Richard: What is the basic storyline of "Fallen Justice"?

Cary: In a nutshell, Fallen Justice is about what happens to the most powerful hero in the world when he finds out he has three months left to live. It's about the choices we make when we're faced with a hard cold reality and then living with those decisions no matter what.

Richard: Who makes up the team?

Cary: The book was written by myself (Cary Kelley) and Steven Forbes based on my initial creation and plots. We brought in Harold Edge to wade through out crazy scripts and get the art right, and then found Ross Hughes lurking around and pressed him into service on colors. To round out the team I picked up the lettering chores, and we were lucky to find Ken Janssens to serve as our editor. Poor guy!

Wait... did you mean the team in the book? Sorry! Justice Theta is the leader and all around super guy. Dynagirl is Justice Theta's girlfriend as well as a powerful hero in her own right. Dervish is the team speedster and a total goofball. Prometheus is one of the last Titans still walking the Earth, and a mean man when you get him mad. Shockwave and Ms. Anarchy round things out as the resident married members of the group. They're both in their 50s! And they have kids who are heroes as well.

Richard: Why and how did Justice Theta become the leader of this team?

Cary: Well, his power level alone dictates a certain level of respect. You know what they say, you can't ignore the biggest kid on the block for long! But he's also a natural in terms of leadership and heroism. He's been around for around 80 years by the time Fallen Justice takes place, so even though he looks much younger, he's been in the hero game longer than most of the team has been alive. He's grown and lived with most of his teammates and they trust him. Sometimes…far too much for their own good.

Richard: Who is Simon Hurst?

Cary: Ah! Simon Hurst is probably one of my favorite characters to write because he's just so greasy evil. He's a psychopathic, truly irredeemable villain and there's something…refreshing about that these days when it seems like everyone wants a conscience all of a sudden. Simon takes what he wants, and does as he pleases, without regard for what others think or who he hurts in the process. In addition to this, his powers and his high level of intelligence make for a scary combination in a villain. When Simon touches you, you're under his spell and you do what he says plain and simple.

Richard: Why are people going to love this comic?

Cary: I think because it's different. Sure we've got heroes but we're dealing with themes in a way you don't get every day. Plus these characters are real people, and that does make all the difference in the world.

Also, we're unique in that whoever dies in the Fallen Justice-verse stays dead. You won't see any Dallas shower scenes or any Spider-clone nonsense. Now that doesn't mean you won't see some characters you THOUGHT were dead again, but rest assured if there's a body, they won't be back. The entire creative team is made up of serious comic book fans and as such you're going to find the whole thing full of little Easter eggs and homages to what has gone before. This series is something we wanted to feel familiar and yet stand apart. I feel, now that I can see the completed series, that we've done that in spades and people will respond positively to that, hopefully in a big way.

Richard: What do you think of Harold Edge's art?

Cary: Incredible. I got about as lucky as any one person has a right to when he answered my ad for an artist. His was the most professional submission you'd ever want to get first off, and it just so happened that I had just picked up the Sixgun Samurai series that same week! So when the artist on that series wrote with interest about my superhero work, I HAD to take a second look! At first I thought..."But that's a western. How would his stuff look with superheroes?" So I went back and read the series again with a specific look at the art, and I made it about 12 or 13 pages in before I was sold. His work is so dynamic and the poses and shots he uses are filled with the kind of energy I wanted in this book.

So yeah, I put the ball in his hands without a second thought.

Richard: What is it like working with Steven Forbes?

Cary: Steve is a force, no doubt about it. When I originally asked him to co-write this story with me it was a lot different. Shorter, less involved. Honestly less of a story. But Steve brought his own brand of madness to the table and the first thing he said was, we needed to make it longer. At first, I wasn't convinced. But it didn't take me long to realize he was absolutely right. Since then we haven't really looked back. He's great for bouncing ideas off of, and for getting honest and grounded critiques as well. If you're looking for someone to sugar coat it, Steve's about as far from what you want as you can possibly imagine. But he's a straight shooter, and he doesn't pull punches, and when you're trying to perfect your story, don't you want that? I know I do!

Richard: How did you come up with the idea for "Fallen Justice"?

Cary: I was pissed off! I had just read Action Comics #775 (go get it if you have never read it. I still recommend it to anyone I know.) and I felt…empty. As sad as it sounds it was so much better than the entire Death of Superman storyline, except they ruined the ending by letting Superman live and basically return to his status quo. I felt robbed as a reader, and it made me mad. So I got to thinking about how I'd kill Superman if I ever got the chance. That led me to flesh the story out some…add in some details, and suddenly I had the making of a story I really badly wanted to tell. But DC would never agree. You can beat Superman to death and he'll come back, cause that's what he does. But a terminal brain tumor? He's not too likely to come back from that. So I threw Superman out the window and made my own guy. After that things just sorta steamrolled.

Richard: How was Red Handed Studios formed?

Cary: Red Handed Studios is a phoenix of sorts. I had another studio type thing for a while called Paper Dragonz. We published a couple of books and then my marriage at the time came unraveled, taking Paper Dragonz with it for the most part. I could have continued with the name and logo, but it seemed better for all involved to just start fresh, and that was the day that Red Handed Studios was born.

I was goofing around with my scanner and scanned my hand…then got to looking at it and liked the way it looked! So I played around with it in Photoshop for a bit till I was happy with it, and the rest is history. The name actually comes from my grandmother. She used to love to tell stories about how she'd catch me doing things I shouldn't have been doing. She'd shake her finger at me and tell anyone who'd listen that she caught me red handed! So there you go. Blame my grandmother!

Richard: Will Red Handed Studios be releasing any other comics soon?

Cary: You know, we've recently done some rethinking and added some items to our plate. First off we've got Fallen Justice to get done and that will take most of our energy this year. On the heels of that limited series we'll be coming at you with Dynagirl! Harold and I bring back what has to be our favorite character from Fallen Justice showing you what her life is like five years after the events of the limited series come to a close.

Also, I've got a hitman story I've been working on for a couple of years that we're bringing out in black and white graphic novel format called the Kansas Hit. Doing art chores on that is Virginia Mills-Barfield and I think people are really in for a treat when they see what she's doing with this book. We don't have a street date for that yet, but stay tuned to the website for more updates and we'll keep you posted.

Finally, but by no means lastly, myself and a few other really talented creators are working on something of a semi-secret project that looks to be a total blast. It features a strong female character kicking major ass, so it should be a blast to write and even more fun to watch as it unfolds on the art boards courtesy of Scottie Ray Watson. As with the Kansas Hit, we'll have updates on that book as we get em. Trust me, it won't be long before we start showing it off!

Richard: Any words of advice for others trying to produce a comic?

Cary: Lots. If there's a mistake to be made in production/publishing I've probably made it! But the biggest advice I have for someone making comics these days is, when your comic is made you're just getting started. No one is gonna push your book like you will. No one will do it like you want it done. So get up, get off the couch, and hit the streets. You are your own best marketer. So make it happen if you want it.

Richard: How can someone contact you?

Cary: They can hit me up through the website, www.redhandedstudios.com or just use my email: cary@redhandedstudios.com .

Richard: Any final words of wisdom?

Cary: Hmmm. I don't know about wisdom, but I'd encourage anyone out there who has a story to tell to get beyond the 'want to' stage and just do it. You never get to someday, so quit making excuses why you can't and go for it. The resources are out there, the audience is growing by leaps and bounds and there's never been a better time to do comic books. Not to mention, it's an absolute blast!