Superhero Maker

Superhero Maker

FACTBOX

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

Danai "Dan" Smuthkochorn, 32, is best known as an actor who has appeared in many Thai lakorns and films. However, Dan has also been a longtime comic fan, even winning the sud yod fan pan tae (super fan) title fromFan Pan Tae (a TV quiz show in which hardcore enthusiasts for different subjects compete to find out who’s the most knowledgeable) in the superhero category in 2006. He also has another role as the creator of the first Thai American-style superhero comic book calledThe Mavericks . Its third issue was released last week. Here, Dan tells us how he creates Thai superheroes.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO CREATE A THAI SUPERHERO COMIC BOOK?

My love for comics is what inspired me. I wanted Thai kids to have another option besides Japanese comics. However, with American comics costing $3.99 [B120], it's almost impossible to bring them over to Thailand and translate them. The only way to get American-style superhero comics to Thai kids is to make my own and now we have The Mavericks.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE BEHIND THE MAVERICKS?

I'm the creator and writer. The Mavericks is my child. I have been there from the beginning, creating every character and finding a team to draw and colour my comic. I also have my cousin translate all the things I write since I can't write in Thai [Dan spent most of his childhood outside Thailand due to his father's job with Thai Airways].

WHAT IS THE COMIC BOOK ABOUT?

The Mavericks takes place in a modern-day Thailand with an alternate reality where superheroes are prevalent but they have to register and are controlled by the government. Our young heroes - Madcap, MECH and Stalker - don't want that so they band together to stop the baddies their way. The Mavericks is not only a superhero epic but it's also a personal story about young adults trying to make their dreams come true in the face of adversity.

WHAT HAS THE INITIAL RESPONSE TO THE COMIC BEEN LIKE?

There has been some [criticism] but I think it's part of Thai nature to criticise first. There are many examples in American comics where you get heroes that are inspired from other established heroes or resemble them. Batman and Moon Knight, Spiderman and Spawn, Superman and Sentry, Flash and Quicksilver, for example. The most important thing is that the story of each character has to be different.

HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE THE MAVERICKS FROM AMERICAN SUPERHERO COMICS?

The heart of the story and the characters are definitely Thai. I get inspired by real problems in Thailand like the sex trade or corruption but I put a superhero spin on these problems, and in my opinion that's the charm of The Mavericks and is what makes it stand out from American comics.

HOW HAS THE GENERAL FEEDBACK BEEN?

I am very happy with the feedback. For something that is brand new to the Thai market - American-styled comics created by Thai people - I think that people are receiving it quite well. The biggest problem is the 22-page format [that is custom in US comic books] that takes some getting used to.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR YOUR HEROES?

In the future, I want to make other titles that take place in the same world as The Mavericks, in the same way that Marvel and DC handle their characters being in the same universe. I currently have a few titles that I'm pitching to the publisher in the hopes of launching them within the next year. Hopefully within two years, I will be able to have my first comic book crossover which is basically a huge story that crosses over into multiple comic titles. In terms of merchandising I will definitely have small memorabilia pins, T-shirts and pens out in the future. Also, I'll keep my fingers crossed that I can manage to find a way to turn The Mavericks into action figures. No plans for TV or animation yet.G

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