Ron Fortier has been a professional writer for over 25 years and he is still going strong. During his career he has written for popular comic titles as the Hulk, the Green Hornet, and Rambo. Ron is also a playwright and novelist. Quite a resume! You can visit Ron at his website.
What first inspired you to write?
I learned to read with comic books. By the time I reached high school, I knew I wanted to be a part of the comics world and as my drawing skills were nil, my focus turned to writing. Luckily I was blessed with an incredible English teacher who encouraged me to pursue this dream. She was perhaps the biggest influence on my writing career.
What inspires you now?
My colleagues. Every time I read a friend’s story and am entertained by it, I find myself challenged to create my own stories in return. Fans are also a major source of inspiration, as there is nothing more rewarding than getting letters from people who have enjoyed my efforts. In the end you are really working for them.
What advice would you give to a new writer?
Have fun writing. If writing is difficult and a chore, why are you doing it? On the other hand, if you love telling stories, then have at it. Anyone can be taught the mechanics of writing, not so storytelling. If you have that talent, then you have an obligation to share it with the world.
You’ve worked on such great titles as The Green Hornet, Brother Bones, and Gene Roddenberry’s Lost Universe. Which titles hold a special place in your heart?
Clearly The Green Hornet was by far the series that brought me the most success in comics and it’s right up there among my most cherished works. The Boston Bombers was an alternate world sci-fi pulp themed series I did for Caliber that was unlike anything else I’d ever done before and remains a favorite, though not a lot of people ever saw it. Recently artist Gary Kato and I have revived our original comedy super hero, Mr.Jigsaw – Man of a Thousand Parts and will be self-publishing his old and new adventures via Rob Davis’ Redbud Studio. Issue number one is currently available and number two should be released any day now. Jiggy, as we call him, is a loveable, naïve young man who with an optimistic view of the world and life. Tony Isabella and Kurt Busiek are among his legion of fans.
You’ve penned plays, short stories, and comics. While each is has its own merits and challenges is there one which comes easier to you?
I’d have to say comics as I’ve never lost my love for them. Envisioning a story in my mind and then working with a graphic artist to bring it to visual life is pure magic to me.
When I see the artwork come in for a script I’ve written, it feels like Christmas morning every single time. As much as I’ve enjoyed writing prose, in whatever format, the excitement of sharing a vision with an artist remains unequaled.
What are you reading now?
The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child.
Who is your favorite literary character?
Sherlock Holmes.
What future projects do you have planned?
I hope to start on a new Captain Hazzard pulp novel soon. It will be my fifth in the series. As the editor of Airship 27 Productions, I’ll be producing and editing another half dozen pulp anthologies and novels in 2009. I’ll also be contributing to several new fiction anthologies to include Moonstone’s just announced Green Hornet Chronicles and Bad Cop-No Donut, a crime anthology edited by John French to be published later this year.
Comics-wise, as mentioned earlier, I’m writing new Mr.Jigsaw comics and Rob Davis and I have an historical western mini-series in development.
How do you see the current condition of the short fiction market as it relates to horror, fantasy & science fiction?
I think the short story market for genre fiction is better than ever today. I also write a review blog, Pulp Fiction Reviews, and over the past few years have seen all the major publishers increasing their production of genre anthologies, most of which have been truly terrific books. Perhaps the biggest selling genre today is the occult investigator/detective. You can’t browse any bookstore shelf without seeing new series popping up regularly. It really is an exciting time for short fiction.
What interests do you have outside of writing?
I am a movie junkie and have a huge DVD collection that’s threatening to overrun my den. I also collect movie scores (not soundtracks) as I love playing music when I write and have a fondness for the classic composers from the 30s and 40s like Max Steiner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
Any last words of wisdom?
The Beatles said it best in song; “In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
