Published: October 05, 2007 01:00 am            

Six-gun strangeness: Jeff Mariotte discusses 10 years of writing Weird West stories

Transcript Sports Writer



Ten years ago, Jeff Mariotte created one of the most interesting and compelling comics series of all time.

“Desperadoes” followed a group of main characters as they encountered supernatural horrors in the Old West.

Now, as the series celebrates its 10th anniversary with a special edition of this year’s four-issue run in trade paperback, we were able to talk to Mariotte about “Desperadoes,” his upcoming “30 Days of Night” novel, just in time for the movie, and his new comics series “Graveslinger.”

“Desperadoes” was a groundbreaking series for the supernatural western. More and more writers have brought “Weird West” stories to the comics medium since it made its debut.

And the series has catapulted Mariotte’s name more and more into the mainstream without him having to make creative concessions along the way. He’s completely in charge of the storyline, and that’s won him fans not only from the general readership, but also from other writers.

“In general, I think it’s been good for my reputation, because a lot of other writers seem to enjoy it a lot,” Mariotte said. “So in some ways, I’ve become thought of as a ‘writer’s writer.’ When people like Harlan Ellison call you up to tell you they like your work, it’s great for the ego.”

So how’d he come up with the idea? Mariotte has written quite a few supernatural stories, including some novels based on the Joss Whedon series “Angel.” But “Desperadoes” allowed Mariotte to combine two of his loves into one project.

“I’ve always been fascinated with the West, both the historical and the mythical, and I have a lot of fun combining them,” Mariotte said. “I think it’s easier to sell the supernatural aspects of the story if the ‘real’ aspects are as realistic as possible.”

And among the fantastical elements of “Desperadoes,” there’s always a connection to reality.’

“The very first miniseries, ‘A Moment’s Sunlight,’ included appearances by real Apache warriors Nana and Lozen,” Mariotte said. “Lozen, of course, returns in the new series, ‘Buffalo Dreams,’ along with Geronimo.

“The first page of the first series, in fact, showed the plaza in Las Vegas, New Mexico, as it looked then. All the locations have been real places, as true to life as I could get them.”

With “Graveslinger,” Mariotte starts a new ‘Weird West’ tale, about an undertaker at a prison who accidentally frees 117 executed murderers from their graves.

“It’s a little lighter, a little funnier, a little more ‘high concept,’” Mariotte said. “He then has to go out and kill (the escaped murderers) to save the soul of the woman he loves. So in a way, it’s a more finite story. But in another way, it’s pretty open-ended because 117 foes to track down can take a long time.”

It’s a perfect time of year to pick up “Graveslinger,” too. With pumpkins starting to take over front porches, a little Western horror could just hit the spot.

“Anyone who loves October will love ‘Graveslinger,” Mariotte said. “It’s the same kind of thing — scary, slightly chilling and lots of fun.”

Mariotte’s also got two big novels coming out for horror fans. The first, “30 Days of Night: Rumors of the Undead,” Mariotte co-wrote with series co-creator Steve Niles.

“They expand upon elements in the comic stories that have never been fully developed because of space constraints,” Mariotte said. “I’m writing the novels with Steve, so they’re official in continuity.”

The “30 Days” film comes out in a couple weeks, and Mariotte has more books coming soon with Niles. “Immortal Remains” will be their second collaboration and Niles is busy outlining a third.

Mariotte’s other big horror book coming soon is based on the popular CW series “Supernatural.”

“Supernatural: Witch’s Canyon” is set at the Grand Canyon and follows Sam and Dean Winchester as they investigate a series of murders that occurs once every 40 years.

“Only in the past, this rural area has been very sparsely populated, whereas now the population has grown,” Mariotte said. “And there’s even a new regional shopping mall opening up in town during the time the murder cycle should be happening. The show is lots of fun, and this upcoming season looks like an intense one. I’ll definitely be watching.”

As pretty much the father of modern ‘Weird West’ comics, Mariotte continues to redefine the medium while working on high-profile projects as well. His influence can definitely be seen on the comics shelves.

“I don’t know how many books or writers have been inspired by ‘Desperadoes’ or how many would have happened anyway,” Mariotte said. “There is definitely a bit of a Western boomlet going on in comics these days, with ‘Graveslinger’ and the ‘Lone Ranger’ and ‘Jonah Hex,’ etc. … Whereas when ‘Desperadoes’ started 10 years ago, there weren’t any on the stands.”

Next week: Talking to “Angel: After the Fall” writer Brian Lynch about continuing the story of everyone’s favorite vamp after the series’ cancellation.

        

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