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New Post has been published on http://www.nerdtitan.com/2015/11/26/in-the-depths-with-the-kickstarter-creators-of-cthulhu-the-conquerer/
In the Depths with the Kickstarter Creators of Cthulhu The Conquerer!
It’s very rare that I can pick the brains of two comic-creators looking to change the weird works of H.P. Lovecraft around in a Kickstarter campaign. Instead of the typical madness that transpires in the fiction of that revolves around the Cthulhu mythos, where the most famous passage detailing the mighty octopoid’s fate is sealed between realms, just how he will awaken is questionable. While this creator wrote, “That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die,” just what does that mean? There’s several death gods. I’ve often wondered which one he’s referring to.
In the Cthulhu the Conqueror story that Steven Saunders and Myke Allen are creating they believe the individual is one from the Hindu religion. I’ll divulge more on that later. These two comic book aficionados want to provide a fun pulp-filled action story, filled with moments of philosophical thought. They want to give Cthulhu a chance to understand himself. It’s not a mindless beast intent on causing chaos in a simple global-scale, but instead, it’s a creature with a soul. It’s an entity who’s waiting to meditate on its station in life; I don’t give this beast a gender because I feel Lovecraft never intended on giving it a gender. As for what this being represents to Saunders and Allen, I’ve asked them what this creation represents in their take.
They intend on having this cyclopean beast taking on the entire pantheon of gods from the planet Terra. In the Latin world, that’s when various entities from Lovecraft’s pantheon started manifesting. In the Greek World, Gaea has never taken a liking to a cosmic entity resting/dreaming within her womb. In what’s unleashed, well …
Maybe first, we should talk to these creationists about their own cosmic plans to rattle the mythology of this world up! (Disclaimer: yes, our own illustrious Steve has been contributing to Nerd Titan for years and is the senior editor. He’s allowed me to poke him with Poseidon’s trident to bleed out what’s in store about this comic without giving away all the spoilers. I believe that this project is more than just a “let’s kill as many gods as possible” strip).
Ed Sum (ES): Please tell me more about yourselves, Myke and Steve.
Myke Allen (MA): People may know me as the artist who helped launch “Red Lance,” Gary Bloom’s gender-equal Kickstarter title. He found a different artist for the comic but I built the initial art and designed the main characters.
I also do a lot of comic art commissions. You can check out my work at www.mykeallen.wix.com/graphicallyill
My work was featured in a comic book series Degrassi: The Next Generation Extra Credit. A friend of mine got me on as a substitute artist for an issue. It was minor exposure but it was my first real taste. I illustrated some 10-12 pages of one of the four issues in the series.
I’ve drawn comics since I was about 12 years old. Starting with Super Mario and in the summer, when I was in 7th grade, where I got an issue of “Werewolf by Night. I was committed to the cause ever since. I studied Digital Art at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
Steve Saunders (SS): I encourage people to check out www.baconlich.com, which is my personal website, and it’s full of links to a lot of my work. Music can be found at mrzoth.bandcamp.com and I’m currently in the process of setting up www.mrzoth.com (it’s there, but currently lacking content). Lastly, I also write tabletop roleplaying games material from time to time and publish it under my own imprint, Black Goat Games. My products can be found through sites like DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. There’s also blackgoatgames.com!
ES: In the years I’ve known you Steve, I didn’t realize you were such a talented musician. When did you get into that?
SS: Aw, thanks, man! Well, that is both a long and short story. I have been involved with bands and music for many years. I started playing the recorder when I was little, moved into tenor saxophone, learned every freaking woodwind and brass instrument after that, and then lost interest when I dived into DJing and working with primary industrial and metal bands.
I worked as a booker, promoter, DJ, and at countless shows (as a crew chief and more) through bars and nightclubs for about a decade. I learned a bit from folks in the industry, but mostly what I learned was the business side of things. Only pretty recently I started writing my own music. Really, it just happened one day. I was doing videos for Black Goat Games (Black Goat TV) and wanted to have a theme song. At first I considered asking bands I knew for usage of song excerpts from them (Hate Dept’s “Beat Me Up” was at the top of my list, if you’re curious), but I found this site called Soundation that is a free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) with stock sounds and I started going to town. I made a theme song. I bought more options and made more music. I was having withdrawal from a medication for a health issue, and I got even more entrenched in making music, picking up soft-synths and the Reaper DAW. Within a short time I was releasing all that garbage on Bandcamp. The whole process was both cathartic and calming at the same time. I recommend it as good therapy, if anything. *laughs*
Eventually, I was asked to do a soundtrack (“Slow Boat to Fast City”, an alt-history ray gun gothic anthology released by Pine Float Press– of which I was also a short story contributor). This led to more soundtracks… and now I’m being paid to do video game soundtrack work and Foley (sound effects). I, uh, never got back around to doing a video with that theme song. I should probably get on that!
ES: And as most people who’ve visited the Kickstarter page knows, you’re offering an album. What can you tell me about this?
SS: Totally! I’ve already started composing it, and I’d be lying if I said if the “Conan the Barbarian” soundtrack by Basil Poledouris wasn’t a direct influence. It’ll still have that Mr. Zoth and the Werespiders grimdark touch that I have developed with that project, but it will also have a personality all of its own. Furthermore, I have reached out to the indie industrial and electronic music legend Wade Alin for mastering services. I do enjoy producing and mastering music myself, but like with writers and editing, it’s always a serious bonus to have other ears on a release to make sure it’s mastered in the best way possible. Naturally, Wade isn’t free, but he certainly is worth every penny and more!
MA: Steve and I met at a local festival’s beer tent. Our partners worked near one another and thought we’d hit it off. They were right, of course. He took a look at my art and made an amazing effort to focus what he saw in my work that was marketable.
He already had the interest in dark noir but I was used to drawing supers. It was a fun transition for me to build darker scenes, more harrowing stories. Steve sent me to the Whitechapel message board where I came up with the concept [of Cthulhu the Conqueror]. Once he saw it, he knew the possibilities — We just needed to hash it out and get solid story down. I think the most important part of comics is to tell a story that moves the reader. Steve has a great way of doing that.
SS: Myke is too kind, really. I was working as an editor for this electronic magazine called “The Uninvited.” at the time and we ran into a small snag on our side with a comic I’d created for the magazine, “The Devil Eggs”. Myke was instrumental in getting some spot art and other tweaks done, and we discovered we enjoyed working together.
Myke can really do anything, as far as his illustrative style is concerned. I mean, I always seriously appreciated his skill and talent, but I got a whole new POV on it when I started doing music. See, I use whatever’s available to me and make it work — usually quickly and efficiently, without loss to quality and presentation. And that’s Myke in a nutshell with his art: He’s fast, efficient, and also really good.
Honestly, I don’t compare myself to Myke creatively this way too much, because his art blows my music out of the water, pound for pound. He’s a serious pro who knows what he’s doing. So, once he came up with the idea for Cthulhu the Conqueror and asked me to help flesh it out from the story and writing end, there’s absolutely no way I would tell him no.
ES: Next to the writing, what’s the most important part of making a comic book?
MA: I think the colouring is the most important phase for me. I personally don’t think I’m the greatest at it but I guess that why I spend so much time doing it. I have the most fun doing the inks but I feel that there are some elements of an image that just can’t be seen until you add colour.
ES: When did you two become a fan of Lovecraft’s works?
SS: I’m a huge role-playing games player. I first became acquainted with the Cthulhu Mythos through the first edition of Deities & Demigods, a book for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. It was in late 1984– I was nine. I read about H.P. Lovecraft through a few sources, and my dad knew who he was because he read stuff like Weird Tales. I managed to get my hands on a few HPL stories, but I wasn’t all that impressed; I suppose I was more of an R.E. Howard fan at that point. A few years later, I discovered the RPG Call of Cthulhu, and subsequently read even more Lovecraft stories. “Cool Air” got me, but the one that REALLY got me was “The Dream-Quest of the Unknown Kadath”… and then more and more stories. I began reading stories by Robert Bloch and Brian Lumley, especially, and I really loved Lumely’s Titus Crow books. This led to me reading more and more, and by my mid-teen years I had read everything Mythos related I could get my damned mitts on.
The roleplaying game Call of Cthulhu very much opened my eyes to the fact that there were oodles of like-minded geeks out there, wanting more and more of that kind of stuff. It wasn’t just a game to me; it was like a union handbook or something. *laughs*
MA: I became a fan in college when a friend showed me some of his books. Later I found the Cthulhu Mythos fascinating and because of reading The Invisibles spoiler alert.
I was fully immersed in the idea of a darker dimension and cult involvement with that place. I also liked Terry Parachute’s descriptions of the creatures outside of existence just waiting to get through to our world. That was astounding for [a guy like me with] a big imagination.
ES: Why’d did you decide to make the Hindu Goddess Kali, Cthulhu’s one true love? She’s not necessarily just a Death Goddess, but also a Universal Mother. What does she represent in this world? In the Marvel Universe’s terms, are you saying Cthulhu is courting Kali much like how Thanos courts Death?
SS: Can I be honest? It was actually a split second decision on my part. When developing this story, we had all the beats and main things down, but we also felt that there should be a tragic love story. We had some interesting ideas at first, but Kali, one of my favorite deities, popped into my head and I just went from there.
Cthulhu and Kali’s love isn’t really covered too much in Cthulhu the Conqueror. When the story in the comic begins, the love affair between Cthulhu and Kali is already in the past. It’s a mystery as to whether or not Kali knew about Cthulhu’s exile when the gods were planning to trick him into the Nether Realm, but the way their love story finally ends will give large hints as to what her motivations might have been. I’ll be up front: Their story is Shakespearian/Sophoclean on the tragedy scale. I actually teared up writing it all out.
Kali represents within the realm of the gods and the people who worship her the Mother of Death, Preserver of Change and Destruction. We wanted to make Kali complex, relatable, and interesting, but also pay homage and respect to her actual mythology. While I love Thanos and Death’s story (and Jim Starlin– that man is a hero to me), this really isn’t the same thing. Like I said, Cthulhu and Kali’s story is a past item, but he’ll get to revisit her demanding answers and explanations. Their love and bond is strong, so be prepared for some serious sadness.
MA: She’s on my desk being built right now. Kali is no one’s wife or courtesan. I don’t imagine Cthulhu would have need of such tender luxuries. Kali is more of an equal among lesser beings in Cthulhu’s eyes. Savagery is their common thread but its openly known in regards to both.
To answer the question, no. I think [their relationship is] more like that of Superman and Wonder Woman’s. Theirs is a relationship of mutual respect, built on blood. Their hearts are an adjoining set of graveyards.
ES: How obscure are you going to get with which ethnic mythologies are going to get offed (or met by) by Cthulhu? I’ve noticed an interesting range, which includes Nigerian, Slavic, Russian, Mayan, Etruscan, Akan (New Guinea).
MA: We’re going to feature a slew of different mythological and cultural gods [and include] some big names in the “divine continuum” — but we really want to focus on the holistic connections between the deities and the relationships they share with each other not just in relation to their worshipers or subjects. We may dive into some very obscure levels to keep the roster fresh and surprising!
SS: In some cases, pretty obscure. In some cases, only obscure if you’re not a Dungeons & Dragons fan (Orcus, punisher and underworld god from Roman myth, for instance). In other cases, not very obscure at all.
We simply cannot include every pantheon of gods or spiritual creatures from every world culture. We sure as heck would like to, but we would need the rest of our lives. And then we’re limited to the amount of pages to tell a story without making it a crammed mess. So, we decided to pick particular gods Cthulhu knows for particular scenes, mix and match a bit, and take care of larger scale god-killing events with awesome splash pages. Just wait until you see Cthulhu take on the Egyptian gods!
Now, he can’t kill all the gods. That’s a lot of gods!! But he’ll certainly destroy quite a few of them. Some gods and similar beings will help Cthulhu, too. It’s a time of change for not only Cthulhu, but the very gods themselves. So, yeah, we try to keep the range of gods and mythology interesting, but without cost to pacing and story.
I certainly hope we can do “Cthulhu the Redeemer” and “Cthulhu the Vanquished” (working title)! Then we can tell more of the gods’ stories, as well as Cthulhu’s path to the something many readers might already be familiar with.
ES: What makes Cthulhu such an enduring character?
SS: It’s the magnificent horror and the terrible mystery [he represents]. Also, Cthulhu has a great name. It’s catchy and fits titles to Metallica tracks well. *laughs*
But, more seriously, the enduring legacy of the Cthulhu Mythos isn’t just about Cthulhu. Despite his incredibly awful personality flaws, Lovecraft encouraged the sharing of his creations and worlds. Pretty weird for a weird fiction writer with the kind of worldviews he had for his most of his life. Cthulhu belongs to all of us, I feel, and we’ll constantly get all kinds of takes and interpretations on not just him/her/it, but also interpretations of all other Mythos-related beings and ideas, as well.
Cthulhu lies dead and dreaming. Come on, just with this line alone, how freaking cool is THAT? When the stars are right, shit’s gonna hit the fan? Sign me up. Well, not in reality — but creatively and fictionally, yes! The story Call of Cthulhu is brilliant in both its scope and succinct parsing of mind-breaking ideas. Lovecraft wasn’t afraid to pastiche and crib the feel of who influenced him, like Bierce, Chambers, Dunsany, and Machen, but he also leapt headfirst into exposition most pulp writers would simply be terrified to engage in (why I feel a lot of HPL can read “dry” to many out there). Cthulhu’s enduring legacy also primarily hinges on how mysterious Cthulhu is, I think. People love to add their own ideas, hopes, and desires to fictional tropes and concepts, and as far as cosmic and existential horror is concerned, nothing quite says, “Less is more” like Cthulhu itself.
MA: I think it’s the idea that even in death he has immortality. That he is not unlike Schrodinger’s cat — alive and death all at once, existing and yet not, or living in a dream within his own rotting corpse. Is this getting too dark? It’s chilling, no matter how many times you tell it.
ES: Are you concerned that the story might move in a similar direction as the video game made by Sony Entertainment, God of War?
MA: No. God of War is a great storyline but we are looking at building something in a Lovecraftian vein. We’ll still be dealing in cult mystery as well as raw brutal mayhem, but we’re gonna steer a’ different course than the video game took. I think there’s a dark heart to pierce at the center of this story and it’s going to be mind blowing to get to.
SS: I dug playing the first God of War, and have only recently picked up a PS3, not only for the Blu-ray aspect, but also to play games like Killzone and the other God of Wars, finally. Historically, mythologies have gods fighting each other all the time. The only similarities between Kratos and our Cthulhu is the vengeance thing, but Kratos wasn’t tricked into a Nether Realm, which now that I think about it, is like combining General Zod with the preamble stuff for Planet Hulk!
Of course, we’re not looking to reinvent the wheel, but Cthulhu the Conqueror has its own identity. Have we been inspired by a bunch of other stuff? Damn right we have. And we pepper Cthulhu the Conqueror with nods to those things, from Conan to the Punisher to Terminator to Judge Dredd to the stories of Lovecraft himself. I think I might have even worked a Lazy Town reference in there… uh, don’t quote me on that.
To be perfectly frank, I didn’t even think of God of War until the other week, and Cthulhu the Conqueror was first idea-spawned in 2012. That said, I’m glad it was brought up because I think I’ll be playing some catch-up with those games once the comic is wrapped!
MA: I think we’ve seen Cthulhu as a monster far bigger than the stories he’s played roles in. We wanted to see him from a view, which allowed the reader a chance to view him in a new way. The old paradigm of “good guy & bad guy” doesn’t really work on this scale so instead our motivations are to show the power and ferocity but in proportion to the rest of the cast.
ES: Why are you two taking on an action-oriented approach?
SS: Well, I think if we had Cthulhu the Conqueror run like an episode of Mad Men, people would be rather pissed. Though, I kinda like that idea. *scribbles down notes*
When Myke showed me that cover he did for that contest for the Whitechapel boards and said “Think you can come up with something for this?” my mind raced 4d12 Yes-athons. Action was first and foremost. Now, I enjoy a lengthy comic read like From Hell and Rex Mundi, but even they fit in exciting bits here and there, with more in the latter than in the former. When you have “Conqueror” in the title, it better damn well be chock full of carnage and action.
That’s how this project came to creative fruition. It’s based on the concept that Cthulhu is basically a field marshal god-tool. He’s a weapon that was created/designed/mysterious explanation for destroying the True Old Ones, and then he got screwed over when it came time to reward him (all he wanted was peace and a little farm– cliché, but that’s what I’d want to, I think). In many ways, Cthulhu is a disillusioned and disgruntled veteran who is seeking answers and some payback after being mistreated by the very people he protected. Why yes, I loved the book and film, First Blood.
Ultimately, in order to make this concept work, we have to make it action-oriented. Simple as that, my friends!
ES: If readers are to believe in the “Star Trek: TOS” theory of how gods attain their power through worship and belief in the episode, “Who Mourns for Adonis?” then how does the gods in your comic book work? (including Cthulhu)
SS: Oh, man, I love your tastes! The running for my favourite older shows from when I was a kid is Star Trek, The Outer Limits, and The Twilight Zone, so I’ve seen every TOS episode multiple times since a very, very young age. My father said that no child of his would hate Star Trek, after all.
We never quite explain how the gods get their powers in Cthulhu the Conqueror. The plan is to touch on that more with the later storylines, if we can get the chance to do them. As far as this book is concerned, how the gods receive their power is a mystery, but we do drop some hints. The same goes for Cthulhu himself, who I have already hinted at being some kind of weapon. “Fight fire with fire”, is how the old saying goes, I do believe.
MA: In our comic the realms of the gods are like dimensions in the multiverse but power is still based on [REDACTED! It’s still hush-hush!]. However, if worship is exercising belief (and power could be drawn from that), the stories themselves are the source of all belief… If worship is a power-base in one way or another, this at least partly explains why we have such a wide variety of cast members.
We’re drawing extensively from the ageless and ancient pools of myth and folklore. Worship has its purposes but our deities draw strength from their stories they make for themselves, especially our Cthulhu, since his can be seen as both a resurrection and vengeance story.
ES: Cthulhu has been depicted in many ways, from a humanoid to amphibious shape. I have to ask, why present him with a Conan the Conqueror like physique?
MA: Like you said, he’s been depicted a million ways and some of which I intend to show over the course of the series. However the Conan-esque physique is just a manifestation of his power. That is not his real body.
The reason is simple: He needs to be able to challenge a god and his nature is physical so why not make him a brutal warrior beast? Plus, I always liked the Conan comics. They are raw and brutal.
SS: We wanted him to be a warrior with the physical aspects to match. He’s not just Conan with a squid head, but he kinda looks that way at first. Always remember that our Cthulhu is a weapon, and he’s a badass one at that. Not that we’re discounting the Conan, Kull, and Bran Mak Morn influences!
ES: Will any other monsters and divinities from Lovecraft’s world get presented? Will we see Nyarlathotep or Yog-Sothoth interfere with Cthulhu’s mass rampage?
SS: It’s funny you mention Nyarlathotep, because yes, they are involved… somewhere. This is a thing I feel if I talk about too much, it will ruin some twists and surprises. *ominous laugh*
Yes, the cosmic horrors of the Mythos will totally work into the story. In our version, Cthulhu fought the True Old Ones, who are essentially all Mythos entities. We’ve taken a few creative liberties, but overall they will be the ones many of you know and love and/or terrified of.
MA: We definitely have a pile of old ones, shapeless, and creatures from before Time to show you. It wouldn’t be Lovecraft without some [of his original] monsters to play around with! Yog-sothoth will most definitely attend!
ES: Which pantheons will be featured?
SS: Oh, so many. But like I said earlier, most pantheons will be only touched upon. Norse/Baltic, Germanic/Gothic, Mesoamerican (Aztec and Mayan, primarily), Greek/Roman, Hindu, Slavic, various African, Chinese and various East Asian figures, Cthulhu Mythos, various Native American/First Nations, Sumerian, Egyptian, Canaanite, Zoroastrian (hint: This one plays a huge part in the story!) … and more. Even an angelic entity or three.
While we’re having fun playing around with various mythologies, I would like to note that we’re also trying to be as respectful as possible without compromising our creative vision. Mythology/Religion is quite important to a lot of people, whether it be part of their culture, their keen interests, or personal belief systems, and we don’t want to just crap all over that for shock value and cheap thrills. Naturally, one’s mileage always varies.
ES: Which pantheons will be decimated?
SS: I can safely say that Cthulhu the Conqueror kicks off with the joint ancient Germanic/Gothic realm being wrecked in an ocean of divine blood and furious violence. The Norse and Baltic pantheons are related, and will share a similar fate. The Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Aztec, and Maya mythologies will also be largely destroyed. Aside from that, I don’t want to give too much away. You understand, I hope!
ES: How many world pantheons would you like to get represented?
MA: We want to feature at least four pantheons at a time [per comic] during certain scenes. If we can get in 32 different groups over the course of the book that’ll be great. Each one of those characters has the potential to be a drawing of one the donors. So, if you ever wanted to be a god… now is the time!
SS: The more funding we get, the more we can expand certain gods and pantheons involved past a panel or two or a mere mention.
MA: I’m building a set specifically designed as a meeting place for gods and deities of all sizes. Were referring to it as “Pantheone” to serve as middle ground between dimensions. In it we plan on featuring as many different groups of gods as possible.
ES: Are you guys working around the premise that all the gods from various pantheons can work together if they wanted to band together to destroy Cthulhu? Is that possible?
SS: All war is ultimately over resources. The gods themselves are like us: social and political beings with their own interests often coming first; those interests involve their own immediate kind and the resources they control. The more ancient gods are often more willing to stay out of the fray and try to help (as with the African gods in our story; it’s almost as if they’ve seen this go down before…). As with our world and its tumultuous and violence-ridden history, ideologies and self-interest often get directly in the way of pragmatic and sensible mutual assistance. Many of these pantheons are enemies or rivals of one another, which is how Cthulhu is able to inflict so much bloody havoc on them straight out of the Starry Gate. In many ways, Cthulhu the Conqueror is a blunt example of how neglecting to mutually assist one another will lead to mutually shared destruction.
ES: As for the comic book, will you still produce it even if the goal is not reached?
MA: We’re looking into getting it in the hands of publishers if we can’t get it funded ourselves. It’s a project were both excited about. It may take us more time than we like without funding but eventually we’ll put it out, rain or shine!
SS: We are prepared for the event if our ambitious Kickstarter goals fall short. There are several plans on the table in the sad case that sort of things occur. We can relaunch the project with a smaller financial goal in mind, for instance, with fewer things attached, like runs of physical copies of the graphic novel; instead we’d focus on mostly digital fulfillment and special print-on-demand options for particular backers. And that’s just one option. We’re not giving up just because our first Cthulhu the Conqueror Kickstarter campaign doesn’t succeed, we assure you!
ES: If the Kickstarter is successful, just how many more issues will you make? Should you get more money that exceeds your wildest dreams, will Cthulhu take his fight into the Dreamlands? Or what about the deeper reaches of Space where he has to battle his own kin, namely somehow plugging his ears against the mad piping numbness that’s Azathoth?
SS: I’m glad you asked! Being prepared for failure is one thing, but being prepared for success is another thing entirely, and one that is actually more stressful in parts when we think on it.
Aside from all the backer fulfillment, which if Cthulhu the Conqueror greatly exceeds expectations, we’re prepared to take off day-job time to make sure everything runs smoothly, we also have some other plans…
Should this prove to be a serious success, we will then begin putting together a comics anthology called “Dreams from the Nether Realm”, where many of our industry artist and writer buddies would be paid to contribute their own stories and ideas centered on the Cthulhu the Conqueror universe. We’ll also introduce other comics ideas twisted nicely into our variation of the Cthulhu Mythos. The book’s concept hinges on the idea that Cthulhu is dreaming while trapped within his Starry Nether realm prison. Time and space will have no meaning, so we feel this will make for a great anthology backstory. We’ve already talked to a few writers and artists about this and they’re as excited about doing it as we are!
Myke and I would also really love to do two more books with our Cthulhu, “Cthulhu the Redeemer” and “Cthulhu the Vanquished” (Note: That one is a working title). The basic gist of these books have already been plotted and arced, and will answer many of the questions people will be left asking with Cthulhu the Conqueror.
There are also some other things in the works concerning Cthulhu the Conqueror, because the idea itself has really hooked some folks who’d love to see this particular intellectual property in other formats– like, say, a tabletop or video game of some kind.
Then there’s the stretch goal we’d really like to see happen, which is a magazine styled Cthulhu the Conqueror tale in the vein and format similar to Savage Sword of Conan.
We have a lot of other ideas and aspirations, and it was tough trying to figure out which ones we should focus our dreams and hopes on. Myke and I, of course, keep all options open for consideration.
Oh, yeah: YES, there will be flashbacks of Cthulhu fighting the True Old Ones in Cthulhu the Conqueror itself, as well as plans for tales covering his campaigns against these ancient horrors through the aeons.
ES: Do you have any parting words to readers uncertain about contributing?
MA: It’s always been my dream to illustrate a great comic and have that story live on gathering interest and fans! We’re set to tell an epic story! With a little funding we’ll get that story told and shown to the world!
SS: From my end, Cthulhu the Conqueror is pretty much a loving homage to Deities & Demigods, released by TSR in 1980. I read my venerable and battered copy to my kids as bedtime stories, instilling the same imagination and wonder I had when I was their age, going through its pages and envisioning all of these pantheons at war. We’ve had endless discussions about it. I want to share that our shared childhood vision with anyone ready and willing to come along for the ride.
Myke has similar creative influences and aspirations in regards to Cthulhu the Conqueror, which is why we’re having so much fun putting it together. We’re a well-oiled machine, where neither of us thinks the other has a bad idea. Sure, many ideas aren’t or cannot be used, but a production meeting on Call of Cthulhu is like some sort of creative love fest. I wouldn’t want in any other way. (Myke, you complete me, buddy.)
All in all, we want to bring this rip-roaring, action-soaked take of violence and woe to life, and we’ve been super stoked to see our backers so far get really pumped about Cthulhu the Conqueror. I can’t say it enough, but we can’t do this without interested readers.
If you’re reading this and unsure about contributing, please feel free to drop us a line and ask us questions. You can do it through a comment to this interview, a Kickstarter message (which would be a great change of pace from all the parasitic KS PR promotional spam!), through our Cthulhu the Conqueror Facebook page, or, heck, you can email me directly: [email protected]. I’m always happy to field just about any kind of questions. Except about that one time in Sweden. That subject is verboten.
And we couldn’t do this without you, Ed! Thanks to you and the wonderful gang here at Nerd Titan for taking the time to ask Myke and I these awesome questions!
Be seeing you… in the funny pages.
For more on Cthulhu the Conqueror, please visit the Kickstarter page!
[[Full Disclosure Statement: Steve is the head editor here at Nerd Titan, but he had no influence on the questions Ed asked him and Myke and didn’t meddle with the interview, aside from some technical help with editing on this piece. Oh, and that bit with the bears. Er, sorry, Ed! NEXT TIME YOU’LL TELL PEOPLE I AM A TALENTED MUSICIAN WITHOUT HESITATION, HUH?]]
