Talking ‘Backflash’ With Mat Johnson And Steve Lieber

In a fair world, Devin would be able to grieve the death of his mother without the threat of her house foreclosing. In writer Mat Johnson and artist Steve Lieber‘s graphic novel, Backflash, however, Devin does discover a way to see his mother again, or at least relive old memories. With colors by Lee Loughridge, art assist by Tom Rogers, and letters by Clem Robins, here’s what Johnson and Lieber had to share about the project:

Rachel Bellwoar: In the afterward, Mat, you talk about how your mother’s death acted as the catalyst for this graphic novel. First of all, I’m so sorry for your loss. When did you know you wanted to incorporate a genre twist, by giving Devin the ability to “backflash”?

Mat Johnson: I don’t think I could have done this yet in realist way—I don’t have enough distance yet. When I’m writing about something that’s so personal and emotionally intense, I usually need around a decade to separate myself enough to see it fully. But speculative work allows me to play around with the idea with enough separation from reality to get beyond my own head. The memory-travel part of Backflash is fun and magical and makes the tone lighter. Paradoxically, that lighter tone allows me to convey heavier emotions without me, or the reader, getting bogged down.

Bellwoar: Within the first two pages we see Devin’s entire relationship with his mom unfold. It’s so beautifully captured. Was there ever a point where you tried to tell that story without a 9-panel grid?

Steve Lieber: If I remember right, I think we might’ve made that call together really early on in one of our in-person meetups. I know we talked a lot about breaking scenes down, and maybe matching the rhythm of that backstory page with the funeral page that follows?

Johnson: Ultimately, this is a story about negotiating and overcoming grief. So, the scenes I prioritized (page-wise) were the ones that went directly towards that thematic issue. What I wanted the readers to get from that opening page is a feel for the weight of what he’s lost. I would have loved to do that over many pages, but sometimes getting the backstory smacked in the face all at once can be even more powerful. And when I first saw Steve’s illustrations for that page, I literally started getting teared up. He captured so much, so quick. And while I gave him a lot of my personal pictures to pull from, he didn’t have any visual reference for this part and still nailed it as if he was there.

Bellwoar: As close as Devin was to his mom, we soon learn he wasn’t always around for his own daughter’s childhood. Why was that a relationship you wanted to explore with this story?

Johnson: Part of it was to explore that thematic question of the past and the future. But another big part of it is the reality of elder care and parenting. I took care of my mom for a dozen years, and I was happy to do it, but it took a lot of time, money, etc. away from my own nuclear family. Eldercare is so demanding that it often isn’t until those parents pass away that you fully realize how much the rest of their life has been neglected in the meantime.

Bellwoar: Another very colorful character in this book is Devin’s Uncle Larry. Was he, or his fashion sense, inspired by anyone you knew?

Lieber: Larry’s not inspired by anyone I know, but the moment Mat told me about him, I knew that he’s a guy who is dressed to impress, and that that probably meant what was impressive when he was thirty years younger.

Johnson: He was actually based on some of the guys in my neighborhood coming up in Philly in the 1970s. Characters from the block, and also some of my mother’s boyfriends’ “compatriots.” Basically, decent local guys with good hearts who could also be sketchy as all hell because they were trying to make it in a system rigged against them. The quintessential “keeping your head above water/making a wave when you can” dudes. Always trying to get one over just to get by.

Bellwoar: Backflash also deals with the power of nostalgia, specifically the memories imbued to certain objects. With that in mind, what was it like getting to fill Backflash with items from the past, from childhood toys to favorite snacks?

Johnson: It felt like placing magical talismans directly onto the paper the comic’s printed on. A lot of these items were things that I didn’t even remember till I sat down with Steve and we talked it out. Steve and I are basically the same age, both grew up in Pennsylvania cities, and both of us were of course huge comic book geeks, as well. So, we have a lot of the same references and touchstones. Sitting in his backyard creating the story, remembering things like using sit-in-spin until you vomited, was one of the most enjoyable moments of my creative life.

Lieber: I love that sort of thing! Specificity is one of the most important tools we have as storytellers. That’s true at any time, but particularly when your story deals with objects that can inspire nostalgia. I spent a ridiculous amount of time worrying about which supermarket snack cake or forgotten board game would get a laugh or spark a memory if I snuck it into a panel.

Bellwoar: In the backmatter you share some of your early sketches for the cover, Steve, many of them involving vinyl records. Where did the idea for nesting doll heads come from?

Lieber: Ooh, great question! I initially had a bunch of ideas that called for depicting the records as the inside of Devin’s head, or opening up his head, but ultimately, the records weren’t the important point- memory is. Memory, and how all those people we were when we were younger, they’re still inside us.

Bellwoar: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Mat and Steve!

Backflash is available now from Dark Horse Comics.