Welcome to the darker side of AICN! Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug here with another AICN HORROR: ZOMBIES & SHARKS interview. I had a chance to chat with Sandy King Carpenter, producer, writer, and wife of John Carpenter. Sandy and John run Storm King Productions which has produced a few very cool and very horrific comics recently. ASYLUM is a monthly comic and TALES FOR A HALLOWEENIGHT is an anthology that recently released its second volume. Sandy will talk about both of these comics and more below!
AMBUSH BUG (BUG): Hello Mrs. King Carpenter. What was it that made you pick comic books as a way for you and John to tell new stories of terror?
SANDY KING CARPENTER (SKC): We had been approached for years to have John put his name on comic books, but they generally weren't anything he wanted branded as his. Then a story came along based on a premise that Thomas Ian Griffith had that really lent itself to this medium. It made sense with John's fan base to go ahead and finally do a comic.
BUG: Can you describe the premise of ASYLUM to my readers?
SKC: A defrocked Catholic priest and an LAPD homicide detective run into each other when they are both chasing the same man: one to lock him up as a serial killer and the other to save his soul. Meanwhile, something bigger is afoot as Lucifer is breaking through in the City of Angels as sort of a f-you to God. And that is where we begin...
BUG: How about TALES FOR A HALLOWEENIGHT? What is that all about?
SKC: It's an annual anthology of short horror stories we are putting out each Halloween. We started it last year with a little 100 page, 6 story book that got a very nice reception. This year there are 13 stories in 200 pages. Next year is shaping up about the same. The aim is to present all different writers and artists with different styles and takes on the genre telling spooky tales--everything from ghosts to curses to grave robbers and sea monsters.
BUG: What kind of talent do you have lined up for TALES FOR A HALLOWEENIGHT?
SKC: There is always a story by John, of course, and one by me. Other writers include Duane Swierczynski, Jimmy Palmiotti, Patrick Kealan Burke and David J. Schow. Artists include Dennis Calero, Darick Robertson, Cat Staggs and Tim Bradstreet.
BUG: Are these comics likely to be made into films either produced or directed by your husband and yourself?
SKC: We're just trying to make these be great comics. The anthologies are an end in and of themselves. ASYLUM, if it were to have another incarnation, could make a great video game just because of the layers of its worlds.
BUG: Are you interested in having any of John's other films produced in comic book form?
SKC: THEY LIVE could have made a pretty cool comic book but Ray Nelson, the writer of the original short story, specifically excluded comic books from the story rights when the movie was made. I'm not really of the opinion that all movies make good comics nor all comics make good movies.
BUG: I would love to see a THEY LIVE comic! How do you like working at these comic conventions? What is your favorite part of being at NYCC?
SKC: I like the conventions. Some more than others. I think REED POP does great shows because they put the fans first. I love doing C2E2 in Chicago and NYCC. It's all about connecting with the fans and being a part of showing them a good time. Obviously part of appearing at a convention is marketing/building awareness, but the fan experience at a convention is what helps to keep the industry healthy for years to come.
BUG: I have to ask, what is it like being married to the creator of so many nightmarish films?
SKC: Hellish. Okay, just kidding. It's the best. I'm very lucky. How many people get to do what they love with the person they love? Doesn't get better than that.
BUG: What's next for ASYLUM, TALES FOR A HALLOWEENIGHT, and this publisher?
SKC: ASYLUM is on a short break before heading into its third and final arc. It will probably resume in the summer. TALES will be back with Volume 3 a year from now with new stories to terrify and delight. Early next year Storm King Productions will launch a new monthly book, John Carpenter's TALES OF SCIENCE FICTION. We'll bring you terror from beyond the stars in outer space!
BUG: Thanks for taking the time to chat!
SKC: Thank you!
BUG: You can find out more about ASYLUM, TALES FOR A HALLOWEENIGHT and other Storm King Comics on their website here!
Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, original @$$Hole/wordslinger/writer of wrongs/reviewer/interviewer/editor of AICN COMICS for over 15 years & AICN HORROR for 5. Follow Mark on the Twitters @Mark_L_Miller and on his new website collecting posts for AICN HORROR as well as all of the most recent updates on his various comic book projects on MLMillerWrites.com.
A quick plug for my own work. I have a new comic book coming out this December called THE JUNGLE BOOK HOLIDAY SPECIAL: BAGHEERA’S SECRET. It’s a one shot reteaming my original JUNGLE BOOK artist Carlos Granda and myself (the same team who created PIROUETTE) and it is available to order now via Previews order# OCT162113. I’m getting pages of this book by the day and this book looks absolutely amazing so far. Fans of jungle adventure are going to love it! Please support me by telling your local comic book store to order tons of issues of this comic! Much appreciated, folks.
Look for our bi-weekly rambling about random horror films on Poptards and Ain’t It Cool on AICN HORROR’s CANNIBAL HORRORCAST Podcast every other Thursday!
Lastly, there have been issues about the text overlapping the images in my posts. If this occurs, simply refresh the screen and this should be rectified.
