THREE THIEVES Orchestrate Escape from the Mind of SCOTT CHANTLER
- Andrew Irvin
- Aug 1
- 7 min read
Scott Chantler stops by to chat with Interviews Editor, Andrew Irvin, about the consolidated release of Joe Shuster Award-winning Three Thieves (Vol 2. out now, and Vol. 3 in October!)
COMIC BOOK YETI: Scott, we’re honored to have you step into the Yeti Cave today. How’s everything going up in Ontario?
SCOTT CHANTLER: It’s a weird time to be Canadian, I can tell you that much.
CBY: I think it's probably a weird time to see what's going around the planet from anywhere on Earth these days. So kicking things off, Three Thieves began in 2010 with the first book, Tower of Treasure, running over seven installments through 2016. As both writer and artist, it represents an epic tale fully of your own creation. Can you tell us a bit about how this project came into being following the release of your first graphic novel, Scandalous, in 2005?
SC: My first graphic novel was actually 2003’s Days Like This, which – like Scandalous – was a collaboration with writer J. Torres, and there were a few other steps in between, including my graphic novel Northwest Passage for Oni Press. But yes, Three Thieves was definitely a big creative swing, and was also – along with Two Generals – a part of my crossover into the mainstream book market. Thanks to the success of Scholastic’s colour reprints of Jeff Smith’s Bone, every book publisher was looking for a kids’ fantasy series. The timing really worked in my favour.
CBY: Serendipitous, indeed, especially given how tumultuous the comics market tends to be. While your role as auteur of Three Thieves is clear, I see Charles Pritchett, Adam Wallenta, and Mike Marts have been credited for their design, production, and editorial support. Is there anyone else you’d like to highlight for their contributions towards bringing Three Thieves to the public?
SC: Scott Robins, a librarian and former publishing professional who’s well known in Toronto comics circles, brought my pitch to Karen Li, who was the acquiring editor of the series back in the Kids Can Press days. So both of them deserve a tip of the hat. But the series really came about because my older son, when he was three years old, asked if I could write a story with a castle in it. That story just kept growing and growing!
CBY: Children pressing parents into creative ideation is how we've ended up with stories like Winnie-the-Pooh and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, so Three Thieves finds itself in good company. As you mentioned, it was originally published by Kids Can Press , a Canadian subsidiary of Corus Entertainment, but the new edition is being released through Papercutz. What precipitated the change in publishing arrangements for the consolidated re-release?
SC: For a variety of reasons, my agent and I felt the series wasn’t getting a fair shake with the original publisher. So, sometime after the final book (The Iron Hand) was released in 2016, we successfully negotiated a reversion of the rights, with the hope that the books could find a new home. That took longer than expected – the pandemic didn’t help – but eventually Papercutz stepped up, which has been great. They’re re-publishing each of the seven individual titles now.
CBY: I understand the new editions contain a variety of supplemental material including process sketches, behind-the-scenes conversations, and more. With the first volume released in February, volume #2 out this month, and volume #3 due in October, what other additions and changes can readers look forward to enjoying when they pick up the Papercutz collection of Three Thieves?
SC: Even though some of the drawing in those earlier books hasn’t aged well, I resisted the urge to re-do a lot of the art. I didn’t want to “George Lucas” this thing by second-guessing my younger self. So people shouldn’t expect a wildly different experience if they’re fans of the original versions. They’re still the books you remember! In places I’ve de-saturated the colours a bit, because they were way overblown in the original printings (I was inexperienced as a colourist, but each book got better as I went along.) In some places I’ve made very small changes for the sake of clarity and readability, but they’re so subtle most people aren’t going to notice.
As far as additions, there isn’t any new material. I was perfectly happy with the stories as written. Except for the final book, The Iron Hand, which I’m considering adding two short scenes to, both of which I cut for length back when I first wrote it. It’s never really felt right without them, and I think longtime fans would be happy with some new bits, even if they’re very short. We’ll see.
CBY: Having the opportunity to re-examine and take editorial license must be satisfying, especially as you're able to restrain those tendencies towards revisionism that might otherwise lead a creator down any number of rabbit holes. I understand you’ve come to comics as a profession by way of a formal education in film and animation. What did you take away from your studies that you don’t think you’d have picked up if you’d gone the route of a fully self-taught career?
SC: Film and animation and a few years as a freelance illustrator, yeah. And there’s so much. I’d recommend film studies to anyone considering a career in comics. The mediums aren’t exactly the same, but they’re close cousins, and film has a long-standing critical language that comics has only started to develop relatively recently. Visual storytelling skills are so much more important than drawing skills. Animation (also a type of filmmaking!) teaches you the value of timing and weight, and how to make characters feel like they’re thinking. My time in illustration really taught me what my rights are as a creative freelancer…which is so valuable in comics, where artists often have no idea how badly they’re being taken advantage of.
CBY: Representing oneself in the business of creative industries is certainly one of the most important skills for anyone trying to forge a viable career out of the process. Fifteen years have passed since you began this story. I’m curious about your technique; what mixture of pen & paper and digital methods did you employ over the course of drawing Three Thieves? Has your method changed in the years since concluding its run with the inclusion of new tools or techniques?
SC: When I started working on Three Thieves, I was still working almost entirely with traditional media. I used Photoshop for colour, but other than that, it was ink and paper. I’ve gone a bit more digital since then, doing layouts of pencils on a tablet computer. But I still ink with brush and pen on Bristol. I love inking, and can’t imagine ever digitizing that part of the process.
CBY: Can't argue with tried and true methods if they hold up in the face of changing technology. To that end, the swashbuckling fantasy setting is evocative of so much classic film and animation; you mention The Fugitive and Douglas Fairbanks films in your interview with Irene Velentzas at the close of volume #1. The art of Hal Foster and Hergé comes to mind when looking at some of the character designs, as well. Before I start speculating endlessly, can you share the range of influences that came into play from across the media landscape?
SC: All the things you mention, plus Will Eisner, Jeff Smith, Yves Chaland, DC’s The Warlord, Bruce Timm, L.A Confidential (not kidding!), Harvey Kurtzman, Paul Grist, early Disney, and I’ll probably think of a dozen more later. Like most creators, I’m a big, spicy gumbo made up of all of the stories and artists I’ve ever loved and learned from.
CBY: There was an illuminating interview with Lauranne Poharec for The Independent you conducted following the release of Two Generals, based in large part on your grandfather’s diary, presenting a narrative framed in a much more grounded, less whimsical world. How does your approach to the medium change when both dealing with reference material, and contingent upon the audience you intend to read your work?
SC: Two Generals is the book I’m best known for here in Canada, though it’s not as nearly as well known in the States. I’ve made a few forays into non-fiction, which I love, but the research can add years to the process. Aside from that, the biggest difference is this: non-fiction is subtractive. You’re starting with a mountain of research, which is evolving even as you’re writing, and you’re trying to find the story inside of it by chipping away all the things that aren’t the story. As opposed to fiction, which is additive; you sit in front of a blank screen and fill it with your imagination until you decide you’re done. It’s all writing, but the processes are mirror images of each other.
CBY: That is a very succinct and procedural way to frame the distinction. As a veteran of the comics industry with over two decades of success to reflect upon, what sort of guidance or advice do you have for those now starting their journey in creating comics of their own? What do you wish you’d known at the start of your career that years of experience have revealed to you?
SC: Oh, boy. Own your work, for sure. The odd work-for-hire gig is fine if you know what you’re getting into, but there’s not a lot of reason in this day and age to sign away your rights to anything. There are so many other options for creators now. On that note, get an agent as soon as you’re able. Especially now that comics publishing has been rolled into the broader publishing world, you want someone on your team who can navigate that world. And if you have access to public arts funding, go get that money. A lot of comics creators aren’t even aware that’s an option.
CBY: Words of wisdom, and I can second your statement on the value of public grants from my own experience. Here at Comic Book Yeti, we always like to reserve space at the close of our interviews for creators to make mention of unrelated work that has been providing inspiration of late. What other comics, films, music, literature, etc., would you like our audience to give some attention once they check out Three Thieves?
SC: Hmm. Like everyone else, I’ve been really digging Severance. Musically, I’m all-in on Mannequin Pussy and the new Wet Leg album.
CBY: Severance is brilliant, and you've mentioned two fantastic bands, so I'll second those recommendations to our readers as well. Scott, thanks for joining us today! If you’ve got any other publication, portfolio, or social media links you’d like our readers to check out for more of your work, please feel free to share.
SC: People can always find me at my website, scottchantler.com, which I’ve recently revamped to include a newsletter/blog. The only social media I’m still using is Instagram, where I’m @scottchantler. I’d love to give it up, but no one’s presented much of an alternative yet.
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