By Michael Balderston
The climate change debate is one of the biggest going on in the U.S. today, and a major factor in it is coal. Danny Boyd, a former filmmaker-turned graphic novelist, has been a resident of West Virginia for more than 30 years and is contributing to the debate in the form of his new graphic novel “Carbon”.
“Carbon” tells the story of an evil coal operator who discovers a “sacred” carbon that can burn forever. After years of failed attempts, the coal baron has finally found a way to extract his riches. But in his final attempt he awakens and releases a hell the surface world cannot imagine. The only thing that stands in the way of the end of the world as we know it is a disgraced, ex-pro baseball pitcher and a community of courageous coal miners.
Boyd is having a signing for “Carbon” at Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, on Oct. 24. We got the chance to speak with him about “Carbon” coming out at the right time, the reaction among the coal mining community and his upcoming sequel to “Carbon,” “Salt.”
Why was this the right time for “Carbon?”
I’ve been waiting to tell this story for 10 years. Coincidentally, the timing is good with the current climate change debate going on. Course it’s very touchy here in West Virginia, because our most valuable natural resource is coal. I think a lot of us are on the wrong side of history with that, we got to recognize the damage that it has caused and is causing and move on. I wish I had done it years before, wasn’t able to, but it turned out to be good timing.
What is your personal relationship with coal mining communities?
My first real job was in Williamson, which was in southern West Virginia in the heart of the coal fields. I thought I knew West Virginia, but man I didn’t. It was a whole other world down there. I hadn’t really given it a lot of thought and was just around some people who were socially and environmentally conscious and saw the destructiveness in strip mining in particular. That was 34 years ago. I had pretty strong views on that since. A lot of people go it must have been awful; no, it wasn’t awful, it was really a rich few years of my life and a lot of it has filtered into a lot of my work since.
This was the first property that I was able to go full blown on… that had coal as a backdrop.
How has the reaction been among the coal mining communities?
West Virginia is a very interesting place. I was more worried about – I can take heat, but I didn’t really want to offend my fellow West Virginians. But you know what I found? Even though they disagree with some of it, coal miners are all about it, the ones I talked to, because coal miners are the heroes.
As far as the industry goes, the company side of it, I’m not hearing much. I think they’re probably smart enough not to respond. Because I’m not hating; I’m hating on the bad things that people will admit are bad – disreputable coal operators who jeopardize the health and safety of workers for profit, people who don’t care about the environment. I will say, rather than public anger, it’s been more of a politeness.
Where are you going to go with the sequels “Salt and “Gold?”
Happy to tell you I got the sequel written this summer. It was going to be a trilogy but I found in writing it I could combine “Salt” and “Gold” together, so it’s just going to be one more book. It’s written. This weekend I start the process of finding an artist.
“Salt” picks up where “Carbon” left off. The fuse is lit to possibly the end of the world… our unlikely hero, Heat Hatfield, finds himself the leader of his group, sort of the Moses, trying to lead them to safety… as the rest of the world is going into chaos, our heroes are trying to hold it together.
I know I’m sounding preachy, and I kind of am, but I don’t let that stand in the way of entertainment. I do want “Salt,” being the final book, to deal with some of these issues, but that’s not why I’m doing it. I’m really hoping that it’s entertaining for an audience.
Daniel Boyd will be at Four Color Fantasies from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24 for the signing.
Four Color Fantasies
80 Weems Lane, Winchester
(540) 662-7377