Deep Discussions with Decapitated Dan: Fiona Staples

Welcome back kiddies. I have lured Fiona Staples into the depths this week to pick her brain about life and everything in between. So sit back and relax as she tells us about who she is, what she does, and what we can expect from her in the future. Trust me, you will like what you read!

Alright lets start out with a short answer section and get the usual out of the way.

Name:
Fiona Staples

Age:
25

Married/Single/Dating/Other:
Single

Pets:
None right now, but my parents and old roommates keep cats that still own pieces of my heart.

Highest Education Level (If college where did you go):
BD'es from the Alberta College of Art & Design.

High School Mascot:
Ummm... it may have been a bulldog? That seems right. I can't remember what any of the teams were named.

First Job:
Bagging groceries in high school.

Best time of the day:
Early morning, because on the days that I experience it, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment just for getting up.

Favorite place to buy comics:
Probably "Another Dimension" in Calgary. I usually see Riley Rossmo (PROOF artist) there.

Staying with short answers lets talk about what you do:

Comic(s) you created Before 2001:
In 2001 I hadn't even finished high school. So, various two-to-three-page failures.

January 18, 2002 - January 19, 2003:
Um, ditto.

January 20, 2003 - Today:
I didn't start until 2006, but:
Done to Death (Markosia)
Trick 'r Treat (Wildstorm)
Secret History of the Authority: Jack Hawksmoor (Wildstorm)
North 40 (Wildstorm)
Plus many covers, colouring gigs, and short anthology stories.

Alright all that stuff aside lets get to the meat of the interview:

What do you do when not making comics?
Watch movies, drink, sketch, socialize, hobnob with the royalty of the Calgary indie comics scene, bake, play Monkey Island, shop, work out just long enough to assuage the guilt, daydream.

All time best place to shop online?
I just use Ebay and Amazon, so clearly I don't have any great insights here.

The army kidnaps you, runs random tests and gives you powers. What do you hope they are?
Gills! Wait. Actually... I hope it's a power that allows me to escape the military and avoid being doggedly persecuted for the rest of my life.

When you were 8 and 14 what were you for Halloween (can we see pics)?
8: Maid Marion, 14: I can't remember, probably a kind of half-assed mermaid costume or something.

Any TV shows grabbing your attention these days?
I just watched the entire season of The Jersey Shore in like, a week. There, I said it... feels good. Other than that, nothing until True Blood and The Venture Bros come back on.

Favorite music to listen to, right now?
The Dickies, Coheed & Cambria, T. Rex, and Lady Gaga. And Prince, always.

What could you do with a stick of gum, a dragon egg and a big box of rings?
I'm glad you asked. I've been playing so much Monkey Island lately that I've become an expert on combining seemingly random items. First, I would use one of the rings, a diamond one, to cut open the egg and deliver the baby dragon. It would probably be testy, so I would shove the gum in its mouth, thereby containing its fiery breath in bubbles. I'd train it, using shiny rings from the box as positive reinforcement, until it agreed to join my crew.

Then I would try to talk to the eggshell, push the eggshell, use eggshell on door, use eggshell on baby dragon, etc, etc...

Back to comic stuff for now.

Knowing that Iceman is the greatest hero of all time, why do you think he is so underused?
I don't know! But I've been wondering for years. Maybe because there are so many wisecrackin' heroes now, they don't need him for comic relief? When I first saw X2, I really thought that was going to be his moment. "The dam is breaking, Bobby! Freeze it!!" But he just stood there. I was crushed.

Favorite comic character when you were 5, 15 and 25?
5: I didn't know what a comic was.
15: Iceman.
25: Conan/Vampirella/Archie.

Alright your making a comic about a a seahorse who wants to be a real horse after seeing some Budweiser commercials. Whats the name of the book and sell me on a quick pitch, Go!
"Seaquestrian Dreams," a coming-of-age story of a young sea horse struggling to find her identity in a media-saturated world where she is inundated with images of unattainable body types- horses who were genetically blessed with legs. And at the same time, she has to navigate HIGH SCHOOL! The sequel finds her in college- "Big Fish on Hippocampus."

We all know your a great artist but what do you really want to be when you grow up?
A cake decorator.

Where is the real money at in comic creating?
The '90s?

When your making comics whats going on around you? Music, what kind? Silence? TV on?
Just music, any and all kinds, whatever I'm not tired of. Often internet radio like Boot Liquor on SomaFM.

Favorite character you ever created/worked on and why?
Probably Sheriff Morgan from North 40. He really charmed me. It's fun drawing old people, and he got all the best lines.

10 years from now. Where do you see yourself?
Maybe I'll have cable!

Alright we can finish up with a quick word association game. I will say a word, you give me a quick one sentence response.

North 40?
Imaginary highway

Done to Death?
Lots of stabbing.

Horror Comics?
Black and white scrawly stuff from the '70s.

Chimichanga?
Some kind of animal, or fried food on the grill at 7/11? Both?

Politicophobia- Fear or abnormal dislike of politicians?
Yes?

Pamela Anderson?
BARB WIRE.

Gummy Bears?
Here and there and everywhere

Decapitated Dan?
A mysterious fellow with a strange silhouette

Fiona Staples?
Feels put on the spot.

Thanks so much Fiona.
Thank you, Dan!

If you would like to know more about Fiona and check out her work please go to http://fstaples.blogspot.com/