You have been
writing the lyrics for your bands for many years but what made you write a
graphic novel?
I have been writing
stories most of my life. when fear factory began, i was given an opportunity to
wrote my sci-fi stories in to the album. yes, i have been writing lyrics,
however the lyrics are also part of the story. when i sit down to complete the
story after the album has been completely recorded, i use the lyrics as an
outline to create the main story. in the album obsolete is the story/screenplay
that reads along with the lyrics. i wrote a story for digimortal, but i did not
like it. it was too matrix. i did not try to actually write another story for
an album until The Industrialist. the concept of the album and lyrics
presented me with another great opportunity to create a new world.
What’s the plot of The Industrialist?
This story takes
place in the near future. A dystopia corrupted by oligarchs. The protagonist is
an automaton called The Indutrialist. Through experiences and memory retention
it has become sentient. The antagonist, The
Creator, has scheduled The Industrialist's model to be collected and removed
for disassembly. The Industrialist has grown a following of other, similar
automatons to seek out the creator in order to not be disassembled, to prolong
their existence.
The artwork samples
look very cool and professional, who is the drawer?
The album was
completed and released. It took me a year of searching to find my artist.
Through a mutual friend I was introduced to Noel Guard. I met him at the last
show of The Industrialist tour in London. After communicating with him via
email, I learned he was already a Fear Factory fan. I believe that is the
reason why he really connected with my vision.
When it comes to writing a story that goes with the album, the lyrics come first. Once we have figured out running order for the album, that order becomes my outline. I take all my notes that I had been writing during the writing/recording process along with the lyrics and lay them out so that I can look at them all at once.
I am a night owl,
so I do all my writing at night, when everyone has gone to bed. When there are
zero distractions. I sit alone in my space, at my desk. Minimum lighting, only
the floor lamp next to me. I do like to drink wine, and occasionally I enjoy
smoking marijuana. These are only to help me relax, so that my mind can focus
on the world I wish to create. I do like to have background music playing at
very low volume, almost inaudible. Nothing with vocals/singers/words.
Soundtracks, jazz, ambient noise. These are the sounds that create the mood for
my worlds.
It does take time to get my world created, but once it starts, I am in the zone. The story plays out like a movie in my mind, and sometimes it's actually difficult for my typing to keep up with my brain. The feeling of creation is so gratifying to my soul. I become part of my story. I am my story. Everything I write is from my heart and soul, translated into a sci-fi story about automatons.
It does take time to get my world created, but once it starts, I am in the zone. The story plays out like a movie in my mind, and sometimes it's actually difficult for my typing to keep up with my brain. The feeling of creation is so gratifying to my soul. I become part of my story. I am my story. Everything I write is from my heart and soul, translated into a sci-fi story about automatons.
What are your main influences as a
writer?
I have many inspirations when it comes
to my writing. I am an observer of the world. I just don't watch the world, I
absorb it. I contemplate all of it's complexities.
As a long time fan of the science fiction genre, can you tell us your top 5 –movies, books, magazines, TV shows etc - all time favorite titles?
There are many. I
will try to keep it down to 5 for each medium.
Movies:
1)
Blade Runner (every version)
2)
Terminator (The original)
3)
Alien
4)
Close Encounters
5)
Dune ( David Lynch )
Books:
1)
1984 - George Orwell
2)
VALIS - Philip K Dick
3)
3001 - Arthur C. Clarke
4) Do
androids dream of electric sheep - Philip K Dick
5) The
Age Of the Spiritual Machine- Ray Kurzweil
Magazines:
1)
Scientific American
2)
Discover
3)
Science
4)
Fine Art
5)
National Geographic
TV:
1)
Project Blue Book (1970's)
2)
Star Trek
3)
Twilight Zone
4) In
search of ( 1970's )
5)
Star Trek: Next Generation
What is your favorite comic book? Or one
that has had a great impact on you.
That's a big
question. I've been enjoying comics my entire life. I have had so many that I
would collect for a while; World WIthout End, Hellboy, The Coffin, Spawn,
Channel Zero, Ghost Rider, Sin City, Priest,… just as a start.
If you could write
the soundtrack of a science fiction work in any format, which one would you
choose? What would it sound like style wise?
I've thought about
adapting Cormac McCarthy's book Blood Meridien into a sci-fi western. It would
sound like ennio Morricone meets ambient noise.
If The Industrialist would be adapted to
a movie or a TV show, what director would you like to handle it? Any
suggestions for the cast?
If I could find a
director that could be the perfect union of Ridley Scott and David Lynch, That
would be my director. As for the cast? The Industrialist is an Automaton, so
that would have to be CGI, but I would want the voice of Christian Bale.
Are there any
future projects as a writer on the horizon?
Oh yes! I have
discussed with Noel about the possibility of another graphic novel. I won't
tell the title, but it would take place in the near future, with biblical
references. I am also a photographer, and I have a couple of photo series I am
compiling to release as photo books.
People can always find put what I'm doing bu going to my website www.BurtonCBell.com. Sign up for the mailing list to get newsletters of what I am doing!
Picture courtesy of Kevin Estrada
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