TIDALWAVE SPOTLIGHT: MICHAEL FRIZELL

Every Friday, since 2018, I've been posting a series of previews that showcase the comic books published by TidalWave Comics. Sometimes, these comics are biographies focused on famous people, such as Christopher Reeve, for instance, the celebrated Hollywood actor, and at other times, they're bold and daring adventures starring fresh, new, characters. Want to know more? Then please check out the following interview I did with one of the writers that works at TidalWave, Michael Frizell.





1) Name three words that best describe who you are.   Well, even though I don't like being pigeonholed by labels because I'm constantly trying to figure out my own niche, at the moment, I'd say I'm creative, curious, and flexible.

2) How did you first become involved with TidalWave?   I first met Darren (the head of TidalWave) via social media, and this eventually led to a lengthy phone call and a proposition I couldn't refuse. Well, I always wanted to write comic books, but I never considered writing comic book biographies. So, after some much-needed deliberation, he sent me two topics that were rather well-received, circa 2014, and that's how our partnership began.

3) Which TidalWave project did you enjoy working on the most, and which was the least enjoyable?   The political profiles are always the hardest to write because I have to resist the urge to insert personal commentary and I don't want to recreate a colorful Wikipedia page. So, for the sake of balance, I try to keep things neutral and write about a politician with a long and interesting career. In the case of Marco Rubio, however, well, it was early in his career and there just wasn't a lot to write about. Nuff said. 

Now, on a more positive note, I do love writing fictional titles, such as the 'Fantasy World of Bettie Page', 'Stormy Daniels: Space Force', and 'Ares: Goddess of War', as I don't have to worry about being factually accurate about a person's career or concerned about enraging a segment of our readership. Heck, all I have to do is create fun (Bettie), adventurous (Stormy), and engaging (Ares) stories about powerful women in extraordinary circumstances (I say that like it's easy, ha!). 

4) What song best describes your style of creativity and why?   To answer this question, I'd like to select the Queensryche song, 'Silent Lucidity', because the second verse really speaks to me. It says...

'There's a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run through in the night
Relax, child; you were there
But only didn't realize and you were scared
It's a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the years
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly, you hear and see

This magic new dimension'.

You see, as a kid, I suffered from severe asthma that forced me to spend a lot of time indoors, writing and reading. So for me, science fiction is the 'place I like to hide' and writing was the 'doorway' that I ran through whenever I needed to escape. In doing so, though, I began to realize that imagination is the key when creating a compelling piece of writing, especially in comic books, as it allows everyone to 'face your fears' and 'retrace the years' because you put yourself into everything you create.

5) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your wares, who would you choose and why?   I'd like to select Edgar Rice Burroughs because one of my favorite novels is his 1912 science fiction fantasy, 'A Princess of Mars', which is imaginative, creative, and way ahead of its time (just like the man himself).

6) Do you have any other projects lined up outside of TidalWave?   Yes, I do, because my brother and I have created a graphic novel called 'Bender', which is about the infamous serial killer family that operated during the reconstruction era in southeast Kansas.

And on that note, I'd like to thank Michael for telling us about working at TidalWave Comics, before encouraging you to check out his Linkedin, Twitter, and Amazon pages.