She-Dragon...The Emerald Goddess!

Erik Larsen's wildly popular and outrageously unpredictable Savage Dragon has finally spawned a worthy spin-off: She-Dragon! The 64 page one-shot about Dragon's formidable female counterpart is due in comic book stores everywhere July 26th, 2006 by Image Comics. JXM sat down with Franchesco!, the very talented and up and coming artist of the book, to chat about the project and the Emerald Goddess herself, She-Dragon!

Make sure to check out the Exclusive Preview Pages below of Image Comics' She-Dragon by Erik Larsen and Franchesco!

JXM: How did the idea for this spin-off come about, and how did you get involved in the project?

Franchesco!: Good question, but I'm not exactly sure. It's all a great big blur of fun and excitement. Erik Larsen and I had discussed working together on something at Wizard World Los Angeles - one day he was like, "how about She-Dragon?" Is the guy a genius or what? *laughs* Editors left and right have offered me work in the past...but not too many came up with something that was right up my alley. My first big break in the big leagues was co-creating and illustrating a Green Lantern for DC Comics. I really love the colour 'green'...now more than ever.

People seem to respond well to the way I draw, but when I draw females, folks seem to really dig that more. All the sketch requests I get at conventions are of females. It surprises me when they ask for a guy character once in a blue moon, and that makes for a refreshing change of pace. I assumed that my first gig for a major publisher, would've been on a female book. I thought for sure it would've been something like Wonder Woman or She-Hulk. But the first gig at DC was a big, giant purple muscle dude. Not that I'm complaining. I loved drawing Adam for DC comics. And being asked to create the character's visual from scratch was very flattering.

Fast forward to today; and I get to have fun drawing the ultimate girl-book that guys love. The She-Dragon extra-special Special has been a total blast to work on. Leave it to Erik Larsen to beat everyone else to the punch, and do what the real people out there have been asking for all these years.

JXM: Beforehand, were you at all a Savage Dragon fan yourself?

Franchesco!: Absolutely was, and still am a big Savage Dragon fan. We affectionately refer to ourselves as "finheads". So yeah, I am a proud card-carrying member of that exclusive club. The only requirement to join is to have great taste. We all love the stuff Erik has created in his book...and the stuff he's come up with lately is completely blowing our socks off.

One would think that boy would've peaked years ago...but he is creating some of the best stuff of his career right now, with no end in sight. He is a giant talent, and I feel very lucky to have gotten to work with him on this one-shot.

JXM: Tell us a little bit about the She-Dragon one-shot. What can readers expect?

Franchesco!: Expect the unexpected. Anyone who is familiar with Erik Larsen's work will tell you that. Anything goes, nothing is sacred or off-limits. It's the only book out there where even the star of the book is not immune from extinction. Other books you see the hero in dire straits, but there is no real underlying threat. We all know that by the time the issue is done, or the story arc wraps up...the hero will either save the day, get all better, or come back from the dead. Not so in the Savage Dragon universe. Dead characters stay deader than a doornail. That's the kind of unexpected stuff folks will get with She-Dragon. The sky is the limit...she was thrown into a strange corner of Dragon's universe called Dimension-X. It is a place ripe with unlimited potential, brimming with unspeakable dangers that lurk around every corner. Vast and uncharted territory, peppered with bright spots full of hope and possibilities was our playground. That's the journey Erik took me on with this story, and I was more than happy to go along for the ride.

JXM: Is the book a departure in any way from the regular Savage Dragon series in terms of both story and art?

Franchesco!: Yes and no...it is different in the sense that it doesn't LOOK like the Savage Dragon title...since he asked me to draw it. She-Dragon READS exactly like 'he-dragon' because Erik Larsen wrote it. It's what really sold me on the idea. At the same time, it 'looks' and 'feels' like the flagship title primarily because of the colours. Erik also honoured me by colouring it, along with the guy who used to colour the flagship title (Bill Crabtree) who jumped in and cooked up a storm toward the end. Getting it into the hands of the fans that have been so supportive and eternally patient feels so rewarding. I wanted the one shot to be authentic, and was really happy when it all came together the way it did. Nothing is more of a downer then when we pick up a spin-off or special of a series I enjoy, and it looks and feels nothing like the source material does. I even wanted to draw She-Dragon on the same paper Erik draws 'he-dragon' on, and the dude was kind enough to oblige. We're happy to feature the stunning lettering work from the talented Chris Eliopoulos as well, who has been the letterer extraordinaire on Savage Dragon for the longest time.

It just 'feels' right. When I get to the San Diego Comicon International this year, the highlight for me is going to be seeing the comic book in print for the very first time...and will be available to anyone around the globe interested in American comics that same week - oh yeah!

Erik and I added a lot more content to the issue. Brimming with more story and expanded 'extras' (behind the scenes stuff) we planned to include in the original draft hammered out at Wizard World Chicago. The She-Dragon Special began at a seam-splitting 48 pages. So we thought, no worries, let the good times roll, we're having fun...it's all good. But we just kept going and going, and quickly ran out of room. The issue has now swelled up to 64 pages, and we are NOT charging a thin dime more for it either...same low cost, tons more art. It's not just BIG anymore, it's freaking HUGE!

JXM: For those new to the Dragon universe, is any previous knowledge of the continuity required to check out the book?

Franchesco!: That's a great question. No previous knowledge is necessary or required. This story has a beginning, middle, and end...it literally stands on its own (and story-wise too). Did I mention that it's 64 pages? You can probably play 'dominos' with them if you pick up multiple copies.

JXM: Can we expect more She-Dragon in the future?

Franchesco!: I don't know...you're assuming that She-Dragon makes it out alive and in one piece. Does she? Or doesn't she? I ain't spilling the beans, no ways, no hows. The events from the She-Dragon Special lead directly into Savage Dragon #128 featuring the cast made up of those lovable lawbreakers from Mark Millar and J.G. Jones' caustic classic Wanted.

Warning: If you pick one up from your favorite comic book retailer...chances are, you won't be able to put it down. Don't say I didn't warn you...and thanks for your support y'all.