EXQUISITE CORPSES #3 Interview with Pornsak Pichetshote

Yesterday, we kicked off a new series of interview features with the creators behind Exquisite Corpses, my new favorite comic book title that should also be on your monthly pull list. Its first "season" is 13 issues so things are just getting started, but James Tynion IV, Michael Walsh, and the "Corpse Crew" have already created such a rich world that I'm dying to spend more time in. For today's interview, we caught up with Pornsak Pichetshote, who talks about his experience working on Exquisite Corpses, his approach to the third issue, Nurse Pete, and more!

How did you first get involved with Exquisite Corpses? What was your initial reaction when you heard about the story and creative approach?

Pornsak Pichetshote: I had worked with both James Tynion IV (on Vertigo titles) and editor Eric Harburn before (on a creator-owned book with Jesse Lonergan named Man's Best), so they reached out to me together and explained what they were cooking up. I was instantly enamored. I loved how ambitious James was in his thinking for the first Tiny Onion project. I love how he's just trying to push things and experiment. And then there was the concept of the project in general, which was right up my alley. 

Can you talk about the creative summit and teaming up with others on this story? What has the experience been like working with so many creative folks on a single project? How has your experience working in a TV writers’ room translated into working in a comics writers’ room?

Pornsak Pichetshote: I was so impressed by how smoothly the creative summit ran, and really everything about Exquisite Corpses has been run. I've come to adore all the writers and the Tiny Onion team as a whole. Process-wise, the whole experience was a lot like being in a TV writers' room, but I was so impressed that we only needed two days really to break the whole series, even with writers who were unfamiliar with working in that way. It really showed me how when the people in charge (James and Michael Walsh) have built something with a clear vision, and when you have decision-makers who know what they want and have the power to execute on it, group writing doesn't have to be a long arduous process that goes on for months and months. Since then, I've really paid attention to rooms that seem to go interminably long, and they all have the same common denominator: a lot of work goes into crafting stories, and then someone from outside who's not on the same page blows things up and makes the room start over. There was none of that with the Exquisite Corpses room. It was just a pure joy. 

This series is different in that it involves multiple creators taking their own turn on issues. What has that process been like collaborating with James Tynion IV and Michael Walsh on your issue?

Pornsak Pichetshote: Great. They've made it really clear that they are a resource if we need it, but have really empowered all of us to have fun and freely create in conjunction with each other. Exquisite Corpses is a complicated beast and yet it's the easiest and most fun time I've had writing anything. 

While there are dozens of characters in this world, each issue has primarily focused on a handful of characters. Can you talk about your approach to your part of the story and what interested you in the killers (especially Nurse Pete) in your issue?

Pornsak Pichetshote: For my first issue, I really wanted to lean into the disaster movie aspect of it, and show the panic and chaos as the town realizes something really bad is happening. If I'm not mistaken, in between me writing the first and second draft, the LA fires happened, and I tried to channel into the issue that palpable sense of fear and chaos that me and my friends had as we were trying to figure out what was happening and how to stay safe during it. I'll be honest, I've fallen in love with all the civilians in this town, which is tough because some of them have some pretty gruesome fates ahead of them. 

And what I loved about Nurse Pete specifically is how terrifying he is in his simplicity. He doesn't want a fight. He has nothing to prove. He just wants to kill as many people as easily as possible, and he has the medical knowledge to know how to do that. Which is why he targets the helpless and never fights fair. I think the whole team has talked about what makes him so scary is how grounded he is, and the fact that he could really exist. 

Has your experience writing other horror stories, like Infidel, affected your experience writing for Exquisite Corpses?

Pornsak Pichetshote: Absolutely. So much effective horror in comics has to do with pacing and timing, so it's been really fun in Exquisite Corpses to see which scares you want to do for in-your-face savagery and which you want to do for a slow escalation of dread. And James and Michael have built a world that welcomes both. Exquisite Corpses is in the vein of action-horror, which I hadn't had the chance to do before this, and really enjoyed doing it. 

An Exquisite Corpses trading card game is on the way. Have you had a chance to playtest an early version of it yet? If so, what was that experience like?

Pornsak Pichetshote: Oh, it was so much fun playtesting the game. I'm not particularly a gamer myself, so it's not the thing I'm instinctively drawn to. I'm the guy who feels more comfortable hanging out and talking with people in the kitchen during game night. But the game is super easy to pick up and a ton of fun. Plus, you actually do get a better understanding of the different ways the characters are dangerous by playing them. So that was an interesting tool to have as a writer. 

Aside from Exquisite Corpses, what projects do you have coming up that you can share with our readers?

Pornsak Pichetshote: Right now, the only thing that's been announced has been Absolute Green Arrow, coming out in the spring, and as you can imagine, I'm pretty excited about it. I can't wait till I'm allowed to really talk about it in earnest. 

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Exquisite Corpses #3 was released on July 23rd and you can purchase or learn more at: https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/exquisite-corpses-3

For the latest on Exquisite Corpses and all things Tiny Onion, visit: https://shoptinyonion.com/

Exquisite Corpses #3: "The blood gets pumping when death is administered to the hospital, and two of the game’s deadliest killers meet-cute at the concert hall. The horror event of the year continues as series creators JAMES TYNION IV (THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH) and MICHAEL WALSH (UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN) are joined by Eisner Award-winning writer PORNSAK PICHETSHOTE (THE GOOD ASIAN) and acclaimed artist VALENTINE DE LANDRO (BITCH PLANET)!"

Cover A by Michael Walsh

Cover B by Valentine De Landro