JOE CORALLO inverts expectations with SINK TO THE TOP

Austin Allen Hamblin invites writer/editor Joe Corallo into the Yeti Cave to talk about the Kickstarter campaign for his new comic, Sink to the Top.

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CBY: Joe, you have published through Mad Cave, Black Mask, Comixology Originals, TKO, and DC Comics in the past. For those who may not know your work or what to expect from you, what is Sink to the Top about?

JC: Sink to the Top is a queer thriller one-shot comic set in New York in the 1970’s. The story follows a young male escort who has survived some precarious situations in the past that finds himself in a dire situation that he could have never prepared himself for.

CBY: What made you want to tell this story in the 1970s?

JC: Personally, I love period pieces. I majored in History in college, along with Political Science and a minor in Philosophy, so I was able to blend a lot of that into this story to assure my degree (that I received longer ago than I care to discuss) did not go to waste! There are multiple elements to this story that are enhanced by having it be a period piece in general as well. No worrying about how to deal with those pesky smart phones, for example!

CBY: What made you turn to Kickstarter for this project?

JC: We decided early on that crowdfunding was ultimately going to be the best way to get this story out there. Quite a number of publishers just don’t pick up creator-owned one-shots in general, even from bigger names. This comic is also mature themed, so even if we did find someone interested in publishing it, there likely would be input that Chase and I both feel would have had a negative impact on the overall story. It’s too important to us to compromise on, and we hope that when people get a chance to read it, they’ll agree.

CBY: What did the collaborative process with artist Chase Bluestone look like?

JC: We had a lot of discussions about this project before we dived in! We’ve been tinkering with this story on and off the past couple of years, in which character concepts were done up as well as quite a bit of research and reference fetching so the story would feel how we want it too. Not only looking into the fashion, but wanting the comic artistically to at least somewhat have the feel of Gene Colan on Tomb of Dracula and Frank Miller on Ronin. Chase read a number of those comics leading up to illustrating this story. He put a lot into this and I know it’ll show in the final product. 

CBY: Having worked as an editor, do you think it has made you approach writing comics differently?

JC: Probably, yeah. I mean, doing any work in comics all feeds into your knowledge, understanding, and approach to the medium. Whether I’m reading, writing, or editing comics, it all impacts my approach on what works, what doesn’t work, when to swing for the fences and when to stay grounded. I guess, for me, when it comes to editing experience impacting my writing, it might be making sure that readability is a top priority. You can have the most creative, out there layout imaginable that you feel is going to wow the reader, but if it’s too confusing to navigate and read, then you’re just frustrating them.

CBY: Do you see this as being left as a single-issue story?

JC: Absolutely! I envisioned it with Chase as a one-and-done story. That said, we’re launching this on Kickstarter as a collaboration under the banner of Blue Coral Comics, so while the story itself will be left at a single issue, we would absolutely love to tell more stories together!

CBY: How can people follow your work?

JC: The best ways to follow my work currently would be on Bluesky @joecorallo or Instagram @corallojoe. I don’t post often, but when I do, it’s about my work!

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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