Dan Vado Interview

A Q&A with Slave Labor President, Dan Vado.
by Matt Osterberg

Q: Dan, how did you originally get into the comic business, and how did you end up president of Slave Labor?

A: Well, I started in the business as a retailer. I sold at flea markets in the San Jose (CA) area, moved on to having my own shop and then promoting conventions. I started Slave Labor in 1986, I ended up the president because I own the company and I can call myself any darn thing I please.

Q: What are the pluses and minuses of owning your own company?

A: The pluses are that I'm my own boss, I'm doing pretty much what I want to. The minuses are hat I make MUCH less than I would if I were doing the same, or similar job for a larger company. It's impossible to support a family raising the kind of money I do.

Q: What do you think is the most popular title coming out of Slave Labor at this time?

A: Right now our most popular title is Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, followed by Milk & Cheese. Johnny has been something of a surprise, not because I didn't think it would sell, but because it has moved so quickly to being our most popular book.

Q: Can you give us a brief description of the plot line of these two comics?

A: Well, Milk and Cheese doesn't have a plot line per se. It's about a slice of cheese and a carton of milk who beat up people who make them mad (which is just about everyone).

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac is, on the surface, kind of a funny slasher book, but if you read them all you'll discover it's so much more than that. Johnny deals with a lot of different issues, including the very nature of existence. It's really an impressive piece of work.

Q: Where do the OTHER people in Slave Labor get their ideas from: for example, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, and Milk and Cheese?

A: Heck if I know. If I did, I would go there and get a dozen for myself.

Q: What was the inspiration behind Samurai Penguin? For example, is it based on a real person? Are you a martial arts buff?

A: Samurai Penguin came from my desire to do a funny animal comic which had real animals in it (or at least something close). What I was doing in Samurai Penguin was illustrating how the food chain worked. I got a big thrill when a biology teacher wrote me and asked for permission to reprint parts of the first issue for his class. I'm not really into the martial arts thing, but I do enjoy Jackie Chan movies and like the slapstick action, which I was trying to get into the book.

Q: Have you ever been to or plan to go to any major comic conventions? If you HAVE already been to one, how did it go?

A: I've been to a number of big conventions. Slave Labor has attended the San Diego Con every year for the last 10 years. We go to Chicago when we can afford it and we attend WonderCon in Oakland every year. On top of that, I founded the Alternative Press Expo (APE) and have been attending that every year since its inception. We usually do pretty well at the larger conventions. I meet lots of readers and have discovered a lot of good projects at these shows. I enjoy attending them and I look forward to them.

Q: What is the APE and how did you come about finding it? Are you pleased with how it is going or did you expect it to be better, possibly, bigger?

A: The APE is the Alternative Press Expo and it is a one day convention focusing on self-publishers, independent publishers and alternative cartoonists. I started the APE because I felt that there was a need for a convention where the artists doing interesting work can display and promote themselves without having to drown out a 50 million watt display by some hugs publisher. In it's essence, the APE is about the work and the people who do it and not about how cool your booth is. I'm very pleased about how APE is going. It is now being run by Comic Con International (an educational non-profit organization. They put on the San Diego comic convention) and I'm really excited about working with them. The convention has grown in size every year and this years show (On Feb.1 in San Jose CA) should be the best!

Q: Are the new Milk and Cheese cards doing as well as you had hoped?

A: Slave Labor did not produce those cards, they were done by a company called 21st Century. We really have no idea how these cards are doing since they are dealing directly with Evan and not with us.

Q: Some of the comics published by SLP display excessive violence and adult language (obscenities). How do you think this affects your younger readers?

A: I'm not sure we have any younger readers so I doubt they are impacted by cursing dairy products.

Q: Do you feel that this restricts you to an older audience?

A: We sort of aim for an older audience so for me it's not that much of a restriction. We started a new imprint called Amaze Ink, those comics are a little more accessible for younger readers, but still not truly aimed at 13 year old kids.

Q: What titles are coming out of Amaze Ink? Which books are more popular, the SLP or Amaze Ink?

A: From Amaze Ink we have Replacement God, Skeleton Key, and Scarlet Thunder (which I'm writing). On the average I would have to say that the Amaze books tend to sell a little better, but the bigger success' have been under the SLG imprint (Johnny and Milk & Cheese).

Q: What are your personal favorites among past and present comics?

A: My favorite comic remains one that SLG published called Tales from the Heart. It was about a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa and I think it stands out as an example of what comic books can be.

Q: What does SLG stand for? Is it Slave Labor Graphics or something like that?

A: Yes, the name of the company is Slave Labor Graphics. We're currently moving towards being just SLG. Amaze Ink is a separate imprint of SLG.

Q: What are your plans for the future of Slave Labor Press?

A: I plan on continuing to find great new people to publish.

Q: Do you think people have a better chance of being published by you than other maybe bigger companies such as Marvel and DC? Why or why not?

A: Well, if you're an unknown quantity then you probably have a better chance of being published by us. If you're Kurt Busiek then you probably stand a chance of being one of the majors. It's a matter of have a track record.

Q: What is your best advice for aspiring comic writers and artists? Do you find advanced formal training (i.e., college) important to pursue a career in comics?

A: Formal training will make you more professional, although it may not do much for you in regards to developing your drawing or storytelling skills. There is no one single piece of advice that I can give to people. All I can say is keep working at developing your skill and developing contacts in the industry.