I photographed local model Nina for my Montana Blue novel twice in 2010, a project that has reached quite a reputation since then. I have just published a 4 page interview with Nina in RETROFUTURE 6 (Western edition), and thought that it might be fun to translate it for this blog as well. Good fun.
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The Montana Blue novel is basically a Western adventure, although it has some Asgard mythology and Fantasy bits in it as well. Did you have an interest in this genre before this job came up? I guess the Western thing can be a little out of fashion these days.
– I had some interest, mostly since I love horses. I guess it would come naturally to enjoy a good Western and what kid did not love Lucky Luke growing up?
Tell us a little bit about yourself. What hobbies do you have?
– My main hobby is my horse Laida, but it feels wrong to call that a hobby when she feels more like a member of the family. It is more of a lifestyle thing to own a horse. I also enjoy dancing, cheerleading, outdoors life, taking care of all my animals and hang out with friends and family.
I recall that I showed you some old magazines of mine when I approached you for this job. Dakota Jane had been done at that time so you could have a look at that. Do you recall your thoughts when this came up?
– Yes, I thought “This is exciting, of course I want to do this!”. It seemed like a lot of fun.
I recall that we thought about names for the heroine before settling with Montana Blue, and that we took the name into consideration for the outfits we created buying blue shoes etc. We landed in two outfits, the blue one and the other one. Looking back, what do you think about the outfits we created?
– Well, I do actually have a favourite, although I think both were very successful. I do prefer the first one, with the white shirt and the Mocca jacket. That worked very well with the Montana Blue jewellery, I thought.
We had the first session on June 16 (2010), with the Mocca jacket and the hat etc. The blue necklace were there and we used the blue shoes for maybe half the session. We worked at Frösö Island and down by the shore of Lake Storsjön, The Great Lake. How do you recall this today?
– I remember that I was very nervous! I really wanted to live up to your expectations of how you wanted Montana Blue to be. As the day went on I felt that I got it right and it really was a lot of fun then! That whole day is a good memory to have. My favourite spot was down by the lake, we got some really good photographs down there.
Personally, I was very happy with the results of that day and it was obvious that the camera loved you. The second session that we did took place on September 26 at Frösön Island, around composer Wilhelm Peterson-Berger´s residence and down by the lake. Now you wore the blue outfit. What do you recall from that day now?
– I was not nervous anymore, I just had a blast! I had seen the pictures from the first session and I knew what it was all about this time around. It was another good day! My favourite spot that day was that field, I think those shots turned out well. I could get into the part of Montana Blue and really act it out.
The character was introduced with a Making of Montana Blue article in RETROFUTURE 3 in November 2010. 800 copies of this was handed out locally, on a pub called Bishop´s Arms etc, and 200 students in a school at Frösön Island got copies. Could you tell that this was going on at the time?
– Yes, and rather quickly. Friends and relatives got in touch and wanted to know more about this, how it had happened etc. Most of them thought that it was good fun and they wanted to read the novel.
The novel was printed in February 2011 in 400 copies (we signed 50) with a cover that was taken outside the Peterson-Berger place. I got feedback from women who thought the shoes were beautiful, what did you hear on your end?
– I heard a lot of comments from people I know that had seen the magazine. They were all very positive and they really liked the pictures and thought that the novel was very exciting! I even met people that I didn´t know that came up to me and said that they recognised me from the Montana Blue thing. The outfits, and particularly the necklace, was very popular among both women and men that had seen it.
How did it feel to be a heroine in a Western novel?
– Good fun! This is not the sort of thing that happens to you every day. I think it is good to have some fun and to try new things out and I was glad to have done it. And I am looking forward to the comic book version that is in progress, that will be fun to show to the grandchildren some day! How many can say that a comic book heroine was based on them?
At this point, about 1000 magazines that featured Montana Blue was out among the general public. In September 2010 we had RETROFUTURE 4 on which you had the cover (with the blue outfit) and another 800 copies was handed out in different ways to the public. This magazine also sported a preview of the novel. What do you recall from this period?
– Oh, this was an exciting period! It was fun to see these magazines, and to hear feedback from people.
I did enjoy the faked pocket book covers that were made to look like they could have been published around 1970. I showcased a number of such covers in these first two publications. What is your take on these?
– They were very nice and appropriately retro, which they were sopposed to be! I liked some of them very much. It was fun to see the titles and to try to figure out why you had chosen them for the specific covers.
One detail in the novel that I thought was fun is the heroines horse, and her name, Fyrhov (roughly translates to Four Hooves). I though the name was good and I liked that they had such a strong bond to each other.
– Yes, and this is something that I can relate to in real life. The bond that you get with your horse is very special. My horse and I have this bond, we trust each other completely. Like Fyrhov and Montana Blue.
In the summer of 2012, the novel was seen by many as it was re-printed twice. First, it was included in my publication “Storsjöodjuret” (“The Great Lake Monster”), then it went out in GUNSLINGER back to back with the old Dakota Jane novel. So within a few months, another 1800 copies of this novel reached the general public. I recall not telling you about the novel being re-printed in the Great Lake Monster publication as well, so this must have been quite a surprise?
– Yes, it was! But it was good fun to see the novel in print in that magazine as well! I have a good feeling seeing it.
And GUNSLINGER used a shot with the Mocca jacket from the first session. One can wonder what people are thinking when they suddenly get a free Western publication delivered in the mail box? I seem to recall that you got your copies on your birthday?
– Yes, I think that is true. Some present! I remember having dressed up and I was ready to go out and celebrate and then I just wanted to hand out magazines instead.
The Montana Blue novel was mentioned in a review about the Great Lake Monster publication in a major newspaper, DN, did you see that?
– Yes, I saw that! Great fun to be noticed in such a big paper.
Another 900 copies of RETROFUTURE 5 was handed out to the public in September and October 2012, this time with the news that a comic book version is in the works. Could you ever have imagined that such a thing would happen some day when you took this on?
– (Laughs) No, how could one see such a thing coming? Nor could I have thought that it would have become so popular, with so many people having seen it. It just kept growing! I am happy about the comic book version, this is very exciting!
When this interview is being made, the Tornado Blaze novel still have to see the light of day. But you have read it and you do know that this is going to be a spin-off from Montana Blue, and that Montana Blue has died and is now a Valkyrie at the side of Oden in Valhalla. What is your take on this?
– I think it suits Montana Blue just fine to be a Valkyrie. I think she has deserved the honor!
Looking back on all of this, do you feel that it was OK?
– I think it was more than OK! You have been very kind to me right through all of this and it was nice to have been part of this creation. I would do it again.
I am thinking about writing a novel in which we find out how Montana Blue died and became a Valkyrie, in that battle she had alongside Tornado Blaze. Maybe for the last publication in 2015? Any thoughts on that?
– Sounds exciting! Does this mean that I have to dust my old Western boots again? I would love to work with the woman that modelled for Tornado Blaze, she looks like a terriffic gal!
Would you like to add something to this interview?
– Only that I am glad to have done this. I never would have thought that this would have become what it is now back when we started to talk about it. Everything that has happened has been an inspiration and very exciting. I hope that people will continue to have an interest in Montana Blue and the other heroines. Thank you for the ride, it has been a lot of fun.
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Michael Eriksson (c).
(No part of this interview may be quoted without permission)
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trinkelbonker 