‘I wish I was more consistent’

What are your expectations from Comic Con Hyderabad?
To have a wonderful time meeting young fans who are eager to share this experience with me. I imagine I’ll be discussing my career as a comics creator and filmmaker, horror movie creator and such. I enjoy talking about fandom and expanding horizons, exploring new genres and giving new things a chance.

You are known as a fan-favourite writer how does it feel?
I don’t know how much of a “favourite” I really am, but I am humbled by the fact that anybody might spend their money and time reading and/or watch what I make. I am a fan of this stuff, too. And though it feels like a lifetime ago, I once was merely aspiring to do this for a profession. That I’ve managed to stay in this game for as long as I have is both a gift and rather miraculous.

From reading comics to writing them, how was the journey so far?
I had graduated from film school in New York City with a thesis film that had played at a few festivals and got some notice. A friend of mine, who was drawing comics for Marvel at the time, brought his editors to a screening of my student film. We all hit it off and they invited me to work with them.

Honestly, though I feel my journey – at times - was harrowing. Comics can be a tough business as there are many, many creative talents out there and only so many opportunities to go around. But it has been amazingly gratifying, too. I’ve gotten to write some famous and beloved characters while publishing my own concepts and ideas. Not too bad then, all told, I’d say!

Every writer has a ritual; what is yours?
I wish I was more consistent! But I tend to sleep poorly, juggle multiple deadlines as best I can and stay on track, production-wise out of fear of not paying the bills on time. I also enjoy whiskey.
I take care of myself, workout multiple times a week, and try to keep a balance in life.

What are the challenges that you face while writing and how do you overcome them?
Staying focused is difficult for me. I have ADHD, which isn’t the easiest thing to contend, but I try. I let the fear of missing deadlines and not being able to pay my rent motivate me. It sounds masochistic, but it works (usually)!

If you have to name one character then which is your favourite comic character and why?
I’ve always been a fan of Ghost Rider. The visual, with the flaming skull head and the motorcycle and chains, have been so striking in all their various iterations.

How do you ideate with sketch artistes and see to that your imagination is aptly put on the canvas?
I tend to script with a lot of details, but I hope I’m also leaving room for my collaborators to find inspiration and take liberties. I believe in collaboration and want to have my ideas sharpened and improved by my collaborators’ efforts. I include lots of notes and photo reference to get my points across and hope I’m always encouraging them to surprise me and have fun.

What is the process of adapting a TV series into a comic?
First, you have to watch a lot of that show. I’d watch ‘The X-Files’ all the way through, when it was new. But I had to binge on the entirety of the nine seasons and two movies before I could propose what I wanted to do with the comics. You should be mindful of the fact that these characters are licensed properties, and the license-holder will have expectations as to how you treat them, the kinds of stories you want to tell, etc. It all needs approval.

Now that you wrote the screenplay for a couple of films, how is your career in Hollywood?
It’s a challenge, as always, but one I (mostly) welcome. The current goal is taking the original comics properties I’ve co-created, like ‘Great Pacific’ and ‘Rockstars’ and developing them for film and television, too. But I still have some original horror movies ideas I’d like to realise too, so I’m working on that as well.

Whatare you currently working on?I just wrapped ‘The X-File’ and am currently writing ‘Rockstars’ for Image Comics. I’m also working on a new project with John Carpenter and Sandy King Carpenter’s ‘Storm King’ line of comics, which should be announced soon. So, stay tuned.

By Navin Pivhal