Studios: TAKE 10! is an interview series in which authors and artists are asked about their new series or graphic novels.
RED BEFORE BLACK is a brutal, hyperkinetic, female-led Florida crime thriller in the tradition of the 2000s era dizziness out of GrimStar author Stephanie Phillips, celebrated and popular artist Goran Sudžuka (Hellblazer, Y: The Last Man), colorist Ive Svorcina (Thor: God of Thunder, Secret Wars) and letterer Tom Napolitano (Grim, Justice League). Coming to BOOM! Studios in August 2024.
Val, a disgraced Army veteran, arrives in everyone’s favorite state: Florida. Her goal? To hunt down a notorious drug smuggler named Leo. But she soon discovers that the two have an unexpected common enemy, turning the time-honored game of cat and mouse into something much more sinister!
1. What was the biggest challenge in working on this series?
Stephanie Phillips: I think the personal elements of the story were pretty challenging. A lot of my writing is cosmic, superhero, larger than life… all ways to disconnect from reality (that’s why we love that stuff, right?). But this project is much more personal, and while there are bits of me in every book, this one might be the one that touches me the most. Literally. I write about where I grew up. I write about PTSD. About mistakes and what that guilt does to people. Oh, but it’s funny too. I promise.
2. Could you explain the title?
SP: Red before black refers to a poem about snake species. Two snakes look very similar here in Florida, but one – the coral snake – is deadly. The poem goes, “Red against black, OK, Jack. Red against yellow, that’s a killer.” It refers to the markings on the snake that help identify it in the wild.
3. What is the elevator pitch for the series?
SP: When Val tries to kill Leo and secure a place for herself in a Florida drug organization, the two women must face their enemies and their past together. The book is a crime story that uses Florida as both a setting and a character… and all of these characters are hiding something.
4. What does your writing and drawing space look like?
SP: Wherever I am right now. It’s fluid. But it’s always best when a cat is around.
5. What was your biggest inspiration for Red before black?
SP: Florida itself is an inspiration. I wanted to incorporate my experiences of the state into the book in a way I’ve never seen before. There is also a lot of inspiration from films like Blood simple, bottle rocketAnd Thelma and Louise.
6. What are you currently reading and what is on your pull list?
SP: I read again The historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I don’t usually re-read the book often, but I really love it. And I have to admit that when it comes to the type of stories I consume, I tend to prefer novels and movies. Lisa Frankenstein is a gem by the way. I just saw it last week and I have to watch it again immediately.
7. Describe your favorite way to sit down and read a comic book or graphic novel.
SP: Alone.
8. What is your favorite snack or drink while writing/drawing?
SP: The blood of my enemies. And also water.
9. Who would you cast in your dream movie or TV adaptation of the series?
SP: The most famous people we can find. What is Taylor Swift doing? Probably nothing. Let’s get her. And also Air Bud. The dog. He’s still alive because he’s immortal, and he’ll be performing alongside Taylor Swift. The show would be a hit. Not like the book… but a hit.
10. What advice would you give to the main characters? And the villains?
SP: This implies that we could easily identify a villain in the book, but I’m not sure that’s the case, so maybe my advice to all the characters would be to find out if other people see them as a villain.
RED FOR BLACK #1 is available now at your local comic book store. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers such as Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.
