Overseeing and intertwining separate comic book stories set in the same zombified universe is no easy task, but Michael Coast has done a seamless job doing just that throughout the first four issues of all ten series of Double Take's Night of the Living Dead: Revival. Coast is also a writer for several of the series that expand the world of George A. Romero's classic zombie film, and with #4 issues hitting shelves on June 1st, the busy writer/editor took a quick breather from his Double Take duties to discuss zombies, humor, world building and much more in our latest Q&A feature.

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Michael. One of the most entertaining characters in Double Take’s Night of the Living Dead: Revival series is little Lisa Foster, a girl with a vocabulary that would make the most hardened sailor wince. What has been your experience writing that character so far? Do you have a favorite line from Lisa?

Michael Coast: I actually keep a file of potential Lisa lines to deploy when the time comes to write her character. Anytime I think of something that’s too horrible to say out loud it goes in the file. Then when the time comes to write an issue I have a nice arsenal of despicable things for her to say.

My favorite line from Lisa would have to be when she calls Tim a “dry dick motherf---er.”

As the Story Editor for all ten NOTLD: Revival series and the main writer for several of them, what are the challenges of intertwining all of these stories and characters into one cohesive plot?

Michael Coast: I don’t want to downplay how difficult it is to keep everything cohesive. It was especially challenging in the early going when we only had a general idea of what the “finished product” of Evans County would look like. But it’s actually not the hardest aspect of a crossover universe.

The hardest part is trying to avoid getting too tangled up in continuity (especially theoretical continuity that hasn’t actually been published yet). It’s very easy, and very tempting, to handcuff yourself creatively. Citing continuity for why you wouldn’t do something bold with a story is an easy way for a series to get stagnant. “We can’t do this in Series X because we did this other thing in Series Y and we want to do this other thing in Series Q.” You have to factor that stuff in, of course. But you can’t let it dictate your every move.

Were you a big fan of George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead in your formative years? Was it a little daunting to enter the world of his classic film to create new content?

Michael Coast: I had seen the movie several times growing up—probably at too young an age. It would have been more daunting if we were doing a straight-up remake. That is, trying to do something that somehow improved on the original film. Knowing how far we were diverting from the original film after the first issue or two made the prospect much less intimidating.

In the Soul series, you continue the story of Ben, one of the most beloved characters from Romero’s original film. What has been your favorite part of writing for that character and giving him new life?

Michael Coast: I guess my favorite part of writing Ben is just what you suggested: giving him new life. He’s such a great character (and much more complex than one may realize from a single viewing). We were really excited when we figured out a way to bring him back.

NOTLD: Revival has shown great ambition by expanding the world of Romero’s cinematic universe and taking readers in a different direction than they might have expected. For instance, rather than being the main threat, the zombies are tools for a higher power. Was it always Double Take’s plan to do something this different from the film, or did it evolve as you dove into the material?

Michael Coast: From the day we started, we knew that we were using the original film as a springboard into a much larger universe. We hadn’t nailed down what pieces went where, but the intention was always to end up going in a different direction with our series.

As delightfully bizarre as it can be at times, NOTLD: Revival grounds itself in reality through believable dialogue created by storytellers from The Moth Radio Hour. How did Double Take come up with this excellent idea and what have been the challenges or rewards of immersing those anecdotes into the NOTLD: Revival stories?

Michael Coast: It actually stemmed from writer recruitment. We saw that The Moth was an arena that featured talented storytellers. So we reached out to several writers from that world (and from other similar programs) and had them try their hands as traditional comic book writers. And, honestly, it’s not an easy transition for anyone to make. Writing for comics requires visual thinking (and writing) on a level that is rarely required in other media. Even screenwriting doesn’t require one to be the cinematographer, costume designer, prop master, and gaffer in addition to being the dialogue writer.

So we had the storytellers concentrate on an area in which they had already proven that they excel: storytelling. Their personal stories helped breathe life into characters who otherwise didn’t have much to say. It also gives the readers a fun story-within-a-story.

The challenge was how to prevent them from being, as you put it, “delightfully bizarre.” There are some situations where you just can’t plausibly have a character tell a lengthy story. We like to think that we’ve settled into a nice rhythm with them, though.

In addition to featuring harrowing life-and-death encounters, the NOTLD: Revival series has packed in plenty of humor. How important has it been for you and the Double Take team to keep these comics funny as well as frightening?

Michael Coast: If I’m writing something, I want people to have fun while reading it. My favorite stories—be they books or movies or comics or whatever—have at least a few moments of lightness to them. Even the most frightening stuff contains at least a bit of levity.

Here’s just one example. In the original Halloween, Michael Myers dresses up as a ghost and wears the one guy’s glasses. That’s a funny, unexpected scene. The movies in the horror genre that I tend to re-watch almost always have a sense of fun to them—even if it’s a very dark brand of humor.

Are there any subplots or character arcs that didn’t make it into the final drafts that you can share with readers?

Michael Coast: None that I can share, unfortunately. We may still bring back elements of some of the “lost issues” that we set aside from when we started until now.

One thing I will say is that originally the family in Home had a much different dynamic. The intention was to do a fairly straight “family during the apocalypse” plot. And it just wasn’t working. We pounded our heads against the wall for weeks on how to improve it. We were shockingly close to our first publishing deadline when I, sort of half-jokingly, suggested that perhaps Lisa should just swear her way through the book. Everyone else thought it was at least a good enough idea for me to go back and write a scene or two in this vein. In a few hours, Home went from our most troubled issue to one of our most fun ones.

Lionsgate and Double Take announced a film adaptation of Z-Men last fall, and I would love to see other stories in this universe adapted for the big or small screen, too. What are your thoughts on any potential adaptations? Which stories in particular would you enjoy seeing adapted for a new medium?

Michael Coast: I’d love to see these series get adapted. Mostly because I think they’d make for a fun viewing experience. I worked on the production side of film/television for several years, so it also holds a “full circle” element for me.

I’d be very interested in seeing how a director would pull off adapting Spring. It’s probably the most tricky visual translation (especially given what transpires in Issue #4). Most of the series I can picture the potential final product. But Spring feels like it could be interpreted in several ways.

How many issues are currently planned for each series of NOTLD: Revival? Have there been discussions about continuing these stories past their initial endings?

Michael Coast: We plan to compile the first five issues of each series into graphic novels. These are due to be released in the fall. But we’re not looking at Issue #5 as an endpoint for any of the series at this time. We still have plenty more story to tell.

Looking back on this journey so far, what are you the most proud of you and your creative team achieving?

Michael Coast: I’m most proud that we keep improving from issue to issue. Art, characters, dialogue—everything just keeps getting better. The editors have done a tremendous job of putting these books together and our in-house layout artists have been invaluable to the process. We’ve all grown together and the results are in the pages of these comics.

With NOTLD: Revival’s #4 issues hitting shelves on June 1st, what can you tease about the upcoming issues?

Michael Coast: A few of the series take significant leaps forward. It’s the type of thing where everyone in the creative meeting says, “Wait… can we really do something that wild?” And the fact that we could answer that question with an emphatic “yes” is part of the reason why comics are so much fun.

 

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In case you missed it, check out the covers for the Night of the Living Dead: Revival #4 issues:

To learn more about Double Take’s Night of the Living Dead: Revival, visit:

  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.