INTERVIEW: DANIEL SCHAFFER, 'DOGWITCH'
By Alan Donald
Taken from REDEYE EXTRA.

UK creator Daniel Schaffer writes and illustrates the wickedly twisted Dogwitch for Sirus. Dogwitch is a kinky blend of soft-porn, witchcraft and just plain zany fun. This is not a title for the faint hearted but it is definitely one for those who don't mind admitting to enjoying the female form and for those with a good sense of humour. Schaffer's art is incredible and it is a crime that none of the major companies have picked him up yet. ALAN DONALD caught up with Dan for to discuss Dogwitch amongst other things…

ALAN DONALD: Tell us about Dogwitch. What's it all about?

DAN SCHAFFER: It's a bi-monthly comic book, published by Sirius entertainment, following the misadventures of a kinky, outcast, reality/snuff TV witch superstar, as she struggles to push the boundaries of accepted witchcraft while confronting the horrors of undead dating, accidental fame, isolation, and madness.

AD: What influenced the title in terms of style, design and the stories themselves?

DS: The art style and design of the comic is very specific. To achieve the desired effect, which is to create a more tangible link with the insanity in the stories, the art needed to be quite detailed, with realistic looking characters, rather than iconic cartoons. The stories, of course, are inspired by too much TV and too many bad videos.

AD: How did you get your break with Sirius?

DS: I just kept working at them until they caved in. I wanted to work with Sirius because of their creator friendly approach. They only take on people who are completely fanatical about their work, and they allow them the freedom to explore their full potential with minimal editorial control, which is exactly what I was looking for. And I heard they were nice people, too, which they are.

AD: Were you self publishing before that or was this your first venture?

DS: I've never self-published. I don't have the confidence, business sense or stamina for it. I worked in other areas of art, for various companies in the UK, before entering the comics field, but Dogwitch is my first published comic.

AD: Where do you see the title going?

DS: Well, regardless of the mayhem that seems to explode over the pages of each issue, it is actually following a set path. I know exactly where it's going, and why. I'm not quite sure about everything that's going to happen in the middle, of course, I like to keep some stuff fresh and just make it up as I go along, but it's all leading somewhere. If I'm still going four or five years from now, Dogwitch will have reached its first destination. Whether this will be the final destination, or the first stop on a road of many, we'll have to see.

AD: What artistic or literary training do you have?

DS: Uhm… none, really. I left school at 18 and taught myself how to do it the hard way, working around the day job at weekends and in the evenings. I don't necessarily recommend doing it that way.

AD: Are you working on anything else besides Dogwitch at the moment? Have any of the big 5 expressed an interest in your work yet?

DS: I've been doing some fill-in artwork for Sirius' "Poison Elves" title, and I'm about to start art duties on a full-color, fully painted, Poison Elves mini-series. I'm really excited about this one. It was written by Keith Davidsen, and it's a killer story. I'm think I might have to go a little crazy with the artwork! It's going to be something completely different for me, for Sirius, and for Poison Elves. Other than that, all my focus is currently on Dogwitch and Sirius. The work I do for them keeps me going pretty much flat out. There are a few interesting opportunities lurking on horizon, but nothing that's likely to drag me away from where I am now. Sirius is my home, and I'm very happy there.

AD: What do you think of the Indy scene in the UK?

DS: There's an indy scene in the UK? I don't know a lot about it. Everything I tried to do in the UK fell flat on its arse, so I turned my attention to the States.

AD: Do you class yourself as an Indy creator or are you a company man?

DS: I suppose you could class me as an indy creator, in as much as I don't want to tow any company lines, or get involved with writing or drawing established titles that have the editorial equivalent of the SS looking over them. But at the same time, I'm completely dedicated to the work that Sirius do, and see myself as an essential part if their team. Sure, this involves working on some of their established titles, but these guys trust me enough to allow me to approach the work in my own way. I feel like a flesh and blood creator with Sirius, not a cog in a machine. It's all very healthy.

AD: Where can people go to find out more about Dogwitch?

DS: The official Dogwitch website is at - www.dogwitch.com. The Sirius website and online store is at - www.cosmictherapy.com.

The official Dogwitch message board "Spitting Nails" is at - http://pub8.ezboard.com/bspittingnails, or can be linked through dogwitch.com.
Other than that, please check out Previews each month under the "Sirius Transmissions" section.