Jamal Igle and Dark Horse Take A Ride with Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine [Interview]

Jamal Igle and Dark Horse Take A Ride with Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine [Interview]

Jamal Igle is a teacher, marketing executive, animation storyboard artist, editor, art director, and comic book artist, known for his work on big titles such as Supergirl, The Ray, Firestorm, and many others. 

He has also created the comic series Molly Danger and co-created the Comixology Original series Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine with Scott Snyder and artist Juan Castro, colorist Chris Sotomayor will soon be released by Dark Horse Comics!

I got to sit down with Jamal and discuss whether he would rather sit through a Star Wars or a Lord of the Rings Marathon.  We also discover our mutual love for professional wrestling, how there are a lot of similarities between wrestling and comics, and that we definitely need to have a follow-up chat about all the live professional wrestling shows he has been to!     

We also discussed what inspired him to become an artist, what led him into the world of comic books, and how no matter what new path he travels down, all roads end up leading back to comics.  We then spend some time talking about the differences between working on his creator-owned IP’s versus working on already established IP’s.  We also spent some time talking about the future of Dudley Datson, what projects we can see from him next, and any advice he would offer to up-and-coming creators.

And of course, we talked about his creator-owned IP, the Comixology original series Dudley Datson, and the Forever Machine that he made with Scott Snyder!  We talk about its creation, how it came together, the inspiration for it, and how it made its transition from Comixology to Dark Horse Comics! 

If you have not heard about Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine, here is a premise to get you caught up:

Have you ever wondered why all the great figures in history had a pet companion, and if they were all running from the same mysterious threat? Such questions have never crossed the mind of Dudley Datson, a fifteen-year-old with a penchant for invention. But when dastardly foes turn his world upside down, Dudley is going to have to start facing things beyond his wildest imagination in this modern-day fable.

Dark Horse Comics will release Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine #1 on April 17th, 2024.  Make sure you contact your local comic book shop or favorite website and get your copy pre-ordered soon! Listen to the full interview here or by watching below: