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Delhi Comic Con 2022 was a massive success among Indian pop culture fans. The event was held from December 9 -11, 2022, in NSIC Exhibition grounds, Okhla.
This year's Delhi Comic Con drew 45,000 attendees over the course of three days. SK POP attended the event as well and had the opportunity to speak with Matt Hawkins of Top Cow and Image Comics fame. The creator was a featured performer at the event and spoke in depth about his work and career in comics during a dedicated panel.
Matt Hawkins has been working in comic book publishing since 1993. He has been renowned for working with Image as a creator, writer, and executive for over 20 years. He has been the President/COO of Top Cow since 1998 and has published over 1,000 comic books.
Kumari Khushboo of SK Pop spoke with the artist and learned about his creative process and impressions of the event.
"You don't know until you try": In conversation with Top Cow and Image Comics' Matt Hawkins about his Delhi Comic Con 2022 experience, upcoming projects, and more
Q) How was your experience at Delhi Comic Con 2022 and meeting fans from different age groups?
I loved it. It's rewarding to travel to new places and meet locals. When I first arrived in India 20 years ago, nobody had heard of me or my work. This is my third visit, and I will keep coming back. It's awesome to see your fan base grow like this!
Q) Throughout your many careers, from writer and creator to publisher, you have exemplified versatility. How do you manage to work on so many projects at once?
Oh, that's always a challenge, you know. It depends on what's urgent and what needs to be done. A lot of it is deadline-driven, but I usually do creative work in the morning and business in the afternoon. So I get up and write from about 8 a.m. to noon. And then I make business calls and do whatever else I need to do.
So it's about sort of time management and managing what you do at what time. And I have urged people not to call me in the morning.
Q) What are some of the works that you're most proud of?
Oh my gosh, so many. Think Tank is probably the book I like the most. It is oddly my worst-selling title but it's my favorite one. That's a common practice among artists when working on their passion projects, in my opinion. Things about which they feel strongly typically do not perform well in the marketplace.
I did some video games for Warframe and you know we worked on The Batman. So a lot of stuff!
Q) How would you classify the underlying theme of war and peace as and what was the primary ideology behind creating the same?
War and peace, that's a heavy question! I think most comics are about violence and conflicts really. I mean, that forms the crux of storytelling in the majority of the titles. I haven't really done comics about war, you know. And I wouldn't say I have done many about peace either. But there's sort of a flip on the same side. I tend to write stuff about specific characters and instances.
Postal, the book I wrote, is set in a town where criminals are willing to pay for new identities.
So I am not sure if I can answer this question accurately.
Q) In your special session at Delhi Comic Con 2022, you talked about creating comics and meeting the standards. So, how do you overcome meeting the standards of creating a comic and also put your own creative abilities into it?
I believe the key is to surround yourself with people who can tell you when you're doing something wrong. I don't edit my own writing. I edit other people's work, but I hire others to edit mine. People find it difficult to criticize me because I write their checks. But I have found people who can be critical of my work when required.
And whenever I get notes from someone telling me that this work is incorrect for this reason, I usually get angry for 20 minutes before realizing they are correct. So, for the most part, it's just a matter of surrounding yourself with people who aren't yes people. The last thing you want someone to tell you is that you're always great.
I've noticed that almost every editor I've worked with is a woman. And I don't know why women like to tell me what to do but they do (laughs afterward). But it works extremely well in the end.
Q) So, you mentioned in the special session that artists don't always get the recognition they deserve for their work, and now we're in an era where Generation Z is most vocal about their rights and opinions on social media. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists on how to overcome these obstacles and protect their rights?
You should read your contracts and not sign anything without first consulting with a lawyer. I mean, when you work for Marvel and DC, you understand that if you're doing Batman, you're never going to own it, right? So, if you want to own your work as an artist, you must create original work. Do something new, do something different.
Build something original, and then promote it. You could be the next great teen creator, or maybe not. You don't know until you try.
Q) You said in the special session that you often don't like Comic reviewers and you don't prefer them. So something that you like about Comic reviewers in general?
No, Comic reviewers are fine. When someone criticizes me, I can't help but dwell on it because I'm an overthinker.
Q) What is something that comic writers must avoid?
I find it extremely annoying when comic book authors repeat what the reader can see in the pictures. Everyone knows the old adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words." There is already a lot in the art, so you shouldn't rehash old ideas. Make use of language that elevates the story, whether it's about the character, an emotion, or what's happening in the plot. Or add another layer to the story.
Q) Exposure to so much visual art can have an impact on a person. Is that a drawback as a creator?
Everyone has some sort of influence. The key, in my opinion, is to develop your own style. I actually encourage young artists to copy stuff simply to acquire the skills necessary to draw their favorite characters, whether they be from anime, Marvel, or any other source.
Doing this will help you develop your unique style.
Q) You first attended India's Comic Con in 2013. What is the most significant difference you noticed at Comic Con between 2013 and 2022?
Oh, the crowd here is insane. I mean, the show in 2013 was small, but I enjoyed it. The turnout is huge this year. When it comes to Generation Z, In the United States, there aren't many GenZs who read comic books. They just don't exist.
The majority of people who read my books are my age, in their forties and fifties, which is discouraging because you know you want younger people to read it.
Q) Do you create comics with an audience in mind?
Yes, there are instances. For example, I write certain romance novels aimed specifically at middle-aged women. It's also difficult for me to write for women because I'm a man. So I usually find a female co-writer. I collaborate with them to create something better.
Q) What is the most challenging part of creating a superhero?
If you look at Batman on Broadway, he looks ridiculous. But if you look at them in the dark view it's cool. A lot of costumes are garish. That's why some cosplays look kinda silly to me. But I have never been a superhero fan. So for me, it's difficult to answer that.
Q) Do you believe there is enough representation for even a silly person to be a hero?
Of course, you can have fun with it, like there's a Deadpool guy running around here who just said some very strange things to me as I walked over here. But I think it's part of the character. Do you understand what I mean? I believe that many people enjoy dressing up as Deadpool. I'm not sure, but that's what people do when they cosplay. They feel emboldened.
I guarantee that guy wouldn't have said stuff to me if he wasn't in that cosplay.
It makes them feel more assured. If I were to get angry at him, he's going to say, "I did that because I was pretending to be this character," giving himself an unfair advantage. However, it gives them the opportunity to engage in activities that would be impossible without it!
Q) How do you think that a writer can overcome their mental health issues?
Oh my God, that's an amazingly good question. Full disclosure: I have had some severe mental health issues. I have been divorced twice and both times it wrecked me. I have been under medication so I encourage people to get help and seek medication and therapy. It's very important.
I believe that people, particularly men, sometimes believe that going to therapy is a bad idea. However, I wholeheartedly support it. I've been in therapy and it has helped me tremendously. You can also confide in your friends about sensitive issues to help clear your mind.
Q) Could you share about your upcoming projects that fans should look forward to?
Well, I am doing a new book called The Five, which is a fantasy project. It comes out in April 2023. My new book, The Arc, will be released in March 2023. It's actually a book about poaching. It's about a punisher-type character who exacts punishment on the poachers for what they do to the animals.
A South African man who owns a Penguin preserve hired me to do that because he wanted to raise awareness of the problems that poaching creates in Africa. So, I set to work on it. Enjoyable times, indeed. Marc Silvestri and I worked on Batman and The Joker, The Deadly duo project, which is coming out right now.
Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage and interviews with Delhi Comic Con 2022 Headline artists.
