Rob Rimes, "Barbarians of the Storm" Author AMA, Part III

I take your questions and give them answers!

I’ve been compiling questions since the start of the new year. I was shooting for 50 before starting the AMA. I’ve now exceeded that, so I am going to break the AMA session up into three parts with 25 questions each.

So, here’s the third (and final) set of twenty-five questions:

51. Are you going to make a Barbarians of the Storm comic? Would you crowdfund it?

I would very much like to. As I’ve said, that was the original plan for Dan the Destructor. I think that if I did a comic now, it would be an original story within the BotS universe instead of an adaptation. I’d also want to work with an artist that could get really wild with the concepts for it.

And yes, it would probably have to be crowdfunded.

In addition to that, I am thinking of something else that may be a good thing to crowdfund in an effort to gauge interest. More on that when I have the project and the plan fully figured out, however.

52. You’ve shown your comic collection before. So, how many do you own?

*Checks database app* As of this very moment, 5670 across 1439 titles.

53. What’s your most prized comic book?

Not my most valuable, but my most coveted would be my copy of Daredevil #1. It’s an absolute beater but it is completely intact. I never thought I’d own an original Marvel Comics #1 from the ‘60s era. Since acquiring it, I have actually completed the entire original run of Daredevil, all 381 issues plus annuals.

Beyond that, it’s probably Detective Comics #359, the first appearance of Batgirl. Although, Fantastic Four #49 is waaay up on my list, as is Fantastic Four #15, my earliest FF comic. A lot of my marquee Jack Kirby stuff is pretty damn beloved by me, as well.

54. Favorite superhero?

Daredevil, overall. Then for Marvel it’d be Illyana Rasputin aka Magik and Doctor Strange. For DC Comics, it’s Batman but Batgirl, Nightwing, and Deathstroke (hero?) are definitely top tier for me.

55. Will you ever do a superhero story?

I have done several if you count the comics I did in my adolescent and teen years. I do have a superhero story I want to tell, but I am also just exhausted by superhero shit, as of late. It might be awhile before I get that itch again.

56. Are you looking to publish other people?

I am looking to eventually do anthologies that feature other writers. It’s probably going to be something I look at more seriously after this year. I had a great first year, but I want to see if I can maintain this trajectory and continue to grow. It’s something I will probably seriously look at going into 2024.

57. Why do you write in a "pulp style"?

Because I like it. I don’t have a lot of time to devote to reading these days and pulp allows me to jump into a book, go on a fast-paced, intense journey, and then be done with it. It’s what I like most and because of that, it’s what I want to write.

Also, I want to write for those who want to read but also can’t devote the time and energy to a brick full of overly detailed and meandering nonsense. I don’t care about the fucking hand-stitched curtains in the shopkeeper’s cottage, I want to see heads roll, monsters murdered, and evil vanquished!

58. What's your favorite fantasy race?

Goblins! Bro, c’mon! That should be apparent by the short story in my first book. Also, they’re not simply evil in my stories. Their culture is fun to explore and many are just like humans, albeit most are less intelligent and a bit more malleable by those with power over them. Actually, that’s a lot like humans, I guess.

59. What are 5 fun facts about you unrelated to the books?

Well, shit:

1. I’ve made a lot of music over the years.

2. I wrote a lot of horror scripts twentyish years ago. Some of them got retrofitted into short stories for Eyes in All Shadows.

3. I was a wrestling tape trader in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. A lot of those “Best of” VHS compilations of your favorite wrestlers were done by me.

4. I am really good at making magic happen with meat. I often dream of mastering butchery and opening a place where I can serve small groups of people that also want to indulge in whiskies and cigars.

5. I would like to learn carpentry and blacksmithing but I don’t know where I could even fit that in.

60. Are you doing an omnibus of all the books collected?

That’s the plan, once I get through the first phase of stories and they reach their conclusion. I also want to include illustrations and maps, as well as bonus content and appendices. My dream would be to have really nice leather editions, which would be pretty limited. I think most of those would be “thank yous” to those who have really helped me along the way: hardcore fans and colleagues that gave me a significant boost.

61. Is Killer based on Rocket Raccoon?

No. In fact, he was inspired by Dave Sim’s Cerebus. Specifically, the earliest stories before that series began to get really deep. I think there’s also some Howard the Duck in there, the comic book version. Those two anthropomorphic animal characters just always resonated with me. Side note: I do indeed love the Howard the Duck movie despite it being “bad” and not following the comic book at all.

62. Killer IS METAL! Who is his favorite band?

SLAYER!!!

63. Goblins can be very different looking depending upon what you’re watching or reading. How do you visualize the look of yours in your own mind?

My goblins, at least how I see them when I write, look a lot like the goblins in the video game Dragon’s Dogma. Also, I sometimes see them as being close to the smaller, non-Uruk-hai orcs in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Think about the smaller orcs that that came from the ceiling in Moria or the ones that wanted to eat Pippin and Merry. I know they’re orcs but my brain sees them more as goblins. The actual goblins in The Hobbit trilogy were shit. Xulgog, being albino, covered in tattoos, tall, slender, athletic and genetically modified, does not look the same as the standard BotS goblin.

64. Are there any characters in your head that you’re excited about but haven’t introduced yet?

Several. There are some I have only mentioned but not shown. If I name drop a character you haven’t met yet, there’s usually a reason behind it. I have many concepts for characters I want to introduce in various stories. I don’t want to give any specific details, as I don’t want to spoil things. I also don’t want to mention something I intend to do, but then might push back in favor of another idea. That happens a lot with me.

65. What’s next? A direct sequel to Swords Against Bastards or something else?

Something else. The next book is the first Side Quest book, which will feature Fenrik in a solo adventure that takes place between Swords Against Bastards and its direct follow-up. I don’t want to elaborate or share what the idea is yet. My close friends, who I have told, seem pretty stoked about it. It’s something I’ve talked about with them for awhile and now I have finally gotten to the point in the saga where it makes sense.

66. Is there a specific story you want to tell but haven’t found a way to fit it in yet?

Yes, there are a few. The biggest of which I think I’ve finally cracked. So much so, that it’s most likely going to be the title story of the next anthology book. Or it could be the short story at the end of Swords Against Bastards’ direct sequel.

67. What’s up with the YouTube channel? Are you still going to do something with it?

I’d like to, but honestly, I’ve been busy as hell and when I have downtime, I’m a f’n vegetable. Also, I know I want to do a weekly livestream, but two of the people I wanted to try and work with have recently noped out of the scene. As far as regular, daily content, I probably won’t do that. Maybe I do video versions of articles here. I don’t know. I’m open to feedback on it.

68. Why did you want to do an AMA?

Well, mainly to allow my subscribers, followers, and readers a chance to ask me anything they want. I get questions via DMs a lot. I just figured that this would be a way to cover a lot of ground and have it available to the most people. Also, it seemed fun and it has been. If there were enough questions regularly, I would do this again and again.

A secondary reason, is that I have turned down a few interviews now. The main reason for that was because the interviewer hadn’t read any of my books. While going on a livestream to hang out can be fun, I’d prefer to spend the majority of my time working on my books or talking about them with those who want to actually discuss them.

On a side tangent: one of the coolest things to me is talking to those who have read the books. I love hearing their thoughts and even their theories. I like to hear what characters resonate with them and why. I like to hear about which characters they hate or how certain scenes or revelations affected them.

69. What was the hardest part about developing a fantasy world?

At the risk of sounding like an egotistical prick, absolutely nothing. I’ve had stories in my head for decades and shaping the world that these characters live in was exceptionally easy. I knew what I wanted with Dan the Destructor by the time I decided to actually write it. The world was set up to be a bit of a generic Conan-type of place. However, I knew that I was going to gradually reveal things that made it much different than that and unique in its own way.

70. Who are your favourite sci-fi/fantasy authors and why?

This answer could be an entire article (or series of articles), honestly. So, I will try and keep it relatively short. It’s a pretty big list but just from memory it includes Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Lord Dunsany, Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke, Karl Edward Wagner, Tanith Lee, Andre Norton, Fritz Lieber, Catherine Lucille Moore, Michael Moorcock, Ramsey Campbell, Manly Wade Wellman, many, many more.

The “why” is simply because their work resonates with something deep inside of me. I would have to get into each one specifically to elaborate on that. Maybe it’s something I will do in the future.

71. Any big misconceptions about your books from potential readers?

Well, I think that some people assume that the stories are simple, straightforward sword & sorcery in the vein of Robert E. Howard. They’re not. Sure, that’s certainly an influence, but a big reason why I did the article The Genesis of the “Barbarians of the Storm” Book Series - The Full Version was to layout the various things that influenced what my universe became. There is certainly real dramatic, violent, and serious moments throughout the stories. However, there is also humor, campiness, and a sort of ‘80s movie charm.

Another misconception is that people think that the dude with the sword fighting the giant snake on the cover of Dan the Destructor is Dan. It isn’t. It’s actually Fenrik. The reason why I didn’t make Dan the focal point of that cover was because he was a dad bod bitch at that point. Luckily, through his three appearances, thus far, he’s gotten fit, found his balls, and become a hero in his own right.

72. What's your pick for best/worst upcoming movies for 2023?

I don’t really know what’s coming out and don’t care. I guess the best for me will probably be the next Mission: Impossible if that is indeed coming out this year. The worst? Who knows? There’s a lot of competition for that. As far as what I’ve seen a trailer for that actually broke my heart, that’d be the next Indiana Jones, which I’ll never watch.

73. You are a cigar connoisseur. What have you been enjoying recently?

Out of the newer brands: the Rocky Patel Edge 20th Anniversary and the Plascencia Alma Fuerte Eduardo I. Over Christmas break, I smoked a lot of Padrón 1926s and 1964s, along with Fuente’s Opus X, as my cousin gave me a really nice collection of his best that he’s been aging for several years. I smoked all of these while writing Swords Against Bastards.

74. What video games are you playing and which releases are you looking forward to?

I was most recently playing 2018’s version of God of War and just couldn’t get into it. Before that, I played the two Styx games, which I loved because goblins are cool, as are stealth games. Earlier in the year, I played Dragon’s Dogma, which became one of my all-time favorites.

As far as what I’m looking forward to? The eventual Elden Ring Game of the Year Edition, which I have been holding out for. Beyond that, I don’t really know what’s on the horizon. So, the Dragon’s Dogma sequel, which I know was announced, and the next Red Dead, whenever that comes out years from now. I’d be pretty excited for the next Elder Scrolls game too, as long as it’s not some online shit. I’m a solo gamer.

75. Do you have any interest in returning to writing about politics?

Absolutely not. Three years of it broke me. As bad as things were in 2010-2013, it’s much worse now. My quality of life and mental health were the worst they had ever been during that span of my life.

…and that’s it! I’m sure that I will do more of these in the future. If any of this has sparked further questions for me, DM them to me on Twitter.