INTERVIEW: Your favorite werewolf P.I. is back in new ‘Black’s Myth’
Image courtesy of Ahoy Comics / Provided by Superfan Promotions with permission.
Black’s Myth, the punk rock horror series, was so successful the first time around that writer Eric Palicki is back with another installment. This one is called Black’s Myth: The Key to His Heart, with art by Wendell Cavalcanti and cover art by Liana Kangas. The comic miniseries is being released courtesy of Ahoy Comics, and fans should be on the lookout for an incentive cover by Tim Seeley.
For the uninitiated, Black’s Myth surrounds the adventures of Janie Jones “Strummer” Mercado, a werewolf private investigator. She has an assistant named Ben Si’lat, a djinn. Their investigatory terrain is centered on the supernatural underbelly of Los Angeles. The main thrust of the new miniseries, according to press notes, is Strummer trying to prevent a young girl from becoming a monster. However, the mysterious Rainsford Black stands in the way.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Palicki about the latest installment of Black’s Myth. The Seattle resident is also known for the graphic novels Fake Empire and No Angel, according to his official biography. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Were you happy / delighted with the response to the first Black’s Myth?
Of course! Writers are often told to write the stories we would want to read, and while there’s a kernel of good advice there — a writer’s enthusiasm usually finds its way into the work — but there’s always a fear you’re the only person in the world who wants to read a comedic noir detective story about a punk rock-loving werewolf and her half-djinn partner.
I am thrilled this book found an audience beyond me and the circle of friends I forced to act as a springboard during the book’s development.
How long ago did you envision that the characters could continue with another installment?
I tend to write open-ended narratives, but because Strummer was so personal to me, I actually gave her story closure at the end of the first volume. One always hopes a story can continue, but given the peculiarities of the comics medium, and the comics industry, a sequel is never guaranteed. All of that said, when Ahoy asked for another volume, the story came to me rather quickly, and now that creative floodgates are open, so I hope we can build on the success of the first volume and keep going. Strummer deserves all the stories I can give her.
Of all the cities you could have chosen for these adventures, why Los Angeles?
Two reasons! First, because LA is such a classic noir detective setting. It’s a character unto itself in films like Chinatown or in Raymond Chandler’s novels, and I wanted to continue that proud tradition. Second, because I admire LA’s quirkiness. If a secret supernatural community was going to thrive anywhere under the noses of an unsuspecting populace, I can’t think of a better city than Los Angeles. In issue #3 of our new volume, Strummer and Ben — our principal characters — visit a place that is very much based on my first LA speakeasy experience, with just a little added magical flourish.
Of all the supernatural beings Strummer could be, why a werewolf?
Sometimes a pairing just makes sense! Someone with a wolf’s heightened senses would make a pretty good detective; once I made that connection, the story wrote itself.
Does your love of these supernatural beings go back to your childhood?
Yes! My path to adult fiction started with A Wrinkle in Time and then jumped right to Stephen King, whose books I probably started reading a little too young. It wasn’t until I discovered Buffy the Vampire Slayer in high school, and then re-discovered her in my 20s, that I realized horror tropes could be used to tell affecting, character-driven stories, rather than just to scare the bejeezus out of people.
You’ve been quoted as saying that Rainsford Black is a little more sympathetic this time around. Could you explain?
Without spoiling too much about our first story — and you don’t need to read it to enjoy The Key to His Heart, but I’m very proud of the work the whole team did, so I hope your readers will check it out — Rainsford is not exactly a villain even if you can justifiably classify him as an antagonist. He’s an almost anachronistic hunter of supernatural big game — which has the positive side effect of wiping out dangerous monsters and occasionally stopping apocalypses — and while his methods differ from Strummer’s, you can’t say what he’s doing is wrong. When an entity from his past reappears in his life, it pulls a reluctant Strummer back into his orbit and forces both of them to reckon with the threat. We’re going to explore the origins of his obsession with killing monsters.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Black’s Myth: The Key to His Heart is now available from Ahoy Comics. Click here for more information.
