Though he’s written and/or drawn just about every superhero you could think of at some point, Erik Larsen is best known for his long running series Savage Dragon. He’s also the publisher of Image Comics, the company he co-founded in 1994 that helped change the comic book industry, championing creators’ rights more than arguably any major publisher before it. The man lives and breathes the medium, and it shows in his work, which is a favorite among fans as well as his fellow comic book creators. the footnote’s Adam P. Knave had some questions he wanted to ask, and Erik Larsen was gracious enough to answer them…

Adam P. Knave: How old were you when you started to draw?

Erik Larsen: I don't recall. I was a baby or damned near it.

APK: When did you decide you wanted to draw and/or write comics for a living?

EL: I started drawing comics for myself in 3rd or 4th grade, and I never stopped to think about it much -- it just seemed as though that's what I'd do.

APK: When you started out how did you work out the mechanics of what professional comic artists use, tool wise or process wise?

EL: How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way was a tremendous start. It gave me the basics for drawing a comic book page. Other books -- anatomy books and such -- filled in the rest.

APK: Before Image you worked for DC doing books like The Outsiders, Superman, and Doom Patrol, eventually moved across the street to work on The Amazing Spider-Man at Marvel. What was it like working for both companies at the time?

EL: It was fine. It really wasn't a big deal as far as I was concerned, and at the time I was pretty small potatoes, so I doubt that anybody cared a whole lot one way or the other. I went from the Doom Patrol to The Punisher, but I drew a couple fill-ins here and there as well. As long as I made my deadlines -- they had no cause to complain.

APK: You were then one of the co-founders of Image Comics, seeking more control and the ability to do your own thing regardless of the shape of the work. A lot has been made of that period in comics, but was there ever a moment of sheer fear as you started down the path that would lead you to where you are today?

EL: Not really, no. I knew I could still get work -- somewhere -- if it all fell apart. I wouldn't necessarily get to work on Spider-Man again, but I was pretty sure I could get some work somewhere.

APK: Dragon is a character you created when you were a kid, and he has been with you ever since. When did you realize that telling his stories would be the thrust of your creative output for a long time and possibly the defining work of your career?

EL: As a very young child. I knew that once I started doing Savage Dragon on a regular basis that I'd never want to stop.

APK: It’s marked as a book that at once harkens back to the fun of the old Marvel comics. How much of that would say is conscious choice, and how much is an unconscious reflection of what you want from the medium?

EL: I try not to over-think it. If I did that it would get dull for everybody. I'm just trying to do the kind of book that I would like to read if I were a reader. If some folks want to join me -- well, they're certainly welcome to.

APK: As the series has progressed you’ve taken on more and more of the jobs related to production -- adding coloring, inking, and lettering to your writing/penciling plate. How do you keep on top of all of it, and has it been worth it to do every inch of the book yourself?

EL: It's really time-consuming, actually. I've given up on lettering because I just wasn't happy with the results. But I'm a control freak. I like being able to make all of those choices. At the same time -- it's nice to do other stuff where I don't have to do all that.

APK: With everything in Dragon's world up for change at a moments notice, how much of an eye do you keep on making the book inviting to new readers so they don't feel crushed by the history of a book they've never read?

EL: Readers -- especially comic book readers -- are no dummies. I try and keep things pretty straightforward and let the readers fill in the blanks. Generally, there's enough information there for a reader to enjoy the story at hand.

APK: Savage Dragon is not only collected in various trade collections but now also in a new archive format. Spanning roughly 25 issues per volume and appearing in black and white, they resemble both the “Showcase” and “Essential” collections DC and Marvel put out. How has the format worked out for you so far, and how often do you intend to produce a new volume?

EL: At some point those volumes will catch up to me. There'll be a third book by the end of the year and a couple next year, but at some point I have to slow down because I'm simply not producing enough issues to have there be any more than a volume every few years.

APK: In early 2004 you became the publisher of Image Central, the part of Image Comics that offers a unique and interesting deal to creators. How have the past few years treated you in your new role?

EL: Well. I'm very pleased with how things are going. We've got some amazing books in the works.

APK: How have you managed balancing your work as a creator with your work as publisher?

EL: Poorly, unfortunately. It's hard to do everything. I just want to write, pencil, and ink everything, and there simply aren't enough hours in a day. I'm behind the scenes a lot more than you know -- helping design characters and logos and giving feedback and suggestions.

APK: What do you see Image comics place in the overall comics industry to be?

EL: America's greatest creator-owned comics. We're the place creators come to tell their own stories.

APK: Given where Image was when you took your current position and where it is now, what directions, if any, are you pursuing?

EL: All. All creative directions. Mostly I see myself as a cheerleader forever carrying on about the virtues and value of creator-ownership. Anybody with half a brain can have a reasonable shot at success doing a run on Spider-Man. It really takes little talent to go, "I'm going to take a bunch of popular characters and have them team up." The real talents are those guys that can create their OWN Spider-Man, and those are the guys who will ultimately be remembered and rewarded. And, you know -- it's not my bag -- but a lot of folks are really fired up about Hollywood and the movies. Hollywood's big beef now is that "all the good characters have been spoken for." These guys are actively looking for the next thing that can be turned into a hit movie, and it's a far more direct route for these guys to approach creators in person. If you're the guy writing Spider-Man and a Spider-Man movie is made -- you're not rewarded in any way for your efforts. You don't see a dime from that movie. But if they're optioning your property -- it's incredible. Again, it's not my thing. I got into comic books to do comic books, but to a lot of people, Hollywood is their ultimate goal.

APK: So far in your time as publisher what have been, to your mind, your greatest successes and failures?

EL: The greatest success is the huge-throng of creators who have been welcomed to the fold. In the last short while we've had books by Mike Allred, Joe Casey, Richard Starkings, Kyle Baker, the Luna brothers, Steve Niles, Robert Kirkman, Jack Kirby, and a whole host of others. The failures are a few books that we believed in that didn't take off. That's never fun for anybody. Luckily those are more the exception than the rule these days. A few years back we had a handful of successful ongoing books -- now we have a LOT more, and that number will be increasing over the next few years.

APK: Currently, the industry seems to be experiencing a shift back to the early days of the last boom. The cycle continues ever onward. Mega-crossovers that only lead to more crossovers, variant covers, and so on are all poking their collective heads up once more. What do you feel about these trends?

EL: On the one hand, I'm happy to see folks buy comics -- any comics -- but history shows us that these sorts of things ultimately lead to reader burn out. When huge universe-spanning crossovers become the norm, they lose the thing that made them special. And variant covers wear out their welcome as well. It doesn't matter how fancy the wrapping paper is, if the gift inside the box is dog crap, eventually people are going to get tired of buying fancy-wrapped dog crap. Eventually readers want to read their comics, and that's where these gimmick folks fall apart -- they forget about doing good comics, and what our audience wants --more than anything -- is a good read.

APK: You mentioned Hollywood's lust for acquiring comic book properties -- how do you feel about that, and how do you see it affecting the medium?

EL: It helps our creators more than anything. We don't own anybody's rights. We don't even own a piece of them. If a creator goes out there and makes a million bucks, we think that's just awesome -- and it happens all the time!

APK: The illusion of change, without affecting lasting change, is a major staple of comic book storytelling (as well, certainly, a staple of other story telling mediums) and one that has been called a driving force. What's your take?

EL: That's fine -- and at a company like Marvel or DC, they have to do that. I don't. I can make broad, sweeping changes and so can anybody at Image and, to me, that's where the real stories are being told. I don't fear for Spider-Man's life. I know that he will ultimately prevail. And even characters that die will most likely be back. But if I'm reading The Walking Dead, I don't know who's going to make it -- not for sure -- and that's a whole lot more exciting for me, as a reader.

APK: From the Comics Code to Marvel's own rating system, how do you view both a publisher's responsibility to readers and parents as far as ratings are concerned and what is your model for an ideal system?

EL: The ideal system is to package books in a way that readers know what they're getting. You can look at the covers of The Walking Dead or Girls or Spawn and know what kind of books those are. You don't need a rating system to tell you that The Walking Dead isn't about fluffy bunnies skipping over a hillside. When you go into a bookstore -- there are kids books and books for young adults and books for adults -- they don't have comics codes or ratings on them. I don't think a casual reader looks at or notices a rating system.

APK: Looking at the medium as a whole, do you think it is healthy and where do you see things headed?

EL: It's getting healthier. I would hope that we, as an industry, would focus our attention more on doing good work and less on tricks and gimmicks designed to get readers to cough up their money. Ultimately, good stories and art will be the things bringing readers back for more year after year while those alternate covers and major crossovers fill the quarter bins.