Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Bobby Nash. I’m a writer
who lives in Bethlehem, Georgia. I write novels, comic books, short
prose, graphic novels, and have recently dipped my toe into
screenwriting. I sold my first story in 1992, but really didn’t
become busy as a writer until 2005 when my first novel, Evil Ways was
released. Since then I’ve kept fairly busy writing for a number of
publishers. It’s been a wild ride and I’m loving it.
Tell us about your books
I’ve had somewhere around 100 stories
published. I really should get a count on those one day because I get
this question from time to time. I won’t bore you with a full list
here, but you can find information on all of my work at
www.bobbynash.com
Some recently released titles I worked
on include Snow Falls for Stark Raving Press, Lance Star: Sky RangerVol. 4 for Airship 27, Box Thirteen: Adventure Wanted! for Radio
Archives, The New Adventures of Major Lacy and Amusement, Inc. for
Pro Se Press’ Pulp Obscura, and Alexandra Holzer’s Ghost Gal: TheWild Hunt for Raven’s Head Press.
An upcoming fantasy project is a
graphic novel adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ At The Earth’s
Core for Sequential Pulp Comics and Dark Horse Comics. I wrote the
adaptation with art by Jamie Chase.
What are your influences in the
fantasy genre?
Influences come from everywhere. I
enjoy the work of not only other writers, but artists, filmakers, and
more. There are some truly creative people out there.
Please give us your views on the
influence of fantasy in modern society?
I think we all like a little fantasy in
our lives, that small “what if?” moment where our normal world
might intersect with some fasntastic element. It’s those moments
that I love to capture in my work. I ask what if? Then pull the
thread and see what happens.
Do you think fantasy still has
lessons to teach us about who we are and the human condition?
Oh, sure. Fantasy, much like science
fiction, is a wonderful way of telling stories that shine a light
back on the real world around us. Fantasy allows us to talk about
real world issues by wrapping them in a fantasy setting. That’s a
remarkable gift.
Tell us your
views on authors using violence and/or sex in their writing? Is this
part of the heroic tradition in your view?
Sex and violence have their uses in
fiction. Not every story requires them, but some do. When I write a
story using sex and violence it isn’t to glorify those things, but
to show them as part of the character(s) in question. Heroic fiction
has certainly tapped into both of these concepts over time. A heroic
character is usually fighting against something. Sometimes that is a
physical thing, sometimes it’s not.
What are your definitions of a
‘hero’?
A hero is the one who stands between
the bad and those the bad seeks to hurt and refuses to move. It’s
not always easy to be a hero, but true heroes stand their ground when
they need to do so.
Do you use ‘anti-heroes’ in your
books?
I write a lot of pulp characters, many
of whom, by their very definition, fall under the heading of
anti-hero. Characters like The Spider, for instance, fall into the
shoot ‘em all and sort it out later category. From one side, he’s
the hero. From another, he’s an anti-hero. I love playing with
those shades of gray.
Who is your favorite fantasy/mythic
hero?
Good question. I had to think on this
one for awhile, but I think I’ll go with Hercules.
Why do you think fantasy continues
to be so popular?
I think people like to escape into
fantastic stories and fantasy is a great place to do just that.
Tell us about one (or more) of your
fantasy characters - what makes him or her
different/important/heroic?
I love Lance Star: Sky Ranger. Although
he’s just a normal guy, we’ve put him in many fantasy situations
and he somehow manages to thrive in them. He’s not the type of guy
you would expect to be a fantasy hero, but he’ll surprise you.
That’s part of his charm.
What fantasy creatures/races do you
use in your worlds? Why did you choose these?
The pulp world is full of vicious
critters, monsters from hidden lands, and all manner of beasts human
and otherwise. Now, with the new Ghost Gal novel series I’m
writing, I’ve added supernatural and paranormal entities to the
list. There’s no shortage of great creatures to pull from.
How much research do you do for your
books? What sources do you prefer?
The amount of research varies from
project to project. Most of the pulp projects I work on tend to be
period pieces so I do a lot of research on those specific time
periods to try and get those details as accurate as possible. It’s
fun to look back and see how much things have changed since the
1930’s. The internet and the library are great places to start. For
more modern day research, I have spent time with police, FBI, and
others as research.
Apart from fantasy what do you like
to read?
I love reading a good crime thriller.
What was the last book you read and
what did you think of it?
The last book I read was Raylan by
Elmore Leonard. It was really good. I’m currently reading the first
book in Van Allen Plexico’s The Shattering Saga, Legion I: Lords of
Fire. It’s really good.
Can you remember the first fantasy
book you ever read?
I really can’t. I read a lot when I
was a kid. I want to say it might have been a Conan novel from my
school library, but that’s a guess.
Do you watch fantasy films/play
fantasy based PC games? Do you think these reflect the fantasy genre
adequately?
I’m not a gamer, but I love a good
fantasy movie. I think movies and TV are perfect for telling fantasy
adventures.
Tell us about how you promote your
work. Which strategies do you find useful? Which do you think are
least effective?
I spend a lot of time on promotion. In
addition to social media and the internet, I have a monthly email
newsletter (shoot an email to bobby@bobbynash.com and I’ll add you
to the list if you’re interested), I sent our press releases, do
interviews like this one, set up at conventions and writers
conferences, do book signings, workshops, and author events, things
like that. It’s all about getting the books in front of potential
readers so I try to do that whenever I can. It’s a balancing act
though. You have to be careful not to become annoying with your
promotion.
What are your opinions on authors
commenting on reviews?
Commenting on reviews never goes well
for the author. It’s not worth it, especially if you disagree with
the review. The best thing to do is let it go and move on. However,
if you absolutely want to say something, thank the reviewer for
taking the time to leave the review. Arguing with a reviewer never
ever works out for the author. Just don’t do it.
Do you have any advice for other
writers?
Write what you love. If your end goal
is to write as a career, then you have to treat it like a job. By
that, I mean you have to meet deadlines and you have to write even on
those days you don’t feel like writing. Once you’re committed to
a publisher, you have to meet that commitment.
Author Bio:
From his secret lair in the wilds of
Bethlehem, Georgia, 2013 Pulp Ark Award Winning Best Author, Bobby
Nash writes a little bit of everything including novels, comic books,
short prose, graphic novels, screenplays, media tie-ins, and more.
Between writing deadlines, Bobby is an
actor and extra in movies and television, including appearances in
Deviant Pictures’ Fat Chance, FOX’s The Following, USA’s
Satisfaction, AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire, and more. He is also the
co-host of the Earth Station One podcast (www.esopodcast.com) and a
member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers and
International Thriller Writers.
Bobby was named Best Author in the 2013
Pulp Ark Awards, his first professional writing award. Rick Ruby, a
character co-created by Bobby and author Sean Taylor also snagged a
Pulp Ark Award for Best New Pulp Character of 2013. Bobby was also
nominated for the 2014 New Pulp Awards and Pulp Factory Awards for
his work.
For more information on Bobby Nash
please visit him at www.bobbynash.com,
www.facebook.com/AuthorBobbyNash, www.twitter.com/bobbynash,
www.google.com/+BobbyNashAuthor, http://instagram.com/bobbynash14,
and www.pinterest.com/bobbynash, among other places across the web.
Links:
Blog:
Thanks again for a fun interview, Walter. Much appreciated.
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