NOTE: This FAQ is derived primarily from a Q&A with Robin Dale, who is the videographer and interviewer for the Creator Chronicles series. Additions to it will be made from time to time to update it. The text has been edited to conform to a Q&A FAQ format so the text can be easily searched.

Q: What is the Creator Chronicles series?

A: The Creator Chronicles is a video documentary series devoted to creators and their creations, primarily comic professionals, who have no equivalent to a Biography or Inside the Actors Studio type series like actors do, or MTV exposure for the music side of things. I originally got the idea from talking to many creators over the years at conventions. Quite often, I would get into interesting and extended conversations with them. It struck me that this would be very interesting to fans, to see their favorite creators tell their stories themselves.

Q: Why did you decide on video?

A: It seemed the most direct way, and there was virtually nothing out there for these creators on video in terms of history or profiles. I wanted to do these on video to really capture the creator’s personality. It seemed to me the best way to tell these stories is from the creator themselves. Video was the most natural way of accomplishing that. I call it "dimensionalizing" the creator. You get so much more out of it than a print interview, which is what you see most of the time.

I also wanted to make sure they were fairly long interviews, as much time as I could get. I want to be able to really get the full story on everyone, and provide a good amount of depth. The interviews make up the bulk of the profiles, so I try to get as long an interview as I can. It also allows me to get more interviews, as many of these creators are usually very busy and short on time. It's a lot easier on them to get a 1-2 hour block and do an interview than it is to get 1-2 days to do a more full-featured documentary. In some cases, we will be able to do the longer form, and already have a few lined up.

Q: How has the response been from the creators to the idea?

A: Amazing! I knew it was an interesting idea, and I would get some support, but nearly every creator I've approached about this has been very positive and agreeable to sitting down and doing these. I went from hoping to have enough interviews to do, to having to figure out how to fit them all in. Several of them have told me that they loved the idea and that preserving the creator this way, especially those from the gold and silver ages, is an important thing to do.

Q: How have the interviews been and who have you interviewed?

A: So far with the first round of interviews, we have George Pérez, Bill Sienkiewicz, Al Feldstein, Steve Scott, Nathan Massengill and Chris Moreno. Everyone was really great. The interviews went even better than I had envisioned. I try to keep things casual, easygoing, more conversational. Sort of like when you walk up to someone's table, and you just start talking and pretty soon you've talked for 15-20 minutes and covered all sorts of interesting stories about that person. I want that kind of feel for these, something a little more informal. I don't want a dry, too-polished Q&A with short answers and sound bites. I want flow, conversation, elaboration.

Let me also say that everyone I interviewed was really great, very willing to put their trust in me and go along with what I was trying to accomplish. They all came through fantastically, and it was a lot of fun. I can’t thank everyone enough for sitting down with me and making this idea a reality.

Q: How has this more "conversational style" worked out?

A: Even better than I had hoped. What amazed me the most was how everyone took to that so well, how we were able to get to that relaxed conversation almost immediately. Hearing these guys tell their stories, with all the inflections, pauses, facial expressions, all of that stuff you can’t convey in any other way than video, really brings the person to life and is captivating to watch. Part of that is my personality as well, I am usually pretty good at being able to bring that out in people. I used to do it all the time at the table, and that was one inspiration for doing these interviews. I thought if I could capture that, I might have something a bit more special than just a documentary, something a bit more personal, closer to the person that you meet informally at a show.

Q: How will these be edited and presented?

A: Being on video, they will have a documentary feel. However, since I want a less formal approach, most of the video will be of the interview with the creator, overlaid with graphics or art that is relevant to what they are talking about, along with other video footage. There will be very little music or flashy effects, so as not to detract from the creator and their story.

Some editing will be done, like if some things are discussed later in the interview but apply to something mentioned earlier, but for the most part we won’t be doing much editing for content, time or anything like that. We aren’t going to edit “toward a point” as many documentaries do. As far as I’m concerned, the interview IS the point we are wanting. We aren’t the media, or journalists, we have no editorial agenda. These are being done to showcase the creator first and foremost, and we want to make sure that they are put front and center. We are out to provide a unique perspective and give the creator a form of exposure they have never had before. We want to celebrate their career.

Eventually, once we have many interviews done, we can do more traditional documentaries, where you use numerous quotes and short segments from interviews to illustrate a point or person. These would be more produced and probably be more standard in their presentation.

Q: What other creators are you hoping to interview for future Chronicles DVD's?

A: Oh man, that is a big question. That list would be huge. Personally, I want to interview anyone and everyone. Everyone has a story to tell, and they are usually pretty interesting. But of course, there are always the "legends" you want to talk to. People like Stan Lee, Frank Miller, Neal Adams, John Byrne, Carmine Infantino, Dick Giordano, John Romita Sr and Jr, the Kubert family, the list goes on and on. I desperately wish I had come up with all this a year ago, as Will Eisner would have been incredible to get, and now it’s too late.

Every time I get an interview with guys like these, I think, well, maybe I can get a Neil Gaiman or an Alex Ross. I'd love to interview Alan Moore, but given his rep, he might find this beneath him. But I have learned quickly to not rule anyone out, so who knows? I am approaching everyone I can and trying to lock down interview times and places. We have several in the works at any given time, and hope to have a good sized library of 10-20 full-length DVD’s out by next summer (2007). We should have a good 2 or 3 ready by Christmas.

Q: What kinds of creators are you going to include in these DVD’s?

A: All kinds! Even though there is a large emphasis on comic artists, we want to cover the whole range of creators. Writers, colorists, editors, publishers, we want to represent them all. I would love to go beyond comics even, to other illustrators, authors, there is a wide variety of people who are “Creators” who you never see presented this way. Sure, Rowling (Harry Potter) will get on Larry King, but there are many, many others who never get that kind of showcase. Ever seen a full-length video interview with people like Robert Jordan, Anne McCaffrey, Raymond Feist, or David Eddings? Peter David is another good example. He does comics and novels, yet there is very little of this kind of coverage for him.

Q: How will these be made available?

A: Obviously, these are being released on DVD. We are going to go through traditional routes, the direct comic market, and Amazon, as well as bookstores, video stores, rental stores, libraries, pretty much any outlet for regular DVD’s you would find.