Alex Banchitta: Welcome to Fright Entertainment

As we approach the summer movie season, we are on the receiving end of an onslaught of promos and unnecessary merch from any comic-turned-film. Where once lesser known properties like Avengers are behemoths primed to break any record in its sights, some say the franchise might have lost some of its luster from trying not to disappoint fans of different generations. Today, we chop it up with CEO/Writer/Artist Alex Banchitta who wants to maintain the same level of engagement through his Fright Entertainment imprint.

Chris G.: For those who aren’t already familiar with you, who are you and what is Fright Entertainment?

Alex: I’m a writer/artist who runs a comic book company called Fright Entertainment. The idea behind Fright Entertainment is to make comic books that stand apart from most of the comics in the American market, and above all else, have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

CG: That’s definitely a contrast from what comics represent in mainstream. Tell us where your early beginnings and what got you into it.

Alex: I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and have had a love for cartoons and video games since my early childhood which grew into a love for comics as I got older. I eventually decided I wanted to make my own comics and everything just took off from there.

CG: What are your feelings towards the state of comics now and how does that show with your titles on Fright Entertainment?

Alex: Something I dislike about American comics in general is how the characters and stories don’t really move forward and tend to just go in circles. Fright Entertainment is about telling great stories, with interesting characters that grow and are moving towards a realistic ending.

Two witless super powered teenagers become media darlings after accidently framing the earth’s mightiest superheroes for a crime they committed.

CG: Who would you favor your art style to?

Alex: In terms of my writing I really don’t know to be honest. I tend to like the way older movies and shows were written in terms of plot structure and character development. I also love the way a lot of manga builds up and gets readers so involved with the story. My comedy writing is another animal entirely, I think the majority of that comes from my love for anything that is over the top and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

As for my drawing style, it’s heavily influenced by American animation and Japanese manga.

CG: What is the process (if any) when putting a book together?

Alex: The first thing I do is get my ideas down and connect them all together into a solid story. If something doesn’t fit or seems out of place, I’ll cut it out or change it.

After I get everything down, I outline what I need to get across in the issue to make sure I hit all of my marks and the story is moving along at a good pace. The early part of writing a comic to me is all about building the skeleton of it and working my way out (the same way I would think about drawing a figure).

Once I make my notes and have everything the way I like I just sit down and write my script. I wish I could explain this process better but I can’t, it all just flows out. After that I’ll either send it off to an artist I think would be a good fit, or if I’m drawing it I’ll do character designs, dig up some reference and get to work on it during my free time.

CG: Do you have a team that you work with?

Alex: I’ve been lucky enough over the years of working with some great people. I prefer to split the art production on my books into teams because producing all of the art for a comic is a lot of work and not for everyone. I have a solid inker I love to work with (Scott Shriver) and I’ve worked with various pencilers over the years who have all been great. I’m always eager to work with new people so I try keep an eye out for talent and it seems every few months I’ll find a new person to work with.

CG: Explain the team that you’ve assembled and how they fit in the Fright Entertainment machine.

Alex: That’s kind of a hard question to answer since things are always changing but I will say this, the people I have working with me are just great, I’m truly grateful to all the creators I get to work with on a regular basis.

CG: Any vices to help you complete a book?

Alex: The only thing that has ever helped me complete a book has been a steady schedule and avoiding everyday distractions.

CG: Looking at the scale of comics being adapted into film adaptations do you think it’s helped or hurt the industry? And why?

Alex: I honestly don’t know. On one hand more people are aware of comic books and if that helps people get into comics or learn about a certain creator that’s great. In addition to that, lots of smaller books get optioned for movies lately and when a book is starting out that extra money could keep it afloat during its infancy.

On the other hand when comics get turned into movies and try to get a wider audience the work changes and it’s rarely for the better. I have this strong belief that a work of art needs to be an entity within itself, the moment a creator or company begins to try to add X to it or Y because it will increase sales and bring in more money the work suffers. It doesn’t bother me as much when it stays in the movie industry, but when that thinking floats over into the comic book industry, I see it as harmful.

CG: If you had to pick one book of yours to see made into a film, which would it be and why?

Alex: I would say Captives, but I’d have to rewrite it into one long film or maybe a trilogy. The reason is I think it would have great visual impact that I’d love to see on screen. It explores human nature and there’s a very primal aspect to it that I think with the right director could really be something great.

CG: What comics outside of your own are you reading? And Why?

Alex: I don’t have many books I read consistently now-a-days, the only book I really read on a regular basis is IDW’s TMNT book- I love the art and really enjoy the writing. Outside of that I’ll usually just buy books from creators I meet at conventions, I’ve found a lot of interesting stories and art that way.

CG: Who’s your favorite writer of all time and why?

Alex: Wow. Talk about a tough question to answer. I couldn’t possibly pick one, I love different writers for different reasons. If I had to pick though I’d say the following: Rod Serling, Rumiko Takahashi, George Morikawa and Yoshiro Togashi. I also want to say Ridley Scott, I know he’s not a writer per se but I love the narrative style of his early films (Alien, Blade Runner, Legend).

CG: Who are your top 5 favorite artists of all time?

Alex: Wow! Talk about a big question. It’s tough to pick but in no particular order I would say it’s probably Pierre Alary, Sean Murphy, Bruce Timm, Rumiko Takahashi, and any of the big Disney artists from the past. I watched cartoons constantly as a kid and played a lot of video games so if it looks cartoony or like 80’s/90’s manga it will definitely catch my attention.

CG: What are you working on now and when can we expect to see it?

Alex: I’m currently working on Champions of Earth, Captives, and an untitled project.

A group of powerful warriors and a love sick youth are locked inside of a deadly labyrinth to win the heart and riches of a princess held prisoner by a vile monster.

The first issue of Champions of Earth is unofficially scheduled for a December 2015 release date. I still need to hammer out all of the details with my partner on the book (James Riccardo) but it’s pretty likely we’ll release it then or maybe a month or so sooner.

I would like to release Captives along side Champions of Earth, but it really depends on where Captives is at by the time we’re getting ready for launching Champions of Earth.

As for my untitled project, I’m drawing it and I’m not exactly a fast artist, not to mention with everything going on in my life lately it’s been harder and harder to find time to draw pages. I’d like to say sometime in 2016 but I can’t give a definite date at the moment.

I plan on doing a small print release at local comic shops in NYC and Vancouver BC as well as selling books at various conventions across the U.S. and Canada. In addition to that all of my books will be available digitally. At this point my goal is to build an audience and get my work in the hands of people who are looking for something a little different than what they are usually finding in the market. It’s going to be a big year and I’m sure it will be challenging, but I’m really looking forward to putting my work out there and seeing how it fares. Sometimes I’ll be awestruck by how great a book or movie is and think ‘Wow, I’m so glad someone made this!’, and I hope people have the same experience with my comics.