Interview with Robert Rumery, co-creator of “The Grove Comic”
The Author
Robert Rumery
Robert Rumery, a writer since he’s been 15 years old. It was once just something he did to release negative energy so he wouldn’t hurt himself. Over the years he found out he liked what he did. He liked writing poems and creating things with his mind and pieces of notebook paper. When he was growing up in Maine. His writing was his only friend. He was the typical teenager. Angsty, Defiant, Troublesome. Only thing that set him apart from the other teenager’s was his writing and stories. Over the years his writing has became his sanctuary. A Sanctuary that he will never leave.
The Comic
Grove Comic
Matthew Christopher Nelson is the artist behind “The Grove”, a post apocalyptic science fiction comic he’s co-authored with Robert Rumery. The story: Government Riots at a level that threatens the very fundamentals of society occur. The Government is believed to engaging in activities that are less than scrupulous. When the truth is revealed, riots occur all throughout the United States, with one of the main centers occurring is the state of Florida. The rioters, it is rumored, are being funded by ecoterrorists, and as an end result, a nuclear bomb is dropped on Florida, upon American soil. The side-affects of this are too many to count. As a result of the nuclear arsenal being used, the humans that were still within the state were genetically mutated into cunning, monstrous savages. One of the main riots occurred at a genetics lab that tested on animals. In the fallout, thousands of genetically altered animals, all of which possess human cognition, escaped and found safety within the confines of the altered Okefenokee swamp, which was enlarged many times over.
https://www.facebook.com/TheGroveComic
The Interview
Q. This is the first time we’ve had two people who worked on the same
project together on this blog – can you tell me a bit about what it’s
like to work on “The Grove Comic” with Matthew Christopher Nelson? What it is like to work with another writer?
A. It’s actually kind of refreshing. I mean me and Matthew can bounce ideas off of each other. I find it easier- to work with another writer because in this project I don’t have to come up with all the characters and the whole story. It is still a challenge because you want your writing to reflect the ideas and the characters that this other person has created. We both talk constantly about the comic and what we want to do in the next issue and we do have to plan it out very intensely.
Q. What do each of you do with regards to “The Grove Comic”?
A. I’m a Writer and Matthew is a writer and artist of the comic. He just pretty much tells me what he wants to have happen in the comic and I write it down. Truth be told Matthew has the harder job on the comic. He’s got to draw out what I’ve written and that takes a lot of time to do so.
Q. Since I interviewed him back in December, I understand that the
comic has become serialized. How often will it be coming out?
A. The comic is going to be a bi-monthly comic.
Q. Are there any other new and exciting things to report since December?
A. The only thing that I have to report since December is that the Pre orders for The Grove # 1 start around March 1st and 2nd all I can say about the book is that you’re all going to love it!
Q. I understand you are also a poet. Can you tell us more about your published book of poetry What is it called, and where can we get a copy?
A. Yes, I’m also a poet. I’ve been writing poetry since I was 15, I’m 28 now and you can do the math. (Laughs) My poetry book is called “The Dark Poet”, it’s filled with angst ridden poems and I’ve been told it’s like reading one’s diary and that is what I was going for when I wrote it.
Q. How does writing for a comic differ from writing poetry?
A. Poetry for me is just basically me letting my feelings flow onto the pages in front of me. Going from that to writing a comic book is a lot different, with the comic book I have back stories and characters to play with. With the poetry I fully have to go to a place where my darkest and deepest fears are. To me writing this comic is easier than the poetry.
Q. Where do you get your inspiration for your poetry?
A. Pretty much from every where. My emotions, my family, what I felt that day. It’s just what I’m feeling at that exact moment and how I put those emotions into words.
Q. What plans do you have for your future, as a writer?
A. To keep on writing “The Grove” for as long as I can. To eventually get a few stories I’m working on published and out there for the masses. To inspire other upcoming writers to do the very same thing.
Q. We are so sorry we didn’t get to publish your interview for your birthday back in January as planned, and we want to know all about what you did for your birthday.
A. What I did on my birthday? Nothing unusual, I went out with my new flame to see “Mama” at a theater here in Plainville, Connecticut. We went and had dinner and chilled for a little while. I went home and did my usual things : Played video games, wrote, played with the four year old sister of mine and just relaxed. So nothing out of the ordinary and eventually we had some ice-cream. Friendly’s Royal Banana Split ice cream is delicious!
Q. Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers that we haven’t discussed yet?
A. No, just thank you for interviewing me. It was fun.
Oh yeah, you can get my poetry book here :
Sumiko Saulson 
Unfortunately, it was discovered yesterday by the members of the website, Den of Angels, that the artwork by Matthew Christopher Nelson on “the Grove” comic… is stolen art! He took photos from the internet, used Photoshop filters to alter them, and tried to pass them off as his own artwork that he created.
Here is a Journal about this scam, including links to the Original photos and stolen artwork: http://laughinggurl.deviantart.com/journal/Art-Thief-EXPOSED-438692010
Thanks for posting. There are a number of comments to that affect on the earlier interview I did with Matthew Christopher Nelson. I spoke with Robert Rumery and he was unaware of this theft until I mentioned it to him – his role had been as a writer, not an artist, but MCN “fired” him in October 2013 and Rumery hasn’t worked with or had any contact with Nelson since.