Comics Alternative Interviews - Tony Cliff

On this interview episode, Gwen and Derek are pleased to have as their guest Tony Cliff, the creative mind behind the Delilah Dirk series. His latest book, Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling, was released last month from First Second. In the interview, our adventurous podcast explorers ask Tony about the genesis behind the series, the influence of Jane Austen novels and films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Delilah Dirk's original appearance in Kazu Kibuish's Flight series, the challenges of writing historical fiction, and how Tony's background in animation has translated itself into his comics. They not only discuss his most recent book, but also his earlier works, Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant (which Andy Wolverton reviewed for the blog back in 2013) and the short ebook, Delilah Dirk and the Seeds of Good Fortune. But the conversation goes into other directions, as well, such as when Tony brings up the topic of serialization and reading preferences. What doesn't make the recording, unfortunately, is an interesting discussion on a label that is most apt for the Delilah Dirk titles, "all-age comics." That was a conversation that Tony had with Gwen and Derek after they concluded the interview and turned off the recorder. Still, there's more than enough packed into what was actually captured, enough Delilah Dirk talk to last you until the publication of Tony's next exciting installment.