Hip Hop and Comics Vol.2: Kagan Mcleod (Infinite Kung Fu)
Do you see any difference being in Canada trying to publish a comic as opposed to being in the U.S for example?
I don’t think it’s any different because it’s the same distributor and most of the orders I get are from the states. The only difference is paying customs to get them over the border.
So the comic scene in Canada isn’t blowing up right now?
There are a lot of cool comic book artists and comic books that are Canadian that you might not know about. It doesn’t make a difference because they aren’t about Canada. I think the whole comic book industry isn’t doing that great. A couple guys at my studio put out a ninety page book and we all have a story in it. I have an Infinite Kung Fu story in it. Its ten bucks and we just got our orders from that today and they were not very good. I don’t know what the problem is but it could be a lot better as far as people buying stuff.
What drew you to the kung fu flicks and the blaxploitation movies that you use as an influence in your art?
Honestly, I really started getting into the kung fu stuff when the Wu Tang album came out. I think a lot of other people did too. It’s not even so much about the fighting it’s the ideas in kung fu movies are from a culture that are so far from ours in the west that its really fascinating to watch because they aren’t in any of the movies over here. With the blaxploitation stuff for me, it’s more the music than the movies. When I was younger, I was listening to a lot of hiphop and I still do now but most of the stuff I’m listening to is where hiphop came from and all of the stuff they sampled like the soundtracks to the movies, soul and jazz from the 70s.
I was looking on your message board today and you definitely have a good rapport with your fans. Do you ever take any suggestions from them and implement them into the comics?
Yea once and a while. It is cool to find out what people like. I have in my mind what I want to do but at the same time everyone does love the Moog Jugular character and I gotta give more of that kinda thing. The next thing I’m working on is a horror mini series that centers around him. I want it to be like they can ask a question and I can just answer it but it’s hard to keep up sometimes.
When fans finally meet you at one of the comic conventions after following your work what’s the first thing they say?
One of my most popular questions is what kind of kung fu do you do and I feel like a poser because I don’t do any kung fu. A lot of other people are like I thought you were black.
Do you get groupies?
Nah I’m married.
That’s been our running theme do comic artists get groupies.
There are a few girls that like my book but the core audience is probably young guys based on the people I’ve met at the conventions.
Is your wife a big comic book fan?
No not at all, she is a teacher. The cool thing is the kids like it although I have to check with the parents because there is a little bit of blood and guts in the comic. They just love comics and I think it’s cool to try and get them hooked on it while their young so when they grow up I’ll have someone buying my stuff.
What other types of themes are you thinking about trying to develop once you finish the Infinite Kung Fu series?
I did this poster of the history of rap and I just did it for a buddy of mine who owns a record store. Everyone flipped over it and I’ve been doing so good with those. A comic book audience is different than a hiphop audience. Most hiphop heads wouldn’t go into a comic book store because it seems like a club. You can only buy comics at a comic book store and it’s almost like if you don’t know what you want why would you go in. To a degree around Toronto I can sell Infinite Kung Fu at a record store and it doesn’t seem out of place. I think I’d like to do something that is a comic but can be in clothing and record stores to open it up to a whole new audience. I think comic book stores are for people who buy comics all the time. When I go into a comic book store I look around and then I walk out because I don’t know what’s out there and I don’t read a lot of comics myself. So much of it is bad and there is so much of it you don’t know what to look for.
Kinda like hiphop music.
Yea exactly. So I might do something that can crossover to different types of audiences to sell at shows or something like that.
I heard you compete in Halloween costume contests. Do you still dress up for Halloween? Haha
That was a couple years ago in college but I made a full samurai armor costume. It was pretty sweet but it didn’t win. I got second.
What was the prize?
The first prize was money and the second prize was a sweatshirt or something.
What was the first prizewinner wearing?
The person who won was a funny guy. He was supposed to be a man riding an ostrich.
Haha! Did you dress up for Halloween this year?
Yea, I was Freddy Krueger and my brother was Jason. They had a Halloween party at a comic book shop downtown. Everyone was dressed up so it was cool.
Time for the bullets section
If you had a choice to play professional Frisbee or Dodge Ball which would you pick?
I’m pretty weak. I like dodge ball but I’d probably pick Frisbee.
Who is more of a weirdo Marilyn Manson or Andre 3000 from Outkast?
Marilyn Manson
Would go deep sea diving in shark infested waters or race Puffy Combs in a 26-mile marathon?
The race
If you had a choice between a bald pet gorilla or a cow with no milk which would you choose?
Gorilla
A 3-legged goat or a hog with diarrhea?
Goat
Final Question – If you could take anyone from the Wu Tang for a comic book which would you pick and what capabilities would you give them?
I think the RZA would be the coolest comic book character. I’d give him the Bobby Digital mask and laser darts. He’d be the most fun to draw and maybe Dirty would be his sidekick.
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