“CITY OF DUST blew me away,” exclaimed Barry Levine, Radical Publishing’s President and Publisher. “I love the concept behind Niles’ dark, desperate, dystopian world and the characters that inhabit it. Detective Philip Khrome is a conflicted soul as only Steve can deliver. Radical is going big with this, we’ve commissioned covers from artists like Arthur Suydam, Clint Langley and Lucio Parrillo to kick off the first issue and expect our fans to reap the benefits from our unique promotional events for this title. It all starts at Comic-Con with our preview book. I’m so happy to see Steve on board, not only for signing, but to join the names of Jim Steranko and Ian Edginton for our Comic-Con panel.”

In discussing Radical Publishing, Steve Niles states, “The artwork is what attracted me. Barry(Levine) sat me down and let me look at these artists and I was like ‘I can do a book that looks like this? — I’m in, and that’s what triggered the idea of CITY OF DUST. I’m really excited about this whole thing. I love the way they work. They’re REALLY accommodating. I’m so over committed, it’s not even funny, after years of rejection I can’t say no to anything, but Barry has been so accommodating to that, putting the project ahead of the schedule and I really appreciate that. Radical gives me breathing space and I think it’s panning out. The double-sized first issue is representative of that. They want perfection on every page with the art and I’m happy they do because the end result is beautiful.”

Steve Niles will be signing at the Radical Publishing booth at the following times below.

Radical Publishing booth #2806

Friday
1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M.

Saturday
2:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. along with Arthur Suydam (Marvel Zombies)

“As a kid, I was always more drawn to horror comics, but I’ve never had the opportunity return to that as an adult,” said Mayhew. “SAVAGE is my chance to take everything I loved so much about the genre and run with it. The story Steve conceived with Dan hits every note I was hungry to hit and despite this being Jeff Frank’s debut, he knocks the script out of park with Dan’s help. Everyone involved knows and loves horror like nobody’s business.”

With SAVAGE, the creators aim to hit every aspect of the horror genre - from madmen, murderers and most of all, monsters - as the series culminates an all-out war between bigfoot and a clan of werewolves.

Shadowline Publisher Jim Valentino added, “We’ve been looking for a good horror story for a while and Steve, Jeff and Dan have given us one we can (ahem!) sink our teeth into. And Mike’s artwork is nothing short of superlative! This is one to read under the covers…with a flashlight.”

SAVAGE #1, a 32-page full color comic book for $3.50, will go on sale October 29th.

Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com.

Steve Niles and special guests Gary Panter, Dr. Revolt, Kime Buzzelli and Morning Breath will sign their new graphic novel The Lost Ones, published by Zune Arts. Mr. Niles will also sign copies of 30 Days of Night as well as any of his other titles.

Midtown Comics opened its first store in 1997, and is now the industry’s leading retailer of comic books, graphic novels and Manga, with its online store as well as two landmark NYC locations in Times Square and Grand Central.

Thursday, July 17 from 4:00 to 6:00PM
Midtown Comics Times Square location
200 W. 40th Street, Corner 7th Avenue, NYC

MIDTOWNCOMICS.COM
NYC Store Locations:
Times Square: 200 W. 40th Street, corner 7th Avenue.
Grand Central: 459 Lexington Avenue, corner 45th Street.

More information available online at: http://www.midtowncomics.com

FEARnet, the world’s premiere horror and thriller website and on-demand service, and IDW Publishing, the publishers of the acclaimed, best-selling 30 Days of Night graphic novels, have teamed up to create a 16-page, limited-edition comic book adaptation of FEARnet’s upcoming web series 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust. The special, limited edition collectible comic book will be distributed exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con on July 26th at FEARnet’s booth #4313. Only 10 thousand issues are being created for distribution.

The comic book provides an entry into FEARnet’s all-new 30 Days of Night inspired web series - 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust — that will debut July 17th on FEARnet.com. Produced for FEARnet by Ghost House Pictures, the joint-venture between Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Mandate Pictures, 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust will once again unleash the terror of Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith’s ground-breaking 30 Days of Night graphic novels. The new six episode web series will be bolstered by the star power of one of today’s hottest femme fatales: the stunning Shawnee Smith of the blockbuster horror franchise Saw as well as The Island, Armageddon and Leaving Las Vegas. The series will also feature appearances by horror cult favorites Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead) and Ted Raimi (Evil Dead Series).

Last fall, FEARnet launched its first 30 Days of Night web series — 30 Days of Night: Blood Trails — timed to Sony Pictures/Ghost House Pictures 30 Days of Night feature film. The series became an instant hit, generating more than 5 million views.

Dust to Dust is a direct sequel to Blood Trails and will take viewers even deeper into the terrifying vampire-infested world. The Dust to Dust series will be carried on FEARnet.com as well as the FEARnet On Demand network, available on participating digital cable systems.

Dust to Dust continues the New Orleans storyline from Blood Trails where fans first met George, an ex-junkie who, while trying to expose the vampires, got captured by the authorities and blamed for the trail of bodies. Our new series begins as Detective Nick Maguire learns that his sister Sara, a nurse at the local penitentiary, disappeared during a mysterious prison break in which George escaped. Nick ignores the wishes of his former partner, Gina, and begins to search for Sara himself. While scouring the gritty streets of New Orleans, Nick finds George and learns that there was more to the prison break than anyone thought, and that the wounds inflicted upon Sara may be changing her into a blood-thirsty vampire. Now, in order to save his sister, Nick will have to learn to trust George, and become a believer in the evil that stalks his streets at night.

The 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust comic book was written by IDW writer-editor Tom Waltz, and based on the original screenplay by Ed Fowler. Artist Justin Randall, who previously worked with legendary 30 Days of Night creator Steve Niles on 30 Days of Night: Eben & Stella, provided illustration. Steve Niles himself served as producer (and creative consultant) along with 30 Days of Night co-creator Ben Templesmith. Aside from producing, Mr. Templesmith provided art direction and designed and illustrated the cover for the book. The book was edited by FEARnet’s Joseph McCabe and IDW’s publisher and editor-in-chief Chris Ryall and Eisner Award winning Robbie Robbins provided letters.

About FEARnet
FEARnet, the world’s premier horror and thriller destination on demand, online and on mobile devices is a cutting-edge, multi-platform horror network with an unrivaled modern horror library bringing together the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services with the two top studios producing and distributing horror and movies to deliver horror fans uninterrupted fear 24/7. FEARnet.com is the number one horror website and PC Magazine recently named FEARnet.com among “The 15 Best Websites for Movie Fans.” FEARnet On Demand is one of the top five VOD networks. The advertising supported network is a joint venture between Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), Sony Pictures Television (SPT: US) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF).

FEARnet On Demand, available on Comcast, Cox Communications, Verizon FiOS and Insight Communications and includes the biggest stash of thriller, killer and chiller horror titles from Sony Pictures and Lionsgate’s vast film libraries. www.fearnet.com users can explore the world of the macabre on a visually arresting video-rich environment packed with movies, interactive community features and fresh original content. The site features free streaming movies, download to own movies, social networks features including a “victim” profiles and chat capabilities, news and reviews and more.

Zune Arts, a creative collective curated by Zune, Microsoft Corp.’s integrated digital entertainment brand, today released “The Lost Ones,” a graphic novel written by celebrated writer Steve Niles. For the Zune-commissioned novel, Niles was paired up with visual artists Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter, Kime Buzzelli and Morning Breath to take the reader on an epic journey through time and space. Each artist illustrated a different chapter of the novel, resulting in a blend of artistic styles that is emblematic of the unique creative collaborations for which Zune Arts has become widely known.

A preview of the novel is currently available at http://zune-arts.net/lost. Two digital formats of the novel (PDF and RAR) are available free for download today, and visitors can watch the graphic novel trailer and previously released behind-the-scenes podcasts documenting the artists in action. In early July, 42,000 paperback editions of the novel will be available free at select comic book and retail boutiques nationwide. In addition, 1,250 signed limited-edition collector’s copies with silk-screened covers packaged with artwork from the novel will be produced for select distribution.

“Working with these four talented artists on this project was a delight,” Niles said. “Zune Arts was the gateway that allowed us to show what’s possible when artists of different backgrounds and unique styles collaborate to create something larger than the sum of its parts.”

“The Lost Ones” chronicles the adventures of four friends — Duncan, Roxy, Rasheed and Cynthia — whose seemingly harmless day of extreme planet jumping turns into a mind-blowing, white-knuckle race for their lives to get back home. They find that home is no longer where they left it and the alien race, hell-bent on destroying them, isn’t getting any friendlier.

The graphic novel merges five distinct creative points of view to bring the story to life:

· Dr. Revolt, an original member of the historic New York City graffiti crew the Rolling Thunder Writers
· Gary Panter, an illustrator known for his surreal and raw style
· Kime Buzzelli, an emerging painter and fashion designer
· Morning Breath, a Brooklyn-based art and design duo blending a graffiti style reminiscent of early ’80s street art
· Steve Niles, celebrated author of “30 Days of Night”

“We are excited to bring together a collective of like-minded individuals who are innovators in the artistic community and come from a diverse set of backgrounds,” said Robert Schaltenbrand, brand manager for Zune at Microsoft. “The unique result of this collaboration is a genre-bending concept that transcends traditional graphic novels and delivers something new and exciting to readers and fans.”

Continuing its tradition of connecting artists and their fans, Zune Arts will also be hosting several book signings throughout the United States during the summer. Tour dates and featured artists are outlined below.

From a program that started more than a year and a half ago with a simple animated sketch of a man and a bunny, Zune Arts (http://www.zune-arts.net/) has grown to spearhead dozens of collaborations with world-renowned and emerging artists such as M. Ward, Lily Allen, Bitstate, PandaPanther and FriendsWithYou to blur the lines between art, technology, commerce, marketing and entertainment. On two separate occasions, films from the program have been inducted into the permanent film collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which speaks to the talented artists and high-quality work being curated for the program.

In addition, Zune Arts offers weekly podcast feeds through Zune Marketplace, providing customers with access to some of today’s most cutting-edge cultural artists expressing themselves through film, music, design, illustration and everything in between. The podcasts are available for free download, and fans can subscribe to automated feeds so the series is synced with their Zune devices.

Book Signing Tour Dates

· July 16, Boston, Bodega: Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter

· July 17, New York, Midtown Comics: Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter, Kime Buzzelli, Morning Breath, Steve Niles

· July 18, Philadelphia, Brave New Worlds: Gary Panter, Steve Niles

· July 19, Baltimore, Atomic Books: Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter, Steve Niles

· July 20, Washington, D.C., Big Planet Comics: Gary Panter, Steve Niles

· July 31, Los Angeles, Meltdown: Kime Buzzelli, Steve Niles

· Aug. 2, Chicago, Chicago Comics and Quimby’s Bookstore: Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter

· Two dates and locations to be determined, San Francisco: Gary Panter

About Zune Arts
Zune Arts is a program that values emerging artists and art in all forms and provides a platform for artists of all kinds to share their work. At the heart of Zune Arts are ideas about friendship, discovery, connecting and sharing, which will serve as both a guide for artists’ work and an ethic for all Zune Arts does.

About Zune
Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of wireless digital media players, the Zune Marketplace online store, and Zune Social online music community. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company’s software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

How did this movie deal come about? “Wake The Dead” was originally with Dimension.

Niles: Originally, it was bought as a package deal by Dimension with another book I had done called “Hide.” Basically, nothing happened. Bob Weinstein was a big fan of it, and he and I sort of did our best to get it going, and it fell victim to the split [between Disney and Miramax/Dimension]. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t up there with their priorities, like Quentin Tarantino and those guys, you know. So it just fell by the wayside, and they were really cool about it and we got our rights back.

All through this, I’d been talking to Jay Russell. I met Jay about three years ago, I think, and we immediately started talking about projects. This was one he really focused on. I’m really attracted to opposites teaming up–not that Jay and I are opposites, but certainly on the surface that’s what you’d think. I mean, here’s the director of “Water Horse: Legends of the Deep,” which is one of the hottest kids’ movies right now. And he did “My Dog Skip,” which obviously was a big success. I just loved the idea of him taking on this story as his first horror, because everybody’s got a littler horror in them, and I’m really curious to see. Watching his movies, you can see in the suspenseful moments of “Water Horse” he teeters on some good horror moments. I’m excited about the possibilities.

The complete interview is online, here.

“The idea is to make a classic horror film, and what I liked was the combination of Jay, in a genre he’s wanted to experiment in for some time, with Jim, who is particularly skilled at this kind of voice, and with a world created by Steve, who has become a classic in the graphic novel world,” Lyons said.

Visual effects will be done by Peter Jackson’s New Zealand-based Weta, which provided the f/x work on “The Water Horse.”

Legendary comic book artist Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing, Frankenstein) is returning to full penciling and inking duties on a comic book for the first time is over two decades. Wrightson has joined writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) to create a noir horror miniseries entitled Dead, She Said.

IDW Publishing also unveiled a stunning trailer produced by Hazmat Studios for the series, which debuts in comic shops on May 21.

Dead She Said tells the story of Detective Coogan, who wakes up on the wrong side of the bullet, and finds that he’s… dead. And now he has to find out who killed him, how he’s still alive, and just how to put the pieces (pieces which include giant ants) together to solve his own murder. The first issue of this new miniseries mixes horror and noir into a tightly wound nightmare of twists and turns.

”It’s great to work with two true masters of their craft on a project like this,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Publisher/Editor-in-Chief. “Bernie’s work has been inspirational for decades to horror fans like Niles and me, and a new-school horror writer like Niles blends perfectly with Bernie’s amazing linework.”

Dead, She Said #1, a 32-page, $3.99 comic book, will be in stores on May 21, 2008.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. As a leader in the horror, action, and sci-fi genres, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry including: television’s #1 prime time series CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; Hasbro’s The Transformers, and the BBC’s Doctor Who. IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. In April 2008, IDW released Michael Recycle, the first title from its new children’s book imprint, Worthwhile Books. More information about the company can be found at http://www.idwpublishing.com.

About Bernie Wrightson
Noted for his horror illustrations, Wrightson helped revamp the horror comic in the 1970s, bringing a modern sensibility to it. Among his career highpoints were co-creating the Swamp Thing character for DC Comics and adapting classic horror tales for Warren Publications.
Wrightson spent seven years drawing approximately 50 detailed pen-and-ink illustrations to accompany an edition of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, which the artist considers among his most personal work. He also drew the poster for the Stephen King-penned horror film Creepshow, and illustrated the comic book adaptation of the film. This led to several other collaborations with King, including illustrations for the novella Cycle of the Werewolf, and the restored edition of King’s apocalyptic horror epic, The Stand. Wrightson’s credits also include album covers for a number of bands, including Meat Loaf.

ZUNE ARTS TO RELEASE GRAPHIC NOVEL
WRITTEN BY CELEBRATED AUTHOR STEVE NILES
“The Lost Ones” To Be Released June 2008 in
Collector’s and Paperback Editions

Zune Arts, the program that aims to bring the best creative minds together to collaborate on inspiring works of art, is producing a graphic novel titled “The Lost Ones” written by Steve Niles, author of 30 Days of Night. “The Lost Ones” chronicles the adventures of Duncan, Roxy, Rasheed and Cynthia, who leave their Earth and are swept up in an epic intergalactic adventure. A different graphic artist will illustrate each of the four chapters, creating a genre-bending take on visual storytelling.

The novel’s four artists - Dr Revolt, an original member of the historic New York City graffiti crew The Rolling Thunder Writers, Gary Panter, an illustrator known for his surreal and raw style, Morning Breath, Brooklyn-based art and design duo, and emerging painter/fashion designer Kime Buzzelli - each bring a remarkable and unique drawing style to the project.

“The Lost Ones” gives us the chance to extend the Zune Arts platform by tapping into new genres and audiences,” said Rob Schaltenbrand, Zune Arts Brand Manager. “We’re excited to work with such a talented group of artists and storytellers to bring this project to life”

Zune Arts is a program that offers emerging and established artists a unique collaboration opportunity and platform to share their work with a broader audience. At the heart of Zune Arts are ideas about friendship, sharing, connecting and discovery that serve as both a guide for artists’ work and an ethic for the art that’s produced through this program.

For more information on Zune Arts, visit www.zune-arts.net

Although Niles might have been very frustrated twenty years ago trying to break in, now the talented writer is busy working on dozens of creator owned properties in comics, television and film. That goal he had to work for the mainstream on icons is also a reality. Niles has already worked with the Dark Knight Detective in the pages of Batman: Gotham County Line, but now he and Kelley Jones are taking Batman back to his ’70s roots, by showing him and his city after dark, in the pages of Batman: Gotham After Midnight.

And it’s all because he never gave up on his dreams. However, he told THE PULSE that his new “status” is kind of unbelievable. “You never get used to people suddenly saying ‘yes’ after 20 years,” Niles admitted. “I’m at the point now where I actually have to turn down work. It’s crazy.”

Niles likened his current workload to a circus juggling act. At any given point in time, the creator seems to be working on four or five projects. Right now, just in the comic book field, he’s working on the aforementioned Batman County Line, Simon Dark, Criminal Macabre and a few IDW projects.

“I pounded the doors at DC and Marvel for a long time,” Niles recalled. “Finally, I just resigned myself that if they don’t want to hire me, I’ll do creator-owned stuff. I kind of had no choice. As much as I hated it at the time, now I own more of my own creations than a lot of comic writers. It sort of worked out for me. But I’m so happy with DC now. They have really embraced me and welcomed me. I’ve got to do all these weird little things. We were all so surprised when Simon Dark took off. People really enjoyed The Creeper. Plus, Batman: Gotham After Midnight with Kelley Jones is so beautiful. Anyone who loves Batman will just be knocked out by this stuff. He’s really hitting a home run here.”

Part one of the interview is online here.

Marc Patten of Destination Entertainment said, “Shortly after I began publicity for my new sci-fi fantasy adventure series entitled, Khrome with art by Marlin Shoop and Mark Sparacio, a fellow creator brought it to my attention that Radical Comics was producing a series with the same name. I contacted creator Steve Niles to see if we could work something out, and he couldn’t have been nicer.” Marc went to say, “they agreed to give me back the title Khrome leaving me free and clear to continue using the name I’d created over ten years ago. Radical is producing top quality comics that will put them on the entertainment map. I can’t wait to read them.”

Set in the not too distant future where imagination is discouraged and religion is outlawed, Radical Comics offers a preview of Steve Niles’ City of Dust in the Free Comic Book Day Imaginary #1. However, when folks open up Imaginary #1, they will see the book under its previous title, Khrome.

“The reason for the change is simple,” explains, Barry Levine, Radical’s President and Publisher. “Shortly after going to press, Steve Niles contacted me and informed me that someone named Marc Patten had developed his own, different project which also went by the name, Khrome. We both agreed in keeping Philip Khrome as the name for the main character, but would change the title to respect Marc’s work. When Steve came back to me with the new title, City of Dust, I immediately loved it. It fit the theme of the story perfectly.”

Steve Niles adds, “I strongly believe in creator rights, as does Radical, and when push came to shove doing the right thing outweighed anything else. As soon as I heard about the other book I phoned Dave and Barry and we all agreed to change the name. There was no hesitation and I knew I was working with good people.”

Set for release in September, 2008 and to be listed in the July edition of Diamond Previews, City of Dust is written by Steve Niles with artwork by Zid of Imaginary Friends Studios and published by Radical Comics. The sci-fi series from the dark mind of the creator of 30 Days of Night comes a story set in the aftermath of our world’s collapse. Records show the Earth once known was consumed by religious wars spurred by the suppression of free thought and where creative expression is now viewed as the rot and infestation of the mind. This chilling vision of the future unveils a world where the police now patrol for crimes of the imagination, or Mind Crimes as their called. Those beliefs, along with any tales of false heroes, idols or gods, are illegal. The world is anew and so the enemy adapts. Special detective Philip Khrome doesn’t enforce Imagination, instead he works in homicide; that’s where the action is, and he has seen it all before. But criminals evolve and the world is forever changing. When a killing spree hits his department, Khrome finds himself face to face with a perpetrator who has merged reality with superstition. The world everyone is accustomed to is flipped upside down and everything is no longer what it seems.

About Radical Publishing

Radical Publishing is founded by Barry Levine (Producer for Rogue Pictures Blood on the Tracks, and Executive Producer for the in development Warner Brothers Rex Mundi movie, written by JIM UHLS starring JOHNNY DEPP and Universal Picture’s R.I.P.D), his protégé Jesse Berger, and longtime writer and publisher David Elliott (Atomeka Press and Tundra Publishing).

Radical Publishing is bringing the best in writing, storytelling and fully-painted cover and interior artwork to the global comic book market by prominent international talents such as Yoshitaka Amano, John Bolton, Luis Royo, Jim Steranko, Steve Niles, Ian Edginton, Steve Moore, Sam Sarkar, Stjepan Sejic, Dave Wilkins, Steve Pugh, James Heffron, Tomm Coker, Clayton Crain, Bill Sienkiewicz, Weta Workshop, Imaginary Friends Studios, and many more.

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.

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.

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.

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.

HORROR YEARBOOK: You have the 30 Days of Night screenplay credit, the upcoming Dead, She Said comic book for IDW, and now a book showcasing your favorite character in Criminal Macabre: The Complete Cal McDonald Stories. Do you prefer a certain format over another?

STEVE NILES: I prefer doing all three actually because each offers something the other doesn’t, or at least it’s easier to say do a chase scene in a movie, or glimpse inside someone’s thought process in a novel or a combination of the two in a comic. I really do enjoy all three. If I had to pick one I’d go with prose because it’s the only thing I do that is completely solo. As much as I love comics I have to be in synch with an artist to pull it off and with movies everybody gets to fuck with it so…

HORROR YEARBOOK: Cal McDonald has been around for a while now. What intrigues you to continue writing about this guy?

STEVE NILES: I loved flawed characters and Cal is as flawed as you can get without becoming a villain. I’m able to say things with Cal that just don’t come out in other characters. There’s something very honest about that junkie asshole and I just love seeing the world through his cynical eyes.

The full interview can be read here.

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!