Bloody Mary, anyone? BRIAN GONSAR Drops in to Discuss DRACULA'S BRUNCH CLUB

Austin Allen Hamblin invites Brian Gonsar into the Yeti Cave to discuss a very fun all-ages comic about Dracula and his love for pastries - Dracula's Brunch Club from Oni Press.

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COMIC BOOK YETI: Thanks to the fine people at Oni Press, we've given Dracula’s Brunch Club a read, and first off, I have to tell you how fun this was. A very original idea giving a new origin to an old character (Dracula) - what made you want to tell an all ages Dracula story?

BRIAN GONSAR: Thanks for having me! I’ve been a fan of the comedic versions of Dracula for a while. Dracula Dead and Loving It, What We Do in the Shadows, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors (which was an off-Broadway play and podcast); all those versions cracked me up, but they’re all for adults. I wanted a middle-grade version of this so younger readers can know that spooky characters can also be fun. And although Dracula is a universal character, I wanted to make this version a little different and a little funnier by making him a doughnut connoisseur.

CBY: This story revolves around doughnuts. While doing research on you I found you have a deep seeded love and passion for doughnuts! Which is understandable. I love doughnuts myself. What is your go to doughnut order?

BG: That is one of the toughest questions! Depends if I’m in a cake doughnut, yeast doughnut, cruller, or a Bismark kind of mood. Lately, I’ve found any excuse to get a maple cruller from Daily Provisions in NYC. I’m excited to try I’m Donut? which just came to NYC by way of Japan. And my favorite Boston doughnut shop, Blackbird Doughnuts, has a nice recipe in the back of the book. The one doughnut I won’t order is a maple bacon doughnut. Hot take, but I prefer doughnuts and bacon to be separate.

CBY: Keenan Gaybba’s art was such a good fit for this story. It reminded me of something we might see on Cartoon Network. What was it like working with him?

BG: Keenan was fantastic to work with. I first discovered his work after seeing his music video for All Time Low’s song, “Monster.” It felt very nostalgic, like the stuff from Cartoon Network in the 90s. It was playful, expressive, and I loved it. I think part of the reason his style works well here is that this isn’t a full-on-horror version of a Dracula story. The illustrations really help soften the tense and scary moments to make the book more accessible to kids who don’t want to get too scared. He also added a lot of visual humor to punch up the character’s expressions and reactions. It really made a huge difference in the final product.

CBY: Now, you have written and worked in many creative mediums. What made you want to tell this story as a comic?

BG: This story was originally one of 13 funny short stories where I used humor to twist origin stories of spooky characters. My agent and I got feedback that they were funny, but the editors wanted more. She suggested that I try it out as a graphic novel. I hadn’t read a ton of graphic novels, so was a little resistant, but after reading a copy of Camp Midnight, I agreed that she was onto something. Good thing I listened! But comics and graphic novels are such a great medium because they combine the visual with reading.

CBY: How did the project end up at Oni Press?

BG: My agent was the one who made the connection with Grace, our editor. Keenan and I prepared a pitch packet showing our vision for the art, some sample pages, characters, and synopsis. Grace totally ‘got’ the book (and my juvenile humor). She was our guide and guru throughout the project. I’m glad we went with them, because the Oni team has really rallied around the book, elevating the design, pushing the release date up earlier than planned, getting it in the Scholastic Book Fairs (which is a huge feat for a debut author), generating some good PR, and even throwing a doughnut brunch at ALA (American Library Association’s national conference)!

CBY: When reading the graphic novel I was very surprised to see a foreword by Kevin Jonas. Now I’m a lifelong metalhead; Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, etc. but I will admit I have some Jo bros songs on my playlist. How did he end up writing the foreword? 

BG: Slayer was busy, so I asked Kevin instead, lol. Kevin actually gave me the idea one Sunday afternoon. He’s my brother-in-law, so we’re hanging out most weekends (currently on vacation together as we do this interview). Like me, he’s very creative. He’s always pitching movies, tv shows, apps, etc. He’s very supportive of everyone in the family who is doing something creative. Kevin did grow up around comics and sees his girls reading graphic novels, so it was more than just a random stamp of approval – he really does the medium. And if you look closely, you’ll find him drawn into the book with a guitar.

CBY: How can people follow your work?

BG: Connecting on social is always the best. Since my last name is super uncommon, you can find me at @bgonsar on almost all social channels. Or www.bgonsarbooks.com 

CBY: This has been Austin Allen Hamblin from Comic Book Yeti, signing off with another interview from the Yeti Cave! Be excellent everyone! https://linktr.ee/austinallenhamblin

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