How James Tynion IV Launched the Biggest Horror Comic Title In the Business

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As a dedicated comic book enthusiast with roots deeply entrenched in both the American superhero and Japanese manga realms, I find myself captivated by the unique narrative journey that “Something is Killing the Children” offers. This series, penned by the talented James Tynion IV, presents a refreshing blend of character-driven storytelling reminiscent of my beloved manga and the decompressed pacing that has become synonymous with modern comic books.

On Halloween night, the best-selling comic book author of the past ten years, known for penning the top horror series on the market, will spend the evening holed up in his apartment in Brooklyn, indulging in a movie marathon.

It seems like James Tynion IV might have some friends visiting, but he’s trying to keep things low-key by playing some classic ’80s movies, specifically “The Monster Squad”, “Return of the Living Dead”, and “Re-Animator”. He’s currently recuperating from New York Comic-Con, where he and his team at Tiny Onion, a small publishing company supported by Lyrical Media, made a significant impact. Interestingly, he is one of the few comic authors who has books published with all the major publishers except Marvel, and most of them are creator-owned. He also runs a Substack newsletter, and there’s a growing media division aiming to adapt those stories into different formats.

Tynion gained recognition by penning Batman for DC, seizing his opportunity when the moment was right to venture out solo. He’s had numerous successful titles under his belt, including Image Comics’ Department of Truth and DC’s The Nice House on the Lake, but his most notable work remains Something Is Killing the Children, which he co-created with artist Werner Dell’Edera.

Initially introduced as a five-issue mini-series in 2019, the comic book series SIKTC quickly gained massive popularity, rivaling the success of independent comics and franchises since Bryan K Vaughan’s sci-fi fantasy Saga in 2012 and arguably even surpassing The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman’s zombie saga that debuted in 2013.

Undeniably, the comic published by Boom! Studios has been their most successful to date, with more than 5 million copies sold globally. There’s also a spin-off series called House of Slaughter, whose first issue, launched in October 2021, sold over half a million copies, making it the second highest-selling non-Marvel or DC debut issue in the 21st century, outperformed only by Boom!’s Keanu Reeves’ action mini-series BRZRKR No. 1.

Readers found themselves swiftly drawn into the enigmatic tale of Erica Slaughter, a monster-hunter who can only be seen by children and teenagers. She sports a fearsome toothy bandana as a mask, much like her fellow members at the equally perplexing organization she’s connected to, the Order of St. George. Not only readers but also the comic industry took notice, with Tynion being awarded the Eisner Award for best writer in 2021, 2022, and 2023 consecutively. This made him the first writer since Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman to claim this title three years running in the same category.

SIKTC is a popular comic book series that sells more than 50,000 copies each month. Specifically, it’s reported that Slaughter, another title from the same creator, moves around 25,000 units monthly. This makes SIKTC the top-selling creator-owned comic on the market, surpassing most comics published by DC and Marvel. When Penguin Random House acquired Boom! Studios earlier this year, SIKTC was a significant contributing factor to the deal. Additionally, Netflix is currently working on a series adaptation of SIKTC, with Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese – the creative minds behind hit series Dark and 1899 – writing and potentially taking on the role of showrunners.

To mark the comic’s fifth anniversary, Tynion and Boom! are releasing “Something Is Killing the Children Special #0” in November. This prequel story, taking place before the events of the first issue, serves as an accessible entry point for new readers while also laying the groundwork for future developments.

In a special interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Tynion discussed various aspects to commemorate the anniversary. He expressed his heartfelt appreciation towards Walking Dead author Kirkman, delved into the intricacies of that extensive title, and speculated on how much longer the comic series can sustain its narrative depth. “Indeed, I’ve got an ending planned,” Tynion shared. However, fans can rest assured as this conclusion is probably still a few years down the line.

First, let’s talk about the initial impression when one picks up the comic – it’s the title. It’s quite lengthy. This trend of extended comic titles seems to have originated from here. Now, I’m curious to know how this title was chosen or conceived by you?

Initially, I named a short story I wrote during college with a particular title, which had no connection to the completed work and the short story itself wasn’t impressive. However, I was captivated by the title’s unique energy, and over time, I experimented with various ideas, trying to match them with the title and discover if it could eventually find a suitable story. Eventually, the comic that evolved into “Something is Killing the Children” was what I proposed to Boom Studios.

In many novels, you’ll encounter titles more frequently than on comic book shelves, and there are historical reasons behind this. This stems from newsstand days when comics were organized such that the title needed to be visible above the stacked magazines if placed in front of each other. However, modern comic shops don’t usually arrange their books in this manner as described.

I strongly believe that much of the book’s success is due to people stumbling upon it and becoming curious about the mystery surrounding the deaths of the children.

Now, this was supposed to be a five issue miniseries. At what point did the plans change and why?

Initially, when I proposed the narrative, it felt more like a series of independent adventures starring Erica Slaughter. She would mostly be in the periphery, with the focus on a small town and a shadowy figure, recognized only by children, who was arriving to combat monsters. Each installment would have its unique tone and characters. However, as I began writing the first issue, I felt that the story required more depth than a solitary 24-page comic book could provide. So, I contacted my editor Eric Harburne, expressing my need for five issues to fully unfold this single tale.

Once I reached the beginning of issue three, I realized that the story I wanted to tell required more than just five issues. Instead, I needed fifteen issues to fully develop the characters, maintain the desired tone, and ensure everything was cohesive.

The comic was also a change from your usual writing style. How so?

During that period, I was penning numerous superhero comics, with a distinct blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements. However, what felt incredibly invigorating when crafting “Something is Killing the Children,” was its deeply rooted reality amidst its supernatural aspects.

In writing the initial few, I found it incredibly invigorating. It seems the second one includes a scene set in an Applebee’s restaurant. Interestingly, I didn’t need to provide detailed explanations about the structure of the multiverse to help readers grasp that we were in an Applebee’s. All I had to do was place them in that setting.

It untapped a type of writing in me that I didn’t set out to do. The book really kind of taught me how to write it.

How far do you think you can take this story?

I have an outline that takes me past issue 100, and we are currently on issue 41 right now. We’re five years in, so there’s at least another five years of this and probably more. Boom Studios was recently acquired by Random House Worlds, and I was talking to one of the heads over there and I said, “I want to get to issue 100.” And he said in response, “What about 200?” We have a big story that we’re setting out to tell and yeah, we’re just getting started.

Do you know where this thing is going to end?

Absolutely, I’ve got a clear ending planned for our narrative. Since the debut of “Something is Killing the Children” in issue one, I’ve known where we were ultimately heading. However, there are numerous detours we can explore along the way, and these may expand or contract like an accordion. But make no mistake, the tale of Erica Slaughter does have a definitive conclusion.

Is there a value in doing an ongoing series that a mini-series doesn’t have?

I’m currently seated before a tower of comic book volumes, my preferred tales being the ones that spanned numerous issues, allowing me to track the characters’ stories across years. I strongly believe that the most prosperous comics, especially within my field of expertise, have primarily been those lengthy narratives and extensive series. That’s essentially what we aim to create with “Something is Killing the Children“.

The reason I ask that question is I think we live in a time of less ongoing series and lots of mini-series, and if there’s an ongoing series that is launched, by issue 10, it’s canceled and a few months later it’s relaunched again. So that seems to be a modern publishing problem.

It’s my belief that it could be short-sighted since the success of “Something is Killing the Children” demonstrates to me that in today’s world, a series can gradually amass an audience. I often notice that nowadays, everything is geared towards the launch of a major hit. However, when “Something is Killing the Children” was first released, it gained significant traction right away in its market. At the time, we were selling around 40,000 copies, but once we moved into the teen issues, the series consistently sold multiple issues that exceeded six figures. It’s quite uncommon for a series to double its monthly audience and maintain that growth. Now, we have a substantial monthly audience for the series. I’m convinced that if you create a truly immersive world and trust it will find an audience, there is indeed an audience waiting to be found.

One distinctive feature of this comic is that unlike many other series where artists often leave after just a few issues, Werther has been with it from the start. This consistency contributes to the comic’s success as readers appreciate continuity when reading books.

As the creators of the series me and Werther we’re not going to let anyone else write the right or draw the story of Erica Slaughter. We’ve had a lot of success with our spinoff series, House of Slaughter, but that expands the world that Erica lives in. But if you are a fan of Erica Slaughter, you will get her entire story from start to finish in the pages of Something’s Killing the Children. And I will write all of it and Werther will draw all of it. There’s no compromising on that.

Why do you think it took off the way it did?

I’ll forever be deeply appreciative for the unexpected finale of Robert Kirkman’s comic series, The Walking Dead. He had been releasing additional issues beyond what was supposed to be the last one, but then an oversized issue mysteriously appeared in comic stores and it turned out to be the final installment. This left a gap for horror comic fans as no new horror titles were being published at the time. Enter Something is Killing the Children, which became the next highly anticipated number one comic. Since there was no way to anticipate or capitalize on this sudden demand, many stores may have given us a chance because they needed a replacement series for their existing audience. Thanks, Robert!

The book has unique sense of pacing…

My forte lies largely in superhero comics, yet it was during the manga surge of the early 2000s that I truly matured as a reader. The graphic novel “Something is Killing the Children” marks my first opportunity to delve into storytelling reminiscent of manga. Unlike the brisk pace in many comics, this one adopts a more leisurely, character-focused rhythm. It’s less hurried and more spacious, allowing for deeper exploration of characters rather than rushing towards the next action scene. This deliberate pacing, I believe, contributes to the page-turning allure of “Something is Killing the Children“.

What truly captivates readers about this novel is the intriguing character of Erica Slaughter, a creation I owe to Werther’s artistic vision. Initially, he sketched her with a striking bandana as a casual idea during character design. However, when he accompanied this sketch with a note explaining how she transforms into a monster to combat the monstrous, it instantly clicked for me – I grasped her essence and realized the story I was crafting.

How do you and Werther work together? How complete are your scripts?

I often approach my work in two different ways depending on the nature of the project. If it’s more action-oriented, I tend to use what’s known as the Marvel Method, where I outline the main visual highlights and then fill in the dialogue once the artwork is done. However, for scripts that are heavy on dialogue, I write out the entire flow of conversation first, with very vague panel descriptions scattered throughout. Generally, my typical script falls somewhere in between these two approaches.

Now you are about to do an issue zero. It’s very nineties of you.

(Chuckles) To mark the fifth year of our beloved series, and with Erica Slaughter’s storyline reaching a pivotal point, we felt compelled to create something special. At the same time, there were several plot points requiring resolution in preparation for the upcoming book sequence. In issue #1 of Something Is Killing the Children, Erica Slaughter concludes a case and is on the brink of entering Archer’s Peak, the event that ignites the main series. Our intention was to delve back into her initial case, reinterpreting it within the broader mythology we’re constructing for the storyline.

So it’s one of those things where it functions really well as a standalone, that introduces you to the world and who Erica Slaughter is and what she stands for on what some of her core emotional damages. But then it starts laying out some seeds of the threats that she will face in the years to come.

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2024-10-31 21:25