Travis Gibb Talks Cthulhu and Managing a Large Anthology

Last week we caught up with Travis Gibb, (the man who may or may not be the last living BeeGees brother) comic book creator behind Cthulhu Invades Wonderland comic book anthology. And if you can’t figure out what the subject matter of this anthology then there’s no hope for you. Seriously guys, it’s in the name.

Dark gods, creatures, monsters, Alice in Wonderland, tweedle-fuckin-dee and tweedle-fuckin-dum. It’s everything you didn’t know you were hoping for and it promises to deliver on the strange and the bizarre. What more can you ask for in comic book anthology?

It just so happens that Travis Gibb has a thing or two to say about what you might think about Cthulhu Invades Wonderland. From the creation, to the writing, to the editing, to the wrangling of cats involved (also known as comic book creators). Let’s dive into what this latest entry into the annals of Lovecraftian horror had to say for himself.

Travis Gibb’s Cthulhu Invades Wonderland

Travis Gibb Cthulhu Invades Wonderland — *Travis Gibb’s Cthulhu Invades Wonderland – Cover A*

You’re back for another outing with the Lovecraftian mythic beast Cthulhu, what are some of the aspects of Cthulhu which you find impossible to resist?

Travis Gibb: Lovecraft understood fear in a way that i think is primal and i think its the reason why he has lasted so long. He created creatures, monsters and gods but what he did best was explore fear.

This is a 200+ page anthology. How did you go about wrangling this herd of creators and how did you go about managing the creative expectations of each and every creator?

Travis Gibb: I could write a book about that! We have a lot of moving pieces when we do these book. I think the secret is to start by hiring professionals. I try and get professional people who have done this a time or two before. That allows me to trust the work they are putting out. I also have a large Editing team. My wife runs a team of 2 editors and 5 proofers. That helps put it all together and allows me to focus on the story aspect of the book. What we do differently than other books is we tell one Narrative. Its a anthology because of the various styles but its also serialized storytelling.

You’ve got creators from Scout, Source Point Press and Mad Cave comics involved in this project. Was it purposeful or was it just complete coincidence?

Travis Gibb: Purposeful! I am always trying to get my work in those great companies. So, I read a ton of those books and they have all become my friends and i am a fan of the work they put out. So, i am always looking for talent in those books.

For those unfamiliar with the works of Lovecraft, how would explain the Cthulhu mythos?

Travis Gibb: The Chtulhu mythos is the collected works of a large body of authors, but mostly the work of HP Lovecraft, the progenitor of the mythos. It has a huge cast of monsters, creatures and gods. It explores themes of horror and creatures of the night.

Anthologies are an entry point for many creators but how would you recommend a creator start an anthology? What steps should they take?

Travis Gibb: Well, as I stated above I don’t do traditional anthologies. However, they are great ways to get your work out into the universe. I would start by picking a theme and asking 2 to 5 creators to take part in it. Then I would have them share the burden of development and use crowdfunding to get the work out into the universe. I think simple is best for your first anthology

Tell me a bit about the techniques you employ as an editor and anthology publisher versus a writer?

Travis Gibb: That’s a better question for my wife on the editing side. However, what i do when i create an anthology is cast vision!!! So, for CTHULHU INVADES WONDERLAND. I told the teams that CTHULHU is invading wonderland and i need people to tell stories about how the wars that happen and i also told them that wonderland would split into factions. We have a LOYAL team (Alice) and a Mad team (Mad Hatter). I think had a couple of people create some core pieces that I needed. A beginning, A middle, and A end. This helped me put the whole thing into one narrative.

Which story is the swansong of this release?

Travis Gibb: We end just like we did in Cthulhu Invades Oz with a Cthulhu story that ends this chapter. However, we are working on a last-minute epilogue with Brian Hawkins. So, keep an eye out!!