We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Roland Mann a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Roland, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Cat & Mouse is probably my most popular work.

Roland, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got my start as a comic book and graphic novel writer in the late 1980s. Trying to break in from Mississippi was challenging, though, as I–like many I knew–didn’t really want to move to New York City–which is where you had to go to do comics back then. I learned that there were quite a few talented folks around me in places like Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama. So I started “packaging” comics and selling them to publishers. Essentially, I was a freelance editor. Fast forward a few years and Malibu Comics (publishers of MEN IN BLACK) liked what I was doing enough to offer me a job as editor. So I took it and moved to California. A few years later, Malibu was firmly entrenched in the market enough that Marvel and DC both took note. Malibu was sold to Marvel, and I became a Marvel editor. The industry collapsed a few years later, and Marvel declared bankruptcy. So I started Silverline Comics, a small press comic and graphic novel publishing company. It’s what I do today–aided by my teaching job. I still write, comics like CAT & MOUSE, TRUMPS, THE REJECTS, and others.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I am still undecided about NFTs. On one hand, it seems like a good alternative to traditional paper original art–fans and collectors can still “own” something, but it’s digital. On the other hand, it’s digital…and the way it works is still very confusing to the average fan.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society can bolster the creative ecosystem by supporting creatives who fall outside the mega-corporate owned properties. Do we really need another Spider-Man movie? Okay, maybe, but go see the film by the independent creator first.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rolandmann.me
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therolandmann/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rolandmann/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandmann/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MannRoland

Image Credits
All the comics are written by me.