Meet Mad Cave Studios
I first discovered Mad Cave Studios over social media and since then, have been completely in love with most of their titles, especially Show’s End and one of their new titles coming October 30th, Wolvenheart. I got curious to see who was behind this new publisher and why should we check out their titles. I was lucky enough to ask some questions to Mark London, founder of Mad Cave Studios.
COMIC LOUNGE: What was the dream or motivation behind Mad Cave Studio?
MARK LONDON: I'm in love with storytelling. I grew up in the ’80s, a great time to be exposed to all sorts of media: Comics, video games, movies, animation, literature; all great platforms for storytelling in their own way. I devoured everything I could get my hands on, but comics were always something special to me. There is something about sequential art that connects with me and still mesmerizes me to this day. To some, comics are just pictures divided into panels, into pages, but for me, they’re so much more. Ultimately, it was my wife who encouraged me to pursue my passion and that's how Mad Cave Studios was born.
COMIC LOUNGE: In an era dominated by the same two gigantic companies for years, was it hard for you to start your own business?
MARK: It's hard, but what isn't? Yes, the big two are called the “big two” for a reason, but there are always opportunities out there for fresh new publishers...we just have to stick to our own plan which is to make the most fun and diverse comics for everyone.
COMIC LOUNGE: I noticed we, the comic fans, started reading more and more Independent Comics on the market. Why do you think the indie market is now slowly taking more space in the industry? Why not sooner?
MARK: This is only my opinion, but I feel there is a saturation of comics at the big two. Indie comics offer fresh ideas and wild concepts that don't necessarily play into what is expected from certain companies. That’s how big corporations work, there’s no way around it. Indie comics, on the other hand, have the freedom to do whatever they want and that’s what more and more readers are looking for nowadays.
COMIC LOUNGE: You've recently promoted on your social media that you were looking for new talents to complete your team. How do you choose the creative members for Mad Cave Studios? What are you looking for when looking at portfolios of artists and writers?
MARK: We are looking for people who have a fresh voice. That spark that makes you wonder where has this person has been all my life? This industry is very hard to break into and with our talent search, we feel we are giving something back to the community.
COMIC LOUNGE: Currently, on the online store of your website, you only ship within the US. Can we hope for international shipping in the near future?
MARK: Yes, like everything, it’s one of the many challenges a young company is faced with. Rest assured, we are doing everything in our power to expand our distribution to other regions.
COMIC LOUNGE: How would you describe Mad Cave Studios' signature? What can we expect from comics published under your company's name?
MARK: From all of us at Mad Cave, we love what we do and we hope that those who read our comics can see that. We want people who read our comics to have fun and appreciate a well-made comic book.
COMIC LOUNGE: You are the founder of Mad Cave Studios but also the writer of some titles such as BattleCats. What (or who) got you into comics in the first place?
MARK: When I first read Silver Surfer #53. I gravitated towards that cover faster than the Herald of Galactus himself. I mean, Norrin Radd yelling “Death to the Emperor!”? Comic books made a fan for life that day!
COMIC LOUNGE: Mad Cave Studios started in 2013, but I can see you taking more place on the market. What are the goals of Mad Cave Studios for the upcoming years?
MARK: Right now, we are only focused on proving ourselves in the market by creating fun, action-packed comics across a variety of genres. This has become Mad Cave’s obsession since we joined Diamond Distribution. For the next few years, Mad Cave has an aggressive strategy that we know will benefit fans of all genres. Mad stories with mad twists are coming your way from diverse writers and artists that love the medium and the industry.