FRANK MARTIN and GERALD VON STODDARD Help us Shuffle Along their IMMORTAL COIL
- Luis Godoy II
- 1 minute ago
- 7 min read
Luis Godoy II is joined today by Gerald Von Stoddard and Frank Martin, here to discuss their ongoing title, Immortal Coil, with issue #3 on Kickstarter through February 17th.
COMIC BOOK YETI: Welcome to the Yeti Cave, Frank and Gerald. I hope you like the decor. We’ve worked really hard at getting rid of the smell.
FRANK MARTIN: Aww. I rather like the smell of Yeti in the morning.
GERALD VON STODDARD: Thanks for sprucing up the place, you shouldn’t have! I’m glad we could finally find the time to chat.
CBY: Today, you come to the cave with the next issue in your continuing collaboration, Immortal Coil #3, which is now live on Kickstarter. For those that don’t know already, what can you tell the readers about Immortal Coil?
FM: Immortal Coil is really Gerald's baby; his fusion of Norse mythology and Eldritch horror. I'm more of the cool stepdad that gets to come in when the kid is a teen and show them a good time. The basic premise is that Loki seeks to use Lovecraftian Elder Gods to get revenge on Odin and the others who wronged him. Gerald set that premise in motion. I just get to have fun plotting how all that mayhem plays out.
GVS: Well, Immortal Coil was a story, snippets of a story I had daydreamed about intermittently for about a decade. I’ve always been a fan of Gaiman’s cosmic horror and American Gods was a book that always stuck with me. A lot of the story came to me from visualizing different things. I happened to be at an airport and picked up Gaiman’s book on Norse mythology and I felt inspired by the way he broke down the prose Edda. I wanted to create my own take on the mythology as well as what if. What if gods from different universes clashed all while dealing with “sins of the father?” So it became apparent the story would revolve around the offspring of the major gods we might be familiar with.
CBY: For those that may not know, This story began as Gerald’s but through collaborations with Frank, he joined as the main writer of Immortal Coil. This is mainly a question for Gerald, but what was it about Frank’s writing that made you give him the reins of your initial creations? (Feel free to brag a bit about Frank here.)
GVS: Frank puts up with me. Ha! That being true, I was a big fan of Frank’s Macabre Motel. We also did a Swamp Thing short fan fiction for another creator and then worked together in a small group on a project called A Thousand Cuts. Frank thinks differently. Meaning his understanding of story and depth of character relationships is important for Immortal Coil. So we bonded over that and how I come at things visually and Frank comes with structure like the glue that puts the snippets together. We also move at the same speed and that’s actually very important as two New Yorkers.
CBY: It is so cool to see creators do what is necessary for the best story possible. Now, Frank, this is your chance to brag a bit about Gerald. What is it like working with him on this story, and what do you love that Gerald is able to convey with his art?
FM: I originally came to comics from prose, so I'm more of a cerebral storyteller. I consider character arcs and the plot; big picture stuff. So I often forget that every page is a work of art, not just a tool for the story. As a visual thinker, Gerald approaches every page with the mindset, “how can I give the reader the best possible artistic treat?" And that's helped me up my game as a writer, because now I'm not just thinking about the overall story. I'm also considering how we can make every single beat engaging and exciting.
GVS: I think that’s one of our strengths. Coming from different angles and ways of seeing a sequential story, over the last year and a half I think we have helped each other in that respect. Frank’s storytelling background actually makes me think deeper about the art and that it isn’t arbitrary or paint by numbers. That the art is the story that Frank lays out and hopefully brings the script I’m reading to life.
CBY: The main character of this story is Loki, if I am not mistaken. How similar or dissimilar is your Loki versus the Marvel or MCU Loki?
FM: Loki is a plotter and a schemer in Immortal Coil, much more so than in the MCU, where he is almost tragic, even as a villain. You can't help but feel pathos for Tom Hiddleston's portrayal. Not so for our Loki. He is angry, vengeful, and doesn't care about being mischievous. He just wants to cause pain.
GVS: Loki comes off as the main character and he was the first character that came to me. But it is his daughter, Hel, that I feel becomes more central to the story. She has her own arc that gives the course of the action the flow and without giving too much away, she plays much more pivotal role in the outcomes of the first story arc. He isn’t the MCU Loki whatsoever. He has no redemption. It’s the opposite. In this book he is free of restraint and morality. He’s the smartest guy in the room and somewhat of a Shakespearean figure.
CBY: Which character has been the most fun to write or draw so far?
FM: My favorite is a character we haven't seen yet named Tejas. He makes his debut in issue #3 in a very explosive way. A kind of warrior monk who wields incredible power. He is strong, stoic, but silent. He speaks with his actions, not his words, which is a lot of fun to work with as a writer.
GVS: For me, it started with Loki. I had a very clear idea of his character, his motivation, the way he talks and the fact that I saw him dressed as a Halloween DJ. The casualness of his demeanor in the midst of knowing he is bringing upon Ragnarok. As well as his resentments in full display. He’s a tragic figure and Odin is as much to blame for what’s happened to him.
CBY: What kind of “rewards” will be available on the campaign? Anything you’re really excited for someone to back?
FM: Given the horror theme of the book, I've included a couple of my horror comics as add-ons. So I'm excited for fans of Gerald's to see some of the things I've done before our partnership.
GVS: This campaign is really about the book and the art. There’s a handful of very cool covers so there’s something for everyone. We are introducing the third and final sibling of Thor so this is all about a reunion and last hope. So this sibling has a very different past compared to his siblings so art wise he’s pretty bad ass. So wanted to make him central to a lot of the campaign art. I wanted to bring the cosmic aspect in full effect here.
CBY: From the pre-launch page it says, “Immortal Coil is more than just a tale of gods and monsters; it’s a richly layered narrative about family, redemption, and the consequences of past sins.” This is such a topical subject. Lots of current stories deal with Generational trauma. Obviously with Gods, there aren’t many generations but was this a conscious thought to have the story be about past sins or did it just come naturally through?
GVS: Very conscious. It’s a topic that’s personal to me, and comics allow one to take a personal subject and wrap it in an epic story that only a comic could tell. Inheriting trauma is a big topic for me. There’s a strong thread of reluctant responsibility throughout the story in Immortal Coil. One of the reasons I called it Immortal Coil was a play on Shakespeare’s words. There is no shuffling off if you’re Immortal. The coil of family lies and secrets would seem more torturous if you had eternity to live with it.
FM: As the originator of the story, Gerald set the stage for this generational drama to play out. I, too, believe the power of inherited trauma is powerful in storytelling. But this is a very grand and epic tale with big egos and clashing gods. Sometimes Gerald gets lost in the scale of it all, and I think the most important contribution I've made to the story is reminding him that at the heart of this battle is a very broken family. Even with all their power, gods are still just as messed up as the rest of us.
CBY: I’m hoping you both have great success with your campaign. I have issues #1 and #2 and can’t wait to read issue #3. (Follow/Back the Campaign here!) Where can people find you if they want to read more from either of you?
FM: I appreciate that, Luis. Thank you.
GVS: Thanks so much, Luis. Always appreciate you and also Comic Book Yeti’s presence and work you guys do for the community.
Frank and I have a mutual Substack we put out as Third Contact Comics at https://geraldvonstoddard.substack.com/
and you can also find me on Instagram at
CBY: Thank you, Gerald and Frank for your time and for choosing Comic Book Yeti in covering your book. This was Luis from Comic Book Yeti, signing off with another interview from the Yeti Cave. Be good, do good, and read comics!
Find me on the CBY discord or BlueSky @luisgodoyii.bsky.social
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