via The Blog From Another World
Dark Horse Month is coming to close, but no worries: we still have a few great interviews for you! Up next: an interview with Eisner Award-nominated writer Brian Wood, who–along with his longtime creative partner, Becky Cloonan–is taking on Conan the Barbarian, a 25-issue adaptation of one of Conan's most popular short stories: "Queen of the Black Coast," depicting a younger, less experienced Conan.
Wood told us how be became involved in the project, his special working relationship with Cloonan, and his next project for Dark Horse, The Massive, which debuts in Dark Horse Presents #8! Plus, enjoy an exclusive preview of both Conan the Barbarian #1 and The Massive from Dark Horse Presents #8.
TFAW.com: You've been exclusive to DC Comics for several years now–what made you decide to take on a project at Dark Horse?
Brian Wood: Five years, yeah, which is kind of an eternity, or feels like one, considering that's about a third of my entire career. So I was really looking to branch out, be a real free agent again, do some projects that just weren't possible at DC. I was also closing out two multi-year monthly books, so the timing in that respect seemed right.
I really like Dark Horse . . . I always have, and I have a few friends there. Sierra Hahn, my editor on The Massive, had been trying to bring me over for years, but the timing was always off. She would approach me a week after I re-signed at DC, something like that. But she persisted, and I wouldn't be writing for Dark Horse if she hadn't.
TFAW.com: Why Conan, and why now?
BW: It was offered to me, plain and simple. And that was flattering, and the details of the job were flattering as well, to take this beloved short story and adapt it over the course of 25 issues . . . it was clear Dark Horse had a lot of faith in me, and was willing to make me this great offer and throw their lot in with me, just as I was ready to do with them. And while Conan was probably not something I think I would have pitched for on my own, it's proving to be a really good fit.
TFAW.com: How is Conan going to be different, with you and Becky as the creative team?
BW: That's hard to pin down, to describe into words. I think if anyone is familiar with the past work I've done with Becky, you'll probably have an idea. Becky's work is very fluid, the characters are incredibly expressive, and she has this great way to bringing a sorta lyrical sense to things without for one minute making anything seem unrealistic or goofy.
It's a really good fit for this version of Conan, this younger, happier, much more human iteration of him, rather than the older, more hardened battle-scarred warrior. And the human thing is what I'm bringing to the table, trying to forget every stereotype I ever came across about barbarians and Conan and the like, just as I did with vikings in my Northlanders series, and dig deeper and explore the humanity in it all.
TFAW.com: Dark Horse mentioned that "Queen of the Black Coast" is the most-requested Conan adaptation. What is it that readers love about this story?
BW: It's the story of Conan's first love. It's a dark and tragic love story, and its exciting and sexy all at the same time. It's such a vital point in Conan's life, and I think it changed the man, had ramifications all throughout the rest of his life, like all first true loves tend to do. As far out there as it can get, its still relatable in that respect.
TFAW.com: Has Conan met his match in pirate queen Belit?
BW: I think its safe to say, yeah. And then some. She has his head spinning pretty much from the get-go, as well as his life in her hands.
TFAW.com: What are the essential elements to a good Conan story, in your opinion?
BW: What I'm interested in doing with this book–and this is what I think works–is bringing to life the world of Conan. Literally, physically, putting a real emphasis on the locations, the cities, the landscapes. I refer to a map constantly as I write. I do a lot of research into what these fictional cities probably looked like. It's such a rich and realized world, I want to show everyone that.
I also want to write a Conan that lives up to the famous "mirth and melancholoies" quote, not a one-dimensional barbarian, but a real person with ups and downs, victories and failures, and who figures things out as he goes, especially with this younger Conan, as he is in the source material. So, all that, a lot of great sword fights and battle scenes, interesting secondary characters, and hitting just the right note with the dialogue, the tone and phrasing. And being careful not to write "Crom!" too much (I'm guilty of that!)
TFAW.com: What's surprised you the most about working on Conan?
BW: How easy it would be . . . not in the sense that I don't have to try hard or anything like that, but that its such a good fit. It's loads of fun to write, the adaptation process was smooth and a lot more creatively rewarding than the term "adaptation" might suggest. It's more "me" than I would have thought, and that's great on a lot of different levels, one of which being I can bring my existing audience to this book, an audience that by and large probably doesn't read Conan.
TFAW.com: You and Becky Cloonan have also teamed up on DEMO Volumes 1 and 2. What's your working relationship like now?
BW: At NYCC, we did an interview together that had us, literally, answering each others sentences. Which is pretty cheesy, I know, but we do have this terrific working relationship that is based on mutual respect, total trust in the skills of the other, and the wisdom to stay out of each other's hair. That last bit is possibly the most important–Becky is so good at her job I'm not going to try to direct her, or otherwise guide her hand. It's been 10 years and counting of working together, no fights, no blowouts. Everyone should be so lucky!
TFAW.com: What else are you excited about right now?
BW: My other Dark Horse book, The Massive, which is a creator-owned book about environmentalists lost at sea in the middle of the end of the world. I'm taking a hard look at everything good and bad I've done in past projects and pouring everything that worked into this one. It's a great challenge, and I love a great challenge.
Our thanks to Brian Woods for an insightful interview. Make sure to pre-order the new Conan the Barbarian comics and Dark Horse Presents #8 right here at TFAW and save 20%!
PRE-ORDER CONAN THE BARBARIAN COMICS
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Are you impressed that we didn't use "Crom" in our interview? Oh wait . . . Are you psyched for Conan the Barbarian? Post your comments below!
