Interview with Chris Yates II, Co-Creator of Marcus Walker Kingslayer Protocol
I wanted to make something heartfelt and grounded that worked in tandem with larger than life challenges. Marcus Walker Kingslayer Protocol answers the question, “How do you navigate the world as it’s crashing down around you?”
Chris Yates II, Co-Creator and Writer of Marcus Walker Kingslayer Protocol
It’s not uncommon for comic book fans to dream of creating their own Issue #1—after all, comics don’t just tell stories, but inspire others to tell theirs.
While not every idea makes it to a page, for those creators who take on the kaiju-level challenge of stress, work, and drive required to get an idea onto a page filled with art, color, and words, it’s nothing short of special.
Chris Yates II is very familiar with the comic book space. As a 90s kid, fandoms such as Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles served as the foundation of Yates’ love of stories that came from the comic book medium.
As a career professional, Yates worked for United Talent Agency, followed by Disney, and learned how to identify intellectual properties (IP) from a return on investment perspective, but also what makes a story worth experiencing.
Inspired by his own personal journey, and interests, Yates set out to tell his own story. This endeavor would prove to be a feat of its own as getting his story onto a page and ready for readers to enjoy would require three years of production, multiple negotiations and uncertainties. In other words, a giant monster of a project.
Yates’ own comic is well into production with the Kickstarter launching on March 3 and he has been busy on his press release circuit sharing the history of the anticipated blockbuster Marcus Walker Kingslayer Protocol, a family drama surrounded by a world filled with monsters versus machines.
This 48-page story set in New Honolulu City as a family battles internal drama set against the backdrop of a war between Kaijus and Kingslayer mechs. Fans of Ultraman, Big Hero 6, and Power Rangers are sure to enjoy this heartfelt action-packed story from debut writer Chris Yates II and rising star artist, Simone Ragazzoni.
To access the Kickstarter, visit: www.kickstarter.com/projects/crushyourgoals/marcus-walker-kingslayer-protocol-a-kinetic-sci-fi-comic
Seth A. Romo: Chris, it’s always great to connect with you and I’m psyched to be talking about your first very own title. So, why this particular story first?
Chris Yates II: I wanted to make something heartfelt and grounded that worked in tandem with larger than life challenges that impact the world around the characters. On the surface it would be easy to see this title as a kaiju versus comic, but Marcus Walker Kingslayer Protocol answers the question in my own way, “How do you navigate the world as it’s crashing down around you?” I hope that readers take something away from this title aside from the action and beautiful art and connect with the core characters of Marcus and Kaleb.
Readers will quickly see family is the center of this story. We all have our unique family dynamics and for me, this story helped me process my own experiences and I hope it helps others consider how they process grief and family conflict—while also having a bombastic and entertaining story with great set pieces.
How did the story come about?
Simone and I began to develop this story called Marcus Walker Kingslayer Protocol and it’s about two brothers trying to survive a world that can easily kill them. We paid homage to Gundams, Evangelians, and 90s Disney animation. There is a lot of love of Manga between Simone and myself and we wanted to celebrate the fun visual style while making it our own.
How was it balancing the human aspect in contrast to the spectacle that comes with a kaiju story?
My creative partner is Simone Ragazzoni, and while I don’t speak Italian and he doesn’t speak English, we worked well together and his artistry combined with Antonio Antro’s colors visually move the story and result in these beautiful splash pages. Simone was my first pick for artist, so I was fortunate to work with him
From the visual side, we kept in mind the balance and flow of the book and if this issue is the only one we get to make, I will be more than happy. We have a cohesive 48-page story that is fulfilling with room for more story to tell if the opportunity arises.
In addition to the story and art, what else are you hoping readers take away from Marcus Walker Kingslayer Protocol?
I hope readers see how everything from the story and art to the actual Kickstarter is intentional. It’s incredibly nerve-wrecking because now people are going to read what you’ve been working on for years and it feels like, ”Hey, here is my heart on a platter.” (Nervously laughs.)
You’ve put together quite the talent for the Kickstarter, can you tell me more about that?
The Kickstarter launches on March 3 and we wanted to be mindful of everyone’s wallets. There are several tiers with lots of add-ons such as variant covers. To get the main story, we figured $10 for a 48 page story ensured we told something comprehensive that also would ensure readers feel like they’re getting value from their support.
We wanted to put something great into the world and I’ve been fortunate to work with a number of creators from my contacts who lent their expertise and skills to this project. Sean Murphy, Rob Guillory, Siya Oum, and Kevin Keane created amazing variant covers that readers can access on Kickstarter. Ryan Clark, a Grammy nominated musician, designed the logo. The amount of talent that came to put their mark on this comic is nothing short of special.
So now that the title is ready to launch and is basically done, as someone who has gone from reader to creator, what words of encouragement would you provide?
When I was working IP analyzing for UTA and Disney, I learned that honesty was important to stories. It’s easy to see when someone is writing a comic in hopes of becoming a movie, but there’s millions of comics out and getting an idea to a comic and then from comic to being optioned and finally made into a film takes a lot of time.
There’s no shame in wanting that, but I would recommend creators be true to their story they want to tell and pursue making a comic for you—not for anyone else. Just to get here took me several years and now that I am doing a press circuit, it feels surreal. Don’t take for granted the experience of actually creating the comic—it will hit you once you realize you’re in the middle of doing it.
To support this project, be sure to visit : www.kickstarter.com/projects/crushyourgoals/marcus-walker-kingslayer-protocol-a-kinetic-sci-fi-comic
To support this project, be sure to visit : www.kickstarter.com/projects/crushyourgoals/marcus-walker-kingslayer-protocol-a-kinetic-sci-fi-comic
This interview was written by Seth Adrian Romo. All quotes were edited for clarity.