Ben Tinsley and his son Jake, 57 and 29, are writing partners. They helm the Tinsley Boys Shared Universe, a line of comic books published by Jason Dube’s Scattered Comics.

The TBSU’s most notable titles are Night Owl, The Blonde Assassin, Genius, and Alternative Narratives.

They are currently running a Kickstarter campaign for the latest comic book installment of “Night Owl”(which gained mention on the Today show in 2009).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ba3-altnarratives/night-owl-2-n-1-1

For those not familiar with your works, can you tell our readers a little about yourselves?

Ben:  I’m a Fort Worth, Texas film actor, singer and former journalist who has teamed with my son Jake to write comic books since 2007 – when Jake was 12.

Jake: I’ve been writing comics since I was able to write, my dad and I started this comic company when I was in middle school and we’ve been rocking on ever since.

Jason: Wow … (reviewing list) that’s a lot of questions. …. I’m Jason Dube writer, artist and publisher.

When did you first develop an appreciation for comics?

Ben: From the beginning. Ever since I was old enough to read, I’ve had a comic book in my hand. 

Jake: Very early, my father was always reading them and it didn’t take me long to become enraptured by the stories I would read with dad’s help and later without.

Jason: I’ve loved comics since childhood.

Do you happen to remember what your first favorite comic was?

Ben: It’s a tie between “Batman” and Detective Comics.”

Jake: It was ”Shazam”, back when he was called captain Marvel, my dad got me this massive book made for kids, it was my favorite for a very long time.

Jason: “Richie Rich.”

Who are some of your influences in the field?

Ben: Denny O’Neil, whose work I studied all my life and taught myself to write using his narrative structure. I even interviewed him by phone in 1995! Grant Morrison, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and the late Rachel Pollack. 

Before she died, Rachel worked on a story for Jake and me that we ran twice in a comic of ours known as “Genius”. I believe it was her last published comic book story.

Jake: My biggest comic influences are Stan Lee, Marv Wolfman, Geoff Johns and Joss Whedon, as they wrote some of the best stuff I’ve ever read.

Jason: Most of the original  Image Comics founders, Art Adams, Ramos, and Chris Bachelo.

Why do you think comics have always had such an appeal? How did you come to find yourself involved in creating them yourself?

Ben: Ideally, the words and art of each comic book converge to project a story directly into the brain. All my life, all I’ve ever wanted to do is write comic books, film act, and sing professionally. (I’ve also always wanted to be Batman.)

When I was a teenager, I wrote and drew my own line of comic books. My art was horrible, and I think only two people actually purchased the comic books at the Fort Worth head shop whose manager agreed to sell it for me on consignment. But published is published!

 I still consider those comics Canon and reference them occasionally in the stories Jake and I write for the Tinsley Boys Shared Universe of Jason Dube’s Scattered Comics.

Jake: Escapism, there will always be room in life for escapism and that’s why comics will always be popular. I spent my life since early childhood reading about superheroes and creating worlds and legions of characters to fill those worlds.

Jason: There is no limit to what you can do in comics. (But not in the real world.) I couldn’t afford to buy them, so I made my own.

Did either of you ever imagine you’d still be creating them 17 years later? 

Ben: It’s been an incredible, unpredictable journey. I am very happy that Jake and I still work together after 17 years. We have a lot of comic book writing experience under our belts.

Jake grew up writing comics. It’s made him into a fantastic writer and gives him an incredible view of the profession.

Jake: To be honest we just wanted a good crack at it. We both hoped, but never really planned for any real success, we just wanted to put our art out there.

Jason: Yes.

For those not familiar with premise can you tell us a little about “Night Owl”?

Ben: “Night Owl” is our flagship character. We write his adventures in our comic books and also our one-page webcomics, which we offer online for free.

Night Owl is Zack Finley, a 12-year-old Earth Shaman who protects the balance of the universe. He’s the top magic guy in his universe. He’s latest in a long line of Shamen who have inherited this mantle. “Night Owl” is more a rank than a super hero name. You become Earth Shaman, your title is Night Owl.

Night Owl’s partner is his power animal Grandfather Owl, an immortal, magic-casting, talking owl who can occasionally assume human form. Grandfather Owl has worked with several of Night Owl’s many predecessors.

At 12, Zack Finley is the youngest shaman to ever inherit the mantle of Night Owl. He literally had to die to become Earth Shaman. Zack Finley’s immediate predecessor was his paternal grandfather Mack Finley, known to the world as the Silver Age Night Owl. Zack Finley became Night Owl after being shot to death in a surprise attack.

 Mack Finley resurrected Zack by projecting all of his life energy and Shaman power into him. This brought Zack back to life and transformed him into Night Owl, the Earth Shaman. The effort of bringing his grandson back combined with the numerous bullet wounds he suffered during the attack claimed Mack Finley’s life. Night Owl’s mother and little brother also were murdered the same night.

Zack Finley constantly has to struggle with the PTSD and depression that comes from losing so many members of your family.

Night Owl’s sanctum sanatorium is The Treehouse, a special shamanic shelter connected to the World Tree outside of space and time. It is run by a race of Teddy Bears known as The War Bears. As it turns out, one of them, Cadbear, was Zack Finley’s nanny when he was a child. 

For years afterward, Zack thought the Treehouse was a bedtime story he heard when younger. When his grandfather died, Zack was shocked to learn it was all real.

Meanwhile, Night Owl’s life has been complicated by a mysterious ally – a teleporting, forcefield-covered, blue adventurer known as Blue Blazer. Friend or foe? The answer might surprise you!

Night Owl’s only family member left is his father Ray Finley, an emotionally-distant journalist who seems equally affected by the deaths of the Finley family members.

Night Owl is a member of a super team of like-minded kid heroes named The Knights of Justice. There have been three incarnations of the KOJ, and a Night Owl has been on each one of them. 

The Golden Age Night Owl was on the KOJ during World War 2, and Zack’s grandfather, the Silver Age Night Owl , served on the KOJ during the 1960s. Zack’s version of the KOJ is the only one with mostly kid heroes.

Fort Worth, Texas is the center of all magic and super science in the universe. Magic and super science can only be created within the boundaries of Texas.  Said magic and super science can be taken elsewhere and used, but the ability to create or generate it can only take place in Texas. 

Fort Worth, Texas is the epicenter of all that. Every Night Owl is charged with serving and protecting Fort Worth.

Jake: “Night Owl” is the story of a boy who has been through so much pain in his life, dedicating the rest of his existence to making sure nobody else will have to live with the same pain.

Jason: I describe him as a 12-year-old super hero. 

What readers can expect from the most recent installment of “Night Owl”?

Ben: The first story is kind of a haunting mystery, introducing one new character and revisiting a couple of others. The second story probes into the tragic past of Night Owl and offers a terrifying look into what previously were thought to be silly villain characters.

My favorite quote comes from Love Machine 2.0:  “Time to hypnotize … with my Freaky Spinning Eyes!”

Jake: What started in part 1 as a goofy slapstick grudge match is now unfolding into narrative depth as the story reveals the reason for the fights in balance 1.

Jason: Surreal stories, cool artwork, and epic battles.

What are some of the challenges you face in working together? What would you say is the most useful thing you have learned from the experience so far?

Ben: It’s been a huge learning curve for both of us, but I couldn’t ask for a better writing partner than Jake.

Jake: Most challenging thing? Finding where on paper to put all the overflowing ideas coming from every part of the creative team. Something useful I’ve learned is the art of organization, this field has me very organized and ready for stuff like leadership roles.

Jason: I never felt any challenges. I find it easy to translate their stories into artwork.

What do you hope your readers take away from your various works? 

Ben: Jake and I adore everything we write. I hear a lot of complaints from readers who worry that too many of today’s writers care not about superheroes and comic books. Not so with The Tinsley Boys. We adore comic books and that drives our work.

Jake: I once said as a child that I wanted to make you laugh til you pooped your pants.  In several ways I think nothing much has changed, but instead of just laugh, I wanna make you cry, think and “aw” as well.

Do you have a dream project you’d most like to bring into existence?

Ben: My dream is to successfully lobby the Texas Legislature to formally declare Night Owl “The Official Fictional Superhero of Texas.”

Jake and I have already written several comic book proposals for other companies, including ideas for Batman, John Constantine, and Daredevil. If we’re ever asked to share those ideas, we stand ready.

Jake: My big dream is to write and film an MCU style big budget movie series based on my comic universe, I’d have no issues with intellectual property, so all my characters could be present without any waiting for copyrights to expire.

Jason: Getting to draw comics is my dream project.

Is there anything you’d like to say in closing?

Ben: “Night Owl 2-n-1” is an incredible, oversized comic book on sale for a very low price on Kickstarter right now. It’s a powerful comic book journey written by Ben Tinsley and Jake Tinsley with art by our publisher and longtime artist Jason Dube.

It’s the character that landed Jake and me on The Today Show in 2009! 

Check it out. You won’t be sorry!

Jake: Of fear and love, I fear not that I will die, but that the multiverse created by my own two hands will never find its target audience.

Jason: Thank you for the interview and check out Night Owl in its Kickstarter campaign.