BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO This Fall, Dark Horse Comics is going to release another volume of the Conan Chronicles. This volume contains many tales written by Roy Thomas and Conan fan J.M. DeMatteis. DeMatties recalled his time with comic's favorite Cimmerian. He told us what it was like following in Thomas' footsteps and taking on this larger than life character.
THE PULSE: When you took over Conan, it was after Roy Thomas had put a lot of his heart and soul into the character. What was it like getting to follow the path he began?
J.M. DeMATTEIS: I was a huge Robert E. Howard geek and a massive fan of Roy Thomas’s run on the book. In the 70's, Roy reinvented Conan for a new generation and—aided by Barry Smith’s otherworldly genius and John Buscema’s extraordinary draftsmanship—made the character one of the shining stars of the Marvel line. I was very new to the business—Conan was my first full-length monthly assignment—so when editor Louise Jones (on editor-in-chief Jim Shooter's recommendation) called me up to offer me the assignment, I was elated—but I was also terrified.
THE PULSE: What kind of intimidation factors did you face taking over the series after Thomas had received such critical-acclaim and so many fans of the series were sad to see someone else writing the series -- at least until they saw your take on Conan ...?
DeMATTEIS: As noted, I was a huge fan of Roy's and I had no illusions that I could fill his shoes. I also wondered if the legendary John Buscema even deign to work with some New Kid On The Block that he’d never heard of. So I'd say the Intimidation Factor was totally off the charts.
THE PULSE: Had you read a lot of Robert E. Howard's source material for the Cimmerian? I know how thorough you are when you're working on a project, so I'd guess "yes." If you had, which of Conan's stories ranked among your favorite? Why? If you hadn't, what kind of research did you do to get to know the world Robert E. Howard created so intimately?
DeMATTEIS: I remember seeing the first ad for Conan the Barbarian #1, when it appeared in various Marvel comics and being intrigued by it; so, between the time the ad came out and the first issue of Conan appeared, I went to a local used book store and bought a bunch of the Lancer paperbacks: it didn’t take long for me to fall completely under REH’s spell. My two favorite stories—both in the prose and comic book versions—are probably "Tower of the Elephant" and "The Frost Giant's Daughter." (I was also pretty taken by Howard's Kull stories and have fond memories of my Abadazad buddy, Mike Ploog's, work on the King Kull comic.)
THE PULSE: What was it about Conan that you enjoyed the most and saw the most potential in storytelling? I know a lot of writers who like that he isn't the straight-forward hero type, he's in it for Conan and whatever else happens along the way is just gravy ....
DeMATTEIS: For me, that's only a small part of Conan’s appeal. There was something else at work in Howard’s writing: his power as a literary shaman. Someone who could rip away veils of time and place, transporting the reader to antediluvian kingdoms—dangerous, mysterious, seductive, frightening—that seemed totally alien yet unnervingly familiar. Losing myself in a Howard story was like losing myself in a past incarnation. I felt as if I’d walked those streets before, seen those faces, encountered those awe-inspiring cosmic mysteries. Howard’s best work was wonderfully unsettling because it brought our assumptions about reality itself into question. That was the appeal to me as a reader...and as a writer.
THE PULSE: I know just as many fans of the series who imagine what it would be like to be the sword and sorcery icon -- battling it out and having a beautiful woman for you in every port. What was it like getting to tell these stories about Conan, and live vicariously through your protagonist?
DeMATTEIS: Most of what I recall about writing those stories relates to the struggles I went through. It was hard enough for a newbie trying to live up to Roy Thomas. But Roy Thomas and Robert E. Howard? And Louise Simonson? And Jim Shooter? Looking back, I'm amazed I even tried.
THE PULSE: What's do you remember about your stories included in the Chronicles of Conan Vol. 16?
DeMATTEIS: Most of those stories are a blur to me, but two I remember pretty clearly, and pretty fondly, are "The Voice of One Long Gone"—which was a story about Conan's relationship with his grandfather—and "The Hand of Erlik"—about an immortal, but all-too human, servant of Death. Both of those stories, I think, managed to stay true to the Conan tradition...and also push off into some interesting emotional places. I think the hardest aspect of writing Conan is that you're dealing with a main character who doesn't show all that much emotion. And yet the essence of a great story, as far as I'm concerned, is its emotional content. Those two stories hit the mark for me. I was very pleased with them.
THE PULSE: Why do you think Conan has sustained such a following and been in print in comics and other formats since his inception, while other characters of that type seem to have failed after their bursts of popularity?
DeMATTEIS: I think there was something deep and magical in Howard's original vision that's continued to echo through all the various interpretations of the character.
The fact that Roy T's version of Conan was so brilliantly executed certainly didn't hurt. And the recent Dark Horse version has also been exceptional. In the end, though, you can't explain it. It's like trying to explain why Superman and Batman are still lodged in our collective consciousness seventy years after their creation. If we really understood it, we'd find a way to repeat it.
THE PULSE: I think a lot of people who aren't reading Conan just think of him as a mindless, beefcake, brawny type. Why is that thought so wrong about this character?
DeMATTEIS: As I said earlier, the hook for me, where Conan is concerned, isn't about the blood and guts. It's about the mystery, the wonder, the magic, of the world REH created. There's a disturbing—and seductive—quality to Howard's writing, and Conan's world that makes it unique. (Although others may have done a better Conan—the character of Conan—I think the reason Barry Smith's work on the book is held in such high regard is because no other artist has come close to Smith when it comes to capturing the essence of that fantastic and surreal world.)
THE PULSE: What did you enjoy the most about the time you spent with Conan?
DeMATTEIS: I can't view my own work on Conan objectively—but working with John Buscema and Gil Kane? That was a dream-come-true. Buscema wasn’t doing full pencils in those days—he was doing minimalistic breakdowns—but the man was such a gifted storyteller and designer that his breakdowns had more substance than the full, detailed pencils of most other artists. Buscema chose every line carefully: each pencil stroke communicating the fullness, the depth, of the characters and their world. Kane, too, was working in a minimalist fashion: I'd script from small layouts done in black marker. But what brilliant layouts! Gil Kane was one was the major comic art gods in my pantheon; so working with him was—there's that word again—intimidating. But also exhilarating.
THE PULSE: Going from the past to the present, how is working in the comics industry now different than when you were scripting Conan?
DeMATTEIS: Comics pretty much rule all media now. Back then it was exciting to see cheesy TV versions of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. Now, with blockbuster comic book movies rolling out every five minutes, comics pretty much rule the mass media. As for the business itself? The billions that the movies have earned certainly haven't trickled down to the folks working in the trenches. If anything, it's harder than ever to make a living just writing comics. As the Big Two continue to turn out event after event, rack space gets more precious and the indie publishers feel the pain. Still, there are lots of creative choices out there these days. People understand that comics are more than just super heroes . Sure, the capes and tights sill dominate sales, but the the opportunity is there work in many styles, and many genres, that just wouldn't have been accepted in the early 80's.
THE PULSE: Speaking of "now" what other projects are you working on?
DeMATTEIS: I'm writing a young adult fantasy novel for HarperCollins. Doing more episodes of the upcoming BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD series for Cartoon Network. I've got other TV and film projects in the pipeline that I can't talk about just yet. But soon, I hope.
Comics-wise, I just finished the first issue of The Life and Times of Savior 28 for IDW. This is a dream project, one I've been wanting to do for many years, and I'm incredibly excited to finally see it come to life—especially since it's being drawn by the brilliant Mike Cavallaro. Savior 28 is a six issue series that will be out in 2009. I'm also co-writing—with my friend, Derek Webster—an original graphic novel called Arms Race, for Joe Pruett's Desperado line. Doing some more Spider-Man stories for Marvel. And I'm deep into on the final Hero Squared mini-series—Hero Squared: Love and Death—for Boom! Studios. Among other things!
And then there's my job as editor-and-chief of Ardden Entertainment. The first issue of our Flash Gordon comic launches next month—our writer and artist, Brendan Deneen and Paul Green, have done a fantastic job—and we're lining up several other strong titles for release next year. including one I'm slated to write. We've also got big plans for Flash's 75th anniversary (talk about icons that have endured!)—but more on that as the time approaches.
The Conan Chronicles Volume 16 will be in stores this Fall.
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