BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
There's life out there, but if you discover it, you die! Sound scary and freaky? It is and it's also the stuff of good comics -- at least that's what Devoid of Life creator Raffaele Ienco hopes. His tale of the alien Xenos and their quest to make sure their world remains secret hits this August. Ienco, who left the comics industry after a few gigs over ten years ago, is hoping his return will be the first of many new comic book projects.


THE PULSE: For our readers who don't know a lot about you, how did you "break" into the comic book industry and what other projects have you worked upon?

RAFFAELE IENCO: Since this is my first project with a major publisher (Image Comics) I agree that I am “breaking” into the industry.

I had given up on comics for 10 years while I worked as an artist in another art-related industry. Back then comics were just not paying enough and I feared I would grow old and poor. But the lure of comic industry was too strong especially with all the graphic novels recently being turned into movies --so I'm back! At age 16 I was asked by my then-employer what I wanted to do when I grew up and I responded "draw comic books that get turned into movies." And that's what I'm trying to do now at age 39.

I don’t even want to mention the books I worked on 10+ years ago. For all intents and purposes Devoid of Life (science-fiction/horror) is me starting fresh better than ever.

Breaking into Image was kind of tough but my manager (Josh Morris of Content House, LA) worked his magic and placed Devoid with them. His associate (Dave Olbrich - a former Malibu Comics editor -whom Image knew well) called Image on the phone, and they were sent a copy of the book which they read, liked and accepted eagerly. Previously Image had said "no" to it twice, when it was only half done and consisted of a color cover and B/W photo-copies. That just goes to show you what a finished book can do. I'm so glad a publisher like Image exists. They really are one of a kind, since no other publisher will commit to a book without a piece of IP ownership. I’d also like to publicly thank Erik Larsen and Eric Stephenson for giving the book a chance.

THE PULSE: Since you were away for over ten years, what made you return now to comics with Devoid of Life?


IENCO: Probably all the exciting comics that are being turned into movies like 30 Days of Night, Sin City, 300, Watchmen, History of Violence. Graphic novels are quickly becoming an alternative to screenplays as their built in storyboards, characters and ready made universe help the film executive visualize the end product easily.

It was my time to take a chance and try to achieve a childhood dream, before I got too old and afraid to take risks.

THE PULSE: So what is Devoid of Life? I know it's some kind of thriller/horror tale. What's going to make your chiller stand out from the folks and movies you mentioned above?

IENCO: Devoid of Life is a science-fiction/horror original graphic novel. Its premise is the following: Following the discovery of a mysterious hidden planet in our solar system a series of horrible deaths occur at an isolated observatory. This leads investigators to an alien plot that threatens all life on Earth by a guard of unstoppable ghostly alien creatures called The Xenos.

Some on-line readers have described it as:

“Superb, super-weird story!!! Won't insult you by giving you a measly 5 stars - instead I suggest you reach over with BOTH hands and pat yourself on the back for a job extremely well-done. Few people manage to take a "long-format" realistic comic from start to finish, and even fewer manage to keep the quality so consistently high from first to last page. The art is top pro quality, but I'm especially intrigued by your storytelling, which really brings a movie-like feel to the reader experience. One just keep clicking through pages, hardly noticing just how great the pics/art are in their own right! Take a bow - and git crackin' on your next story. All right, I know that's damn unfair to say so soon, but what can I do - I WANT that next story!”

“I basically read the whole thing all over again while I was at work (probably not too good of a thing to do work-wise). Man, this is just a wonderful piece of storytelling. Perfect combination of suspense, horror, drama, sci-fi, and mystery! I can see this story in so many forms: as a gripping and nightmare inducing novel read all day and all night until well into the next morning because I'm just too freaked out to go to bed without finishing; a marvelous twist-filled movie with awesome special effects; a TV mini-series, something like "The Stand". But of course, it is just beautiful as it is, a wonderful graphic novel!”

“Just read this from start to finish in one sitting - you're quite the story-teller! I can't believe I only just found this today. Your artwork is stunning. It was like reading a movie rather than watching one.”

THE PULSE: How did you come up with the idea to create this book online? What kind of advantage do you think that gave you knowing what your readers were thinking as each new part of it was published on the World Wide Web?

IENCO: I subscribe to the theory that the more people who read your book and comment on it the better it will be. The internet is a great way to get feedback on a project before it becomes cemented into print. With the readers on DrunkDuck I can post a page and get immediate feedback to see if it’s working or not in relation to what I intended. If people are confused about the sequentials and/or script I can make the fixes right then and there. It is the ultimate focus group.


Plus getting immediate feedback from readers becomes very addictive and it fuels my enthusiasm.

Devoid of Life is no longer online, so the only way to read it now is to get the Image book in mid-August 2008.

THE PULSE: When you were thinking of any subject matter that would have a comic book and Hollywood appeal, how did you come up with the idea of xenophobic aliens who will go to any means to keep their world secret?

IENCO: Well, you have to understand that a story goes through a lot of changes from start (a post-it note) to finish (a published graphic novel). I wanted to write a story that has definite film appeal so that meant no superheroes, space-opera or historical epic because the budget had to be kept low. I wanted to write something thrilling that I was interested in seeing if it was a film so science-fiction/horror made sense. There’s not enough really bizarre science-fiction out there! I liked the idea of something big, fantastic and horrible very near to us but unseen and separated by the flimsiest barrier so how about an invisible 10th planet in our own solar system that no one ever suspected? And why is it invisible? Why is it hidden? What would motivate aliens to kill if their planet was discovered? What kind of story fits the horror genre but hasn’t been done before? And so the story evolved from the basic to the complex with a whole lot of notes and discarded ideas in-between.

THE PULSE: What powers do these aliens have? They seem to be far advanced -- at least technologically -- from earthlings, since they are able to travel here, and cause damages....

IENCO: The Xenos (there are only five of them) are the agents of the aliens, but we never actually see “the aliens”. In kind of the same way we send a police force overseas to solve a problem, the inhabitants of “Nemesis” the 10th planet have sent a powerful secret force here to destroy any knowledge of their world. They are alerted by any human mind that becomes aware of them or their world (like a dog is alerted by a dog whistle), they arrive instantaneously and snuff out any mind that can grasp their existence. “They must remain unknown.” is the tag line for the book.

Perhaps they were the original inspiration for the grim reaper thousands of years ago.


THE PULSE: It kind of seems like this is going to be a bit of an underdog type story since it would appear as if the humans have no chance against these aliens, but, as we've seen from other invasion type stories, our race is a resilient one. Tell us about your leads, who might be all that save us from the evil Xenos....

IENCO: I wouldn’t call The Xenos “evil” just like I wouldn’t call a shark “evil”. When we kill a bunch of ants on the sidewalk are we evil? The inhabitants of this telepathic alien world cannot survive (it is literally killing them) with anyone thinking about them, knowing about them –truly an alien concept- so they do what they must to survive. They are the ultimate isolationists.

My main protagonist is a young woman named Rochelle Bonner, the police chief of Andini a small US city who is having marital problems with her husband Garrett which is due, unbeknownst to them to her childhood experiences with The Xenos themselves. How did she survive against them as a child? That has to do with an aged recluse named Mr. White who has been living in paranoid fear inside a sealed metal room for over a hundred years.

But you’re right, human beings stand no chance of survival against the powerful agents of a bizarre alien world. So how does the story unfold? You’ll have to read it and find out.

THE PULSE: Sounds intriguing. What did you find the most rewarding about creating this project?


IENCO: On a personal level I was pleased to start and then finish such a grand project. Remember that I wrote, illustrated, lettered and colored the entire gig on my own (127 pages) with editorial help from Erin M. Schadt. I expanded my skills in story telling and panel to panel sequentials and aided with the excellent feedback from on-line readers I was able to refine the story so it hits all the targets of an exceptional reading experience. (I hope![grins])

Image Comics picking up the book was a testament that I have broken through a professional barrier and have made it to the next level.

There are also several top tier Hollywood production companies looking at the book with interest and my acquiring a manager on the strength of Devoid of Life just really justifies my taking the leap in returning to the comics industry.

THE PULSE: How did you decide the art style to illustrate this? What influenced you the most?

IENCO: I wanted the book to be accessible to anyone who has never read a comic before. So in the same way that Dave Gibbons delivered a straightforward sequential style in Watchmen, I tried to do the same thing. I stayed away from awkward page layouts and stuck to the basics. Panel to panel continuity was a main priority for me which is why many describe the art style as cinematic. I was intending to do the book in black and white but after Image saw a couple color test pages I did online they insisted the entire book be in color.


THE PULSE: Since you were gainfully employed outside the comics industry for so long, what kind of perspective do you think that gives you coming back to the industry that wasn't there when you were originally trying to break in?

IENCO: I just have to say that being able to fully create a comic book story and have it potentially become a film is truly a “high” that can’t be matched. It is the power to bring vision to fruition and life is too short to be doing anything you don’t enjoy. It is also an industry wherein one person’s vision can create the entire “product” and its universe like a novelist in the prose field and unlike the film and video game industry.

THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on?

IENCO: Currently I have 80 pages written and drawn on my next graphic novel Manifestations (supernatural thriller) which I hope Image will publish too. I'm staying away from the monthly periodicals in favor of original graphic novels because I would like the reader to get the full uninterrupted reading experience that a GN can deliver rather than the episodic format of 32 page comics.

But who knows what the future will hold? Watch the skies! Ooouuuuuuuuuu…