Independent comic publisher Goats Flying Press has been absolutely killing it of late with their graphic novels, offering smartly-told, beautifully stories that take unconventionally chances that stick the landing. From Welcome to the Night to Nighthawks, the company is quickly establishing itself as a font of comic stories that are worthy of your radar.
Goats Flying Press is continuing that series of excellence with their latest anthology Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart. Funded in five hours on Kickstarter with just over a week left in the campaign, the 96-page hardcover will regale readers with five interconnected adventures, all written by Joe Atalla with a stacked stable of talent illustrating each story. Juni Ba, Jesse Lonerhan, Dimitrios Pantazis, Armand Bodnar, and Atalla himself are all adding their artist panache to these stories of the eponymous gentlemanly, skeletal adventurer and his ghostly butler.
I spoke with Joe Atalla recently about the idea behind Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart, how the character and his world came to be, the Kickstarter itself, and the joy of writing Sir Reginald’s adventures.
FreakSugar: Before we get into the anthology itself, what is the genesis of Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart?
Joe Atalla: Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart has had a very unique path. Sir Reginald and Mr. Spittle started in 2024 as a response to an October drawing challenge. Since it was spooky season, I figured a skeleton and ghost would be the perfect protagonists. I decided to put the pictures from each day together into a complete story but never did much with it.
Fast forward to Goats Flying Press’ “The Fables of Erlking Wood” Kickstarter campaign, which had a custom comic tier. The lucky backer would get to write a 12-page comic for Juni Ba to draw. Being a huge Juni fan, I jumped at the opportunity. Juni and Sebastian Girner, the publisher of Goats Flying Press, liked my story for Sir Reginald and we ran with that. The story we created together was Curse of Osiris, the first of the five stories in the book, and everything else grew from there.
FS: For folks considering picking up the anthology, what can you tell us about Sir Reginald and his world?
JA: Sir Reginald wasn’t always a skeleton, but he has some unfinished business keeping him tied to life. He’s a super intelligent man of science who isn’t afraid to mix it up with a mythological monster. He lives in a Victorian world with elements of steampunk and the supernatural. What if all the myths and legends from history were real? It’s a fertile world to explore, and Sir Reginald, with his strengths and flaws, is a character we can both admire and relate to.
FS: What kind of adventures will we see Sir Reginald and Mr. Spittle find themselves in throughout the compilation?
JA: Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart has five stories that take our heroes around the globe on supernatural treasure-hunting adventures. Sir Reginald and his trusty butler Mr. Spittle will travel from Egypt to the Cornish Coast and Northern wilds of England, to Cambodia and finally to the Carpathian Mountains. Each adventure will bring a new monster or villain to defeat. But each story will also provide clues to the larger mystery of why Sir Reginald is so intent on collecting artifacts, culminating in the final story.
FS: The press release describes the book as a blend of Hellboy and DuckTales in content, spirit, and all-ages sensibility. What other influences have impacted your work?
JA: I love a fun adventure story with an emotional core and characters we can connect to. My influences span all sorts of genres and sources. I feel like I’m constantly being inspired – whether it’s in story tone, character interactions or plot elements. For Sir Reginald in particular, although Mike Mignola’s Hellboy short stories were a large influence in terms of story structure, his Amazing Screw-On Head influenced the story tone. It had that deadpan sense of humor that I thought would fit well with the supernatural stories I had in mind. Sir Reginald himself is heavily influenced and an homage to Sir Reginald Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy Netflix show. I can’t help but hear actor Colm Feore’s voice when I read Reginald’s dialogue.
FS: What can you tell us about the collaboration you have had with the different artists contributing to the anthology?
JA: I’m still pinching myself over the amazing team we were able to assemble to bring Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart to life. Juni Ba, Jesse Lonergan, Dimitrios Pantazis and Armand Bodnar all brought their best to this project – not to mention the project defining work by Sebastian Girner (editor), Brad Simpson (colorist), and Jeff Powell (letterer/designer). I have a deep love and respect for the work of all these creators, and I knew their styles would lend themselves well to the world of Sir Reginald.
I provided the initial design of each character and then got out of the way to let my collaborators do what they do best. Although I had written all the stories prior to pitching them to the artists, I made it clear that I welcomed collaboration and wasn’t too precious with my ideas and visuals. These are all masters of their craft, and I didn’t want to hold them back at all. Some of the creators like to dive right in, while others like to go back and forth a bit to make sure they have everything right. At the end of the day, there’s nothing like getting the art back from the artists – it’s like Christmas morning! As a cartoonist, I had a clear picture in my head of each story, and, in every case, I was pleasantly blown away by what my collaborators brought back. It’s given me the bug to write for others more.
FS: Do you have plans for more Sir Reginald stories after this collection?
JA: I would love for nothing more than Sir Reginald to resonate enough with readers to allow us to continue his adventures. There is such a rich, fun world to explore, and so many adventures we can tell. We’ve had some early discussions about a second volume, but right now we’re focused on making this Kickstarter a success and reaching all the readers we know will love him.
FS: If you had a final pitch for Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart, what would it be?
JA: Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart has something for everyone – action, adventure, mystery, humor and an emotional core. Although it’s been written to appeal to all ages, there’s a depth and darkness that’ll appeal to more mature readers. We have a cast of loveable characters and despicable villains. We’re going to take readers on a fun adventure and then hit them with an emotional sucker punch. I hope they’re ready!
The Kickstarter for Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart is fully funded with nine days left in the campaign as of press time. Be sure to check out this action-packed, ebullient book that’s sure to be bounding with adventure!
