Steve was among several big name comic book creators that CBR interviewed this past weekend at the Los Angeles Festival of Books “Comix Strip.” During the panel Comics: Superheroes of the Page & Screen, Steve, Jeph Loeb and Mike Mignola discussed the current rise in comics to the big screen.

With his comic “30 Days of Night,” Steve Niles helped revitalize the horror genre in comics, and last year the writer saw the book adapted for the big screen. Hollywood has long been trying to adapt Niles’ “Criminal Macabre,” and the writer said the process has been fraught with problems. “All these are tough sells,” Niles said. “Even ‘30 Days,’ which they bought thinking, ‘Oh, brilliant concept,’ they immediately tried to change it.”

Cal MacDonald, the protagonist in “Criminal Macabre,” is a modern day update of old-school private detectives like Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade. Many of MacDonald’s predecessor’s struggled with alcoholism, and MacDonald himself is a recovering junkie. “Every time I go to the studio, they’re like, ‘Okay, so we just get rid of all the drugs, give him a fedora and a trenchcoat,’” Niles said. “They don’t get that it’s a flawed character, and it’s a negative thing in his life. I’m not doing ‘Cheech And Chong.’” Niles said it’s always nerve-wracking bringing a creator-owned project to a studio, because one runs the risk of losing the core of one’s story to Hollywood commercialism.

The complete article is available for reading here.

Steve was recently interviewed on CNN regarding the Universal/Dark Horse Comics deal. One piece focuses on Steve and other Dark Horse creators who have maintained ownership of their creations while working with the publisher, and the other focuses more on the developmental deal itself and it’s pros and cons.

It’s a change of pace, but guardian.co.uk has an interview up with Steve about his iPod, and technology in general.

What’s the most expensive piece of technology you’ve ever owned?
I bought a remote-controlled robot — this is back in the 80s, people — and my girlfriend at the time made me return it because I used the rent money. It was cool though. I programmed it to deliver a cocktail to my roommate.

Mac or PC?
PC for almost 20 years. Now I’m on Mac and my blood pressure is much lower, thank you.

The complete interview is online here.

Newsarama’s Steve Ekstrom has an interview up with Steve Niles wherein the two Steves talk about “Gotham After Midnight,” Steve’s first big, mainstream DC project. Steve discusses his approach to the 12 issue Batman maxi series, the story’s place in DC’s continuity, working with Kelley Jones and more

SN: Yes, a different villain per book—and you can probably figure that each two to three issues may even have a slight mini-arc to them with one overriding story over the entire 12 issues. I really want this to be the kind of Batman book that, if by some chance somebody who isn’t that familiar with the character in the comics wants to pick up a Batman comic, these folks could pick up issue #3 and get a story. And then, hopefully, they’ll want to go back and get #1 and 2 and then go back and get #4 when it comes out.

You know, when I was a little kid, I didn’t know comics came out every week—so, it was like whenever I could beg my parents to take me somewhere with a spinner rack. I’d usually grab one of those old giant-sized editions of Batman that I’d keep rolled up in my hand for the next two months and I’d read it over and over. Those old stories were so re-readable because there was so much going on in them!

NRAMA: You don’t think comics are as re-readable today?

SN: [pause] How do I put this without coming off wrong…I just feel like some of the current attitudes for writing comics are a little more geared towards the writing of something like a television show like Lost than actual comic books themselves. Lost, to me, is a soap opera—and in soap operas they stretch things out.

NRAMA: You mean the trend of decompression and storytelling…

SN: Exactly. You know like when soap operas can delay two people’s lips touching for a week.

The complete interview is available here.

Comic Book Resources recently went over the last year of Steve Niles projects with Steve himself, looking at the “30 Days of Night” movie experience, Steve’s various comic book projects and what 2008 holds in store for him and his fans.

Niles’s most visible project of 2007 was the feature film adaptation of his and Ben Templesmith’s “30 Days of Night,” which brought the creator attention beyond the comics-reading audience. “A couple years ago I set up at a Fangoria con with IDW Publishing and we maybe sold one copy of the ‘Dawn of the Dead’ comic I did,” Steve Niles told CBR News. “The last time I went to a Fango show, I had lines of people buying, reading, and getting comics signed, so I think we do have a spill-over [from the ’30 Days of Night Movie’] and are getting new readers. To me, that’s the most important thing we need to accomplish as an industry. If we keep selling to the same 100 thousand readers, eventually they move on and we need another generation to come in. So far, knock wood, I seem to be crossing over thanks to the film.”

The full article is available here.

Steve sat down recently with CBR, along with Mark Waid, to talk about BOOM! Studios’ new “Cthulu Tales” ongoing comic series.

Niles and Waid had already been discussing work for BOOM!’s “Zombie Tales” anthology when the writer was asked to contribute to “Cthulhu Tales.” “In comics you’re either a Batman guy or a Superman guy. [In horror], I always felt there was the Poe and the Lovecraft,” Niles said. “And I’ve always been a Poe guy my whole life. So I’ve always leaned more towards him. But I’ve always enjoyed Lovecraft, so this was kind of a chance to sort of tackle the other side.

“I pulled all my old Lovecraft books off the shelves and just read ‘Call of Cthulhu’ and a few other things like that to get back into it,” Niles continued. “When you think of Lovecraft, it has such a particular vibe, so I just sort of crammed on Lovecraft and started writing stuff. And I’m working on my second [story] right now.”

You can read the entire article here!

In celebration of the newly released trade paperback collection, Boom! Studios and Comic Book resources have announced that they’re teaming together to offer Steve and artist Nat Jones’ “Giant Monster” online for free! Starting today, CBR will be presenting a portion of “Giant Monster” on their site for readers to enjoy. The first 22 pages are online now, and they’ll be adding a page a day at this link until the entire story is available!

STEVE NILES INAUGURATES A NEW ERA OF TERROR WITH THE LAUNCH OF BOOM! STUDIOS’ NEW MONTHLY CTHULHU TALES

Los Angeles - January 22nd, 2008 - Heed the call! Steve Niles inaugurates a new era of terror with the launch of BOOM! Studios’ new monthly anthology, CTHULHU TALES. Edited by Mark Waid, CTHULHU TALES builds on the three best-selling CTHULHU TALES one-shots that BOOM! Studios has published since its inception.

“Making CTHULHU TALES into a monthly anthology featuring my favorite comics writers and artists was a no-brainer decision. Getting Steve Niles–one of comics’ best-known modern horror writers–to kick off the first issue likewise only made sense,” said Mark Waid, BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief. “And Steve delivered big.”

Steve Niles headlines the first issue, joined with writer Michael Alan Nelson, who is best-known for his work on FALL OF CTHULHU, and Tom Peyer (DC’S FLASH, SPIDER-MAN: HOUSE OF M). Variant covers will ship for each issue, with the first issue sporting covers by Patrick Ballesteros and Mateus Santolouco with the second issue featuring covers by Marco Rudy and Santolouco. Each month, CTHULHU TALES and its rotating roster of writers will bring cutting-edge tales of the Old One with interior art by modern masters of the macabre.

This new CTHULHU TALES ongoing series marks BOOM! Studios’ second monthly title, fitting perfectly alongside its best-selling monthly, FALL OF CTHULHU. BOOM! Studios’ horror titles have helped define the company. From its best-selling trio of CTHULHU TALES one-shots which includes CTHULHU TALES, CTHULHU TALES: RISING, CTHULHU TALES: TAINTED to BOOM!’s smash hit ZOMBIE TALES one-shots, BOOM! Studios has been the “go-to” publisher for quality horror.

“We are really excited about doing a new monthly title, and there is no better choice than to make CTHULHU TALES our next big monthly hit. Horror fans in the know have long realized that FALL OF CTHULHU is one of BOOM!’s best and, with the addition of CTHULHU TALES, our horror line just gets that much stronger,” said Chip Mosher, Marketing and Sales Director for BOOM! Studios.

CTHULHU TALES #1 is featured in this month’s January 2008 Diamond Previews catalogue and will ship in March of this year. CTHULHU TALES #1 Cover A has a Diamond Code of JAN083452 and Cover B has a Diamond Code of JAN083453. For those that missed the previous one-shots, CTHULHU TALES, CTHULHU TALES: RISING, and CTHULHU TALES: TAINTED are all offered again in the same Diamond Previews catalogue.

For those of you who live in the Dallas area and haven’t had the opportunity to meet Steve in person yet, January 12 and 13 will be your chance as Steve travels to the Dallas Comic Con to promote his various projects. Even better, the first 100 attendees to sign up for the con’s SpeedPass (good for priority seating at certain panels, line-skipping for autographs, etc.) will automatically receive a “30 Days” movie poster!

Steve will be co-hosting a panel on 12th at 3:00 PM with Tim Bradstreet where they’ll discuss darkness in comics. Click here for more convention information.

GUTWRENCHER #1 (of 3)
story SHANNON ERIC DENTON, STEVE NILES & KEITH GIFFEN
cover KEITH GIFFEN
art ANTHONY HIGHTOWER

In rural New England, a hiker is infected with an ancient curse days before his 10-year high school reunion. If his soul is pure he will be able to resist its bloodlust, if not… nothing will be able to stop him!

TAG: An all-new three-issue miniseries from STEVE NILES, KEITH GIFFEN, SHANNON ERIC DENTON & ANTHONY HIGHTOWER!

FEBRUARY 13 - 32 PAGES - FC - $3.50

STRANGE CASES #4
story STEVE NILES & DAN WICKLINE
art & cover DAVID HARTMAN

“BIG DEMON ON CAMPUS”
What do you do when the girl you like doesn’t know you’re alive? Summon a chaotic demon to wipe out the competition of course. And one of the residents of Holcomb Manor shows their true colors.

FEBRUARY 13 - 24 PAGES - FC - $2.50