Questions. This brings me to two of the questions from the list:

1.) Which Comics character stands the test of time?

2.) What do you do when you are off the clock?

And with those two Meet The Team questions now asked, I have a third inquiry of a separate category:

3.) Psych question: Shawn or Gus? Henry or Lassiter?

 

[RustedComet]

Has fan feedback ever directly influenced how you shaped a character or arc?

 

[MothTheory]

Is there a character pairing or dynamic you think fans aren’t paying enough attention to yet?

 

[BlackBoxPilot]

How do you keep long-term continuity straight while still allowing yourself creative freedom?

 

[Chuck Dixon]

What’s the biggest creative challenge you’ve faced while shaping Alphacore and how did you work through it?

Trying to fit into a universe still in development. When am I adding to the mix and when am i stepping on already established continuity.

 

[Chuck Dixon]

How do you keep long-term continuity straight while still allowing yourself creative freedom?

These universes are huge generally. Look at something like Gi joe. the sheer depth of it allowed a lot of creative freedom. So much to explore!

 

[Chuck Dixon]

Has fan feedback ever directly influenced how you shaped a character or arc?

I tend to look at sales rather than comments. They're my main indicator that I'm doing something right. Or wrong. Though a die hard fan myself, I write more for the casual reader and react to trends. But mostly, I jus write what I want. And hope it clicks!

 

[Chuck Dixon]

Hi Chuck! Thanks so much for doing this!

Since the Rippaverse crew has gained many new members (yourself included) since their first Meet The Team videos were created two years ago, there are now a bunch of new members (yourself included) that haven't gone through all the Meet The Team Questions. This brings me to two of the questions from the list:

1.) Which Comics character stands the test of time?

2.) What do you do when you are off the clock?

And with those two Meet The Team questions now asked, I have a third inquiry of a separate category:

3.) Psych question: Shawn or Gus? Henry or Lassiter?

1. Batman

 

[Chuck Dixon]

Thanks so much for taking the time out of our schedule to be a part of this, sir!

Hector Caballero, aka the Horseman, is by far one of the Rippaverse's most popular characters. He clearly fits right into the archetype that you've so famously knocked out of the park at other publishers while remaining his own thing. When crafting Horseman with Joe Bennett, how did you go about deciding which elements to take inspiration from and lean into, and which to set aside as not helpful for the purposes of the character you were creating? How do you balance fan expectations with your own creativity regarding a character archetype that is so well-known and that you're already so well-known for, without retreading your own old ground?

If you could have any artist do a variant cover for a future Horseman release, who would it be?

I'd love to see my buddy Graham do one.

And Joe and I wanted to create a ground-based, blue collar version of the masked vigilante. And i think giving him an existing family lends a lot to the guy's personality and motives.

 

[Chuck Dixon]

Mine is a little general. I would love his opinion on the lack of investment in comic books despite the increased popularity of comic-based media and where he sees Rippaverse in 10 years.

I see Rippa in the mainstream. i see them moving from crowdfunding (or pre-orders as we call it) to straight retail. Also, more of a presecne in ancillary media like movies and games.

 

[Chuck Dixon]

What is the process of keeping continuity in check at the Rippaverse? Is Chuck consulted when his characters are used like in Chasing Ghosts?

We all play nice.

 

[Chuck Dixon]

What advice would you give younger writers entering a new shared universe for the first time?

Don't try to break what's come before.

 

[Chuck Dixon]

Is there a character pairing or dynamic you think fans aren’t paying enough attention to yet?

Not sure what you're asking here?