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Angelo Furlan - 2006 JAZMA Interview
Bonus Material
(Once you get some people started, they just can't stop talking. In the following material, Angelo discusses the creation of SINNAMON, his favorite entertainment, and making movies. If you haven’t read the JAZMA Interview, you can find it here.)
Talking Sinnamon
Question: What inspired you to create "Sinnamon"?
Angelo: When I was doing the convention circuit to promote Bruiser for another publisher, I saw that "bad girls" were all the rage. M. Gerald Delaney and I discussed doing our own version of a female superhero. For some reason, I thought she should be named "Cinnamon", largely because I wanted her to be a redhead clad in a red costume. When M. Gerald drew up a character design, he changed the name to "Sinnamon". That was a very good thing, because neither of us knew that DC already had a western character named after the spice.
Our intention was to produce a book that was unique. My idea was to create a character that had been given amazing power without any clear direction on how to use it. Think about it - if you suddenly had power that put you beyond normal restraints, how would you use it? Cindy Canyon decided to step out on her own to become Sinnamon, using her own moral compass as a guide. Sometimes she'll make mistakes, and sometimes she'll make decisions that might not echo the status quo.
Personally, I like the idea that the most powerful person on the planet just might be a woman in her early twenties. What are her priorities? Can she balance a responsibility to use those powers wisely with having a satisfying personal life? Can Cindy find inner happiness? Can she find a way to pay the rent?
During our recent hiatus, M. Gerald and I kept talking about Sinnamon and possible story ideas. We came up with so many wild and wacky ideas that we simply had to come back and put these ideas into print.
Personal Stuff
Question: What are your hobbies and recreational activities?
Angelo: I love playing guitar, not that I'm very good at it. There's something about coaxing sounds from the instrument that fires up my soul. And the electric guitar lends itself very well to sound creation via effect pedals.
Question: What TV shows, movies, cartoons do you like?
Angelo: TV shows: I loved "Seinfeld" while it was in production and the humor holds up in repeated viewing, which I find doesn't seem to be true for most "live" shows. Among current program, I think "House" is a great fantasy/humor show. I wish someone would run "The Avengers" (starring Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg), because I remember watching it in syndication back as a pup and thinking it was a great show. It had an amazing theme song.
Since you've put "cartoons" in a separate category, I'll list my all time favorites: "Simpsons", "King Of The Hill", "Superman" (I have both DVD sets), "Justice League", and a real surprise in "The Venture Brothers". I call it a surprise because I didn't expect it to be so good. M. Gerald pointed it out to me. For some reason, animated series seem to be better written than the majority of "live" television shows. I think creators take more chances and cover a wider range of material.
As for movies, three that come to mind are "The Princess Bride", "This Is Spinal Tap", and "Help!" I'm not the type to watch movies more than once. However, I never tire of the three mentioned, though it's been a few years since I've seen "Help!" I have the first two movies on DVD. I have quite a few movies in DVD format, a shocking number of which are still in shrink-wrap, so maybe I won't buy any more.
Question: What comics are you reading?
Angelo: That's a tough question to answer. With the current cost of comics, I've become very selective. And I've noticed a growing trend among creative teams to wind up their stay on a mainstream book in a rather final manner. For example, I really enjoyed Mark Waid's run on "Fantastic Four". His work on other titles brought me back to a book I had dropped many years ago. The last issue of his run was written in such a way that it seemed like the series had ended on a high note. So I stopped buying the book. The same went for Geoff Johns' run on "The Flash".
The only current title that I have bought from the very beginning is Tales of Suspense - just kidding! I've bought "J.S.A." from the first issue. I've always had a weakness for the "Earth-2" heroes. I'm also buying the current run of "Captain America", "She-Hulk", and a very few others.
Because comics are so expensive, I've become very selective. Over the past few years, I've dropped books in mid-story line because I didn't think I was getting my money's worth. This is a principle I try to keep utmost in my mind while writing "Sinnamon".
Making Movies
Question: If Sinnamon became a movie, who would play the character parts and why?
Angelo: If we're talking about a Hollywood production, let's put Jessica Alba in the red spandex because we want the movie to make money. Jessica happens to be about the right age to play Sinnamon, too. By the time a movie gets done, the comic will have a new supporting character who could be played by Halle Berry (because we based the character's likeness on her). We'd need a tall actress for Infama, so I'd suggest Kristen Johnston (Third Rock From The Sun) because she can play funny and intimidating. Susan Sarandon could play Mysiah. Wow, what an attractive cast! In fact, someone else can cast the male roles because just thinking about those women has ruined my concentration.
Realistically, if a Sinnamon movie were made, you'd likely see Ida Sawabe as the lead character. She played the lead in a movie I co-wrote this past summer titled "Dariah: On-line and Lethal". Ida is an aspiring actress who I think has the potential to gain a cult following. Much like Sinnamon herself!
If I had any kind of budget, I'd cast Suzi Lorraine as Infama. She's a "scream queen" who's smart and gorgeous.
Question: Hold on! You wrote a movie?
Angelo: Helped write is more like it. There's a strong comic book connection here. Remember Nick Poliwko? He was involved with inking some issues of SINNAMON, and drew issue #12 of the original series as well as SIINNAMON SAGA #1 (the last issue until now). He moved to Winnipeg a few years ago and caught the movie-making bug. He asked me to help write a movie script, based on an idea he had. It was quite the experience, even if I didn't get to fly over and partake in the filming. We put together one script, then had to keep rewriting as we gained and lost locales and actors.
Question: The movie's called "Dariah: On-line and Lethal"? When can we see it?
Angelo: Hold on a bit. Nick finished shooting in October, and he's deep into editing. I have seen a rough-cut of the first eight minutes, and I am impressed. I think our star, Ida Sawabe, has a fair bit of screen presence. If this movie does well, I hope we can do more.
Although the movie has nothing to do with Catfish Comics, rest assured I will provide updates as I get them.
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