Check Out Mack Duncan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mack Duncan.

Hi Mack, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
For most of my life, I was in the performing arts. I have a degree in theater, with some training in film as well. For a couple of years, I was the head writer of a sketch comedy troupe in college. That’s where I got to know the art of improvisation. The first few years out of college were not great until I found improv again. This led me to co-found The Torch Theatre in 2007 and co-producing The Phoenix Improv Festival for 20 years. Along the way, I also ventured into puppetry and short films.

I also started teaching high school in 2003. In 2007, during my journey as a theater arts teacher, I wrote a play for my students about young people with extraordinary abilities… a kind of low-budget X-Men for the stage. My bosses, however, thought it was a little too ambitious for me to produce, so I put it away until 2018. That’s when I decided to adapt it into a comic book. What was originally titled “Among Us” has been reimagined into AU Comics.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Anyone who tells you a career in the arts is easy is either lying or not an artist. I launched the first two issues in February 2020. In August 2020, I was really excited to hear that people were talking about “Among Us.” That was until I found out they were talking about the video game and not my books. Releasing issue 3 around that time provoked some unexpected hostility. Fans of the game were attacking me online because I had a similar (or rather a coincidentally identical) title. Many of them accused me of ripping off the title and attempting to exploit the game’s popularity. To this day, I don’t think the makers of the game have any idea that I or my book exists, and I’ve certainly done nothing to hurt their bottom line. That said, the brand confusion wasn’t doing me any favors, so I eventually rebranded the series to AU. It now serves as an imprint like Marvel or DC. Eventually, I hope to release other titles under the AU banner.

I have many issues written, but only 5 have been completed and released. Since I do not do the art myself, I have to hire other artists to do that work, and they’re not free. In those first five issues, I ended up spending significantly more than I was bringing in, so production is on hold until I get the sales up.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Since I didn’t dive into the comic book biz until about five years ago, I’m still a relative noob to the whole thing. It’s strange to start a new career at 45 (I’ll be 50 in October), but since I’ll be retired from teaching in a few years, I’m hoping this new venture will be rewarding.

The universe of AU draws a lot of inspiration from late 20th/early 21st-century popular culture. It’s a superhero world without capes or spandex. The stories start small with a police procedural and a teen drama. Eventually, there will be high-stakes, universe-altering crises, but it does all begin with people with powers who don’t really want them. It’s a little comic book with big publisher ambitions.

When I set up tables at conventions, I tell people it’s a 100% locally produced independent comic.

What’s next?
I’m doing a few more small conventions this year, including The Arizona Comic Book Arts Festival in February and the Phoenix Fan Fusion in May.

I’m hoping to cultivate more of a following so that there’s a demand for all of the stories I’ve already written.

Also, I’m going to practice drawing more and push myself to do different kinds of comics. There’s more to the medium than heroes and villains.

Pricing:

• Individual Issues $5
• Trade Paperbacks $15
• Two Issues $10 ($8 at conventions)
• Special Edition TPB (only 10 exist) $100

Contact Info:

• Website: aucomics.com
• Instagram: @aucomicbooks
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AUComicsGraphicNovel/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AUComicBooks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aucomics

Image Credits
Ben Worrell and Fabio Bandres