Who: Matt Kindt

Claim To Fame: Matt Kindt is the New York Times Best-Selling writer and artist of the comics and graphic novels Dept. H, Mind MGMT, Revolver, 3 Story, Super Spy, 2 Sisters, and Pistolwhip, as well as Justice League of America (DC), Spider-Man (Marvel), Unity, Ninjak, Rai, and Divinity (Valiant). He has been nominated for 4 Eisner and 6 Harvey Awards (and won once).

Where To Find Matt: His Website, Amazon, Twitter

Praise For Matt: “Kindt is a storyteller so fully in control of his gifts that his graphic novels read like quietly compelling arguments for the comics medium’s narrative potential.” — NPR

When and where do you like to write? Are you the same-thing-every-day kind of writer or can you write anytime, anywhere?

I write in a few different places. I like to cycle through locations just to keep from getting too bored. My usual go-to is the couch in my studio. That’s where 90% of my writing takes place now. If the weather is good I’ll stay home and sit outside on our deck and write until I get too hot. Take a break, float in the pool, think, cool off…and then get out and write again. That’s probably my favorite time of year to write. And always coffee. Coffee to start and then a steady stream of it along with a bowl of dry cereal to munch on. I don’t take breaks once I get going. Start at breakfast and then stop for dinner.

Do you have any pre-writing rituals or habits before you sit down to write?

The night before I’ll figure out what I’m going to be writing the next day. Then when I go to bed I just start blocking out the scenes and dialogue in my head as I fall asleep. Then…that’s the first thing in my head when I wake up – so once I’m conscious, I’ll keep writing scenes and moments in my head…as I get up and shower…still writing in my head…so by the time I actually get coffee and cereal and sit down – I’m really just transcribing a lot of what I’ve already figured out.

Do you struggle at all with that dreaded enemy of writing: writer’s block? Do you think such a thing exists?

I don’t really get it but I know others that do. Sometimes I’ll stall early – if I didn’t do my pre-writing thinking but it’s just like starting a lawnmower. You just pull the cord a few times and eventually the thing catches and starts to run.

What does a successful writing day mean for you? And how do you finish out a day of writing? Do you have a process, or is it just that you know you’ve hit a natural stopping point?

I have to write in big chunks all at once. If I’m writing a single issue? I have to finish it in one sitting. Now, by “finish” I mean just the first draft – all the scenes and dialogue. But that doesn’t include the detailed outline and page by page break down that I’ve already finished. And that kind of break down usually happens for a day or two before. So yeah – a successful day for me is completely finishing one of those stages. Either the outline or the first draft.

You are both a writer and an artist.  Which came first for you creatively, writing or drawing? How do you strike the balance in your daily routine?

It all starts with writing. The art stage, to me, is really just execution and I can’t really start with the art until I know what the story is. For me, the art is dictated by the story – what it looks like, the style, the color, the format? All of that has to spring out of the story and character.

You ran a Kickstarter campaign for MIND MGMT. Why did you decide to utilize crowdfunding to bring that project to life? Do you recommend it to other creatives?

The MIND MGMT Kickstarter was for the read-along comic book and record. And I took it to Kickstarter because it was a kind of crazy not-super-commercial kind of idea that I think traditional publishers aren’t really set up to take on. The manufacturing of the record was such a crazy kind of process and then getting the timing and syncing it up to page turns. It was a LOT. And it was something I was going to have to figure out all on my own so I just did it. I recommend Kickstarter, but not in lieu of a traditional publisher – but really as a way to make something out of the norm. If you just want to publish traditional comics – places like Dark Horse and Boom! Are great places to be set up. But if you’re trying something new – or something with an exotic format. Kickstarter is a great place to test the idea. Is there a market for it? The backers will let you know one way or the other.

You also do quite a bit of collaborating. How does your process and routine change when you’re working with another artist on a project?

I like to write FOR the artist I’m working with. So the process I’ve settled on is to just write a full normal script for issue 1 or for the first chapter…and then wait to see what the artist does with it. Do they want more direction? Do they ignore layout suggestions? Are they okay with 10 panels on a page and a fight scene that takes place in a hall of mirrors? Haha! These are the kinds of things that I figure out in the first issue and then I adjust accordingly going forward. Issue 1 is the trial balloon – testing the waters – and then it’s off to the races. Every artist gets a different kind of script from me depending on what they respond best to.

What books or writers have most influenced the way you think and the way you write?

Philip K. Dick and Jack Kirby are probably the two biggest touchstones for me. I think the work ethic they share and the attitude they have about ideas and creation is something I find kinship with. No idea is precious. It’s always about movement and production – always be creating. Always be thinking. Always be trying to come up with something new – something you haven’t seen before. Don’t do the same thing twice or in the same way.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

There’s no substitute for putting in the hours and writing. There’s no magic or mystery to it. Anything you do for thousands of hours? You’re going to be good at it. The hard question is – if you don’t feel like putting in those thousands of hours or you can’t seem to find the time? Then maybe you haven’t found the thing you want to do the most. If you want to do it – you find the time. You make the time. You cut out all the other stuff and ignore all the other noise. I guess I’m just talking about discipline and work ethic. If you treat it like a job long enough…it becomes your job.

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