January saw the release of Curse #1, the first issue in a limited werewolf series from Michael Moreci (Hoax Hunters), Tim Daniel (Enormous), Riley Rossmo (Rebel Blood) and Colin Lorimer (UXB). In only the first two issues, they've been able to create a rich world with complex characters, and I wanted to learn more about how the story was developed and where it's heading.
Continue reading to learn what writers Michael Moreci & Tim Daniel have to say about their work together on Curse, including their interest in seeing a big screen adaptation of the material. We've also been provided with exclusive preview pages from the third issue.
I was really impressed by how you've created this rich world and complex characters in only the first two issues. Can you tell me about your work together to develop this story? How did you two work together to develop this world and did anything specific serve as an inspiration?
TD: Mike and I email, phone, and Skype quite a bit since we first met in SDCC in 2012. We shared a panel that year for the debut of our first books-- Mike for Hoax Hunters and I for Enormous. We vowed to work together should the opportunity present itself at some point. We were knocking around ideas and a list of artists we'd like to collaborate with when we got on a Skype call with Riley Rossmo who was right at the top of the list.
Riley mentioned his obsession with werewolves and it just so happened we had been forming up an idea about a bounty hunter.
We were on our way.
Mike brought in UXB writer-artist Colin Lorimer, who effectively carried the book through all four issues as Riley devoted himself to Drumhellar. We divided the workload between Anton's flashbacks (Riley) and Laney's tale (Colin).
When it comes to the werewolves in Curse, we're still learning about the abilities and rules. What kind of research did you do into the origins of the werewolf? Did any particular myth or movie influence the werewolves in Curse?
MM: Not much, exactly. Neither one of us really knows all that much about werewolves--Tim more than me, for sure. Once you start doing that type of research, you psyche yourself into thinking "werewolves have to be this" and "werewolves have to be that." But werewolves don't have to be anything, you know? Because they aren't real.
We never wanted to disrespect the tradition in any way. But we didn't want to be beholden to it either. Tim and I are both longtime horror fans, so we knew the basics and ran with that.
TD: I like Werewolf movies, watched many of those throughout my life. Nothing too recent really because werewolves have suffered a fate similar to vampires in both film and television. Exploited, the mythology tossed out the window in favor of current trendy fashion. Doing that to the werewolf in Curse simply did not interest us nor would it fit the story very well. Our werewolf is very traditional in that regard though we did look to add a small facet or two to the werewolf mythos - the phases of the moon, the virility of the curse, for instance.
In literature, there's not much by way of Werewolf novels, though Glen Duncan's The Last Werewolf is about as definitive as you could get and definitely influenced the creation of our werewolf, Anton Chavoy. I highly recommend the novel for the its poetic language and how beautifully Duncan crafted the plight of Jacob Marlowe.
We meet a number of characters, but Nora and Laney are the focus of the first issues. Do you plan that to be the case for the foreseeable future or will other issues/arcs be dedicated to other characters in town?
MM: Well, this is a very lean story--four issues total. We wanted Curse to be a tight, intimate story. It has to be, as the heart and soul of the book--this family dynamic--is so very personal.
TD: Tight and focused, there's no room for extraneous examination of town-folk beyond what we know. Laney and Nora are definitely squared-off at the center of this story but we're also getting some key glimpses into Anton's origin and history. What he's choosing to reveal to Laney is going to have a profound impact.
Is Curse a limited series or do you see it as something that could be ongoing? At this point, how many issues do you have planned out?
MM: Four issues then we are done. This is a lean and mean story, crafted that way from the start. We don't waste a single panel, I don't think. It has a very definite beginning, middle, and end--to do anything more in this world, with these characters, would require a very, very compelling reason. I think Tim and I have told the story we wanted to tell, and we would never risk sullying that with superfluous content just because the book has been a success.
TD: Mike and I are of the same mind on this. The tale could actually continue, going both backwards and forwards in time, however, Curse is a simple father-son story and at the end of the series we will have told that story in exactly the manner Mike described. Going beyond that for any reason seems exploitive of both the story and readers.
There are obviously werewolves in the world of Curse, but is that the only type of creature we'll see?
MM: Absolutely. This isn't True Blood--"oh, now there's fairies, now there's witches!" This is about the wolf and what his presence alone means to our characters.
TD: Wait, Mike, what about the Minotaur bartender in Issue 4 though--
Can you give our readers a little tease of what's coming up in the next few issues?
MM: Laney is going to have the screws tightened on him, even more than before. We'll see our characters head into interesting directions and do unexpected things. And, of course, the cycle of the moon is drawing us near to Anton's next transformation into the wolf...
Most importantly, we're racing to a clear, definite conclusion. I think people will feel satisfied with the ending and how it makes the whole all the more satisfying.
TD: The end is a collision-course with every thread of the story bound at the center by the coming of the full moon and what that means for Anton and Laney. There's more than one clock ticking mind you, Jaren is definitely in a struggle for his life. Laney is Sherriff Nora Hughes main suspect, no one character gets through this without having their lives strongly altered as a result.
Of course, you know that comic book properties are frequently picked up as movies and TV series. Is this something you'd like to see happen with Curse? Have you had any interest so far?
MM: We probably can't say that much, but there has been interest. Serious interest. Tim and I would love to see it picked up for film, and we're dedicated to doing what we can to maintain the integrity of the book in whatever media form it should take.
TD: Naturally we'd all be thrilled by the prospect of an adaptation of Curse. To think that a story that reached a few thousand readers could then be enjoyed by far more viewers is for a creator and storyteller all the more gratifying. It's good for comics, good for Boom, and good for all of us involved in Curse, not to mention our readers that have supported us. So long as the integrity of the material is to a great degree preserved as Mike says, then bring it on!
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Curse #3: "The cold vice-grip of death looms, but is it captor or captive feeling its steel jaws tighten? For Laney Griffin, the world is a ticking time bomb, as the night of the full moon—and Anton's transformation—draws nearer. With little room for error, Laney begins to lose his grip, and a startling revelation regarding his past threatens everything he holds dear."
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