With the Kickstarter live for Kolchak: The Night Stalker Meets the Classic Monsters, we are delighted to be joined by James Aquilone and Rodney Barnes. James is a Bram Stoker Award-winning editor, writer and the founder of Monstrous Books. Rodney is a writer and producer. Rodney has written many comics, including Quincredible, Star Wars – Lando: Double or Nothing, Falcon and Killadelphia.
Hi James and Rodney, it is wonderful to have you both here with us. It’s so great to have you here with us again, James.
For anyone unfamiliar with Kolchak, what can you say about him?
James: Kolchak is a reporter who has a knack for stumbling into monsters.
Rodney: Kolchak is one of those horror pillars that urged me to write my own stories. The stories hit me in the heart in a very specific way. It’s my childhood revisited. When life and my imagination had a certain innocence to it, And again, I’m honored to play a small role in his legacy.
Could you tell us about the origins of Kolchak: The Night Stalker Meets the Classic Monsters?
James: Kolchak has faced a ton of monsters throughout his career but never the most iconic. I thought it was time to change that.
Rodney: Think of two iconic characters clashing in the heart of 70s New York. I call it Scorsese’s New York. Readers can expect all of the nuance and specificity of the characters they love, and a modern-day twist as a garnish.
How did you select the creators for each issue?
James: I’ve worked with Rodney, Steve Niles, and David Dastmalchian on Kolchak projects before. They know the character and they’re big fans so I don’t need to give them much direction. I just set them loose and see what they come up with.
Rodney: I’m working with Alex Lins who partnered with me on Monarch from Image Comics. I love his Marvel work and enjoy working with him as a person. Excited to see what we come up with.
What can you tell us about each issue?
James/Rodney:
Issue #1 – Kolchak Meets the Werewolf and Count Crowley. Written by David Dastmalchian, with art by Lukas Ketner and colors by Zac Atkinson. Covers by Matt Wagner and Lukas Ketner. In 1983, Kolchak joins forces with Count Crowley to deal with a pesky werewolf problem.
Issue #2 – Kolchak Meets Frankenstein. Written by Steve Niles, with art by George Quadros and colors by Zac Atkinson. Cover by Russ Braun. In 1974, Carl encounters the Frankenstein monster, who’s on a mission to right some wrongs.
Issue #3 Kolchak Meets Dracula. Written by Rodney Barnes, with art by Alex Lins and colors by Zac Atkinson. Cover by Colton Worley. Set in 1970s New York City. A time of transition for the country. Dracula is taking advantage of a liberated Manhattan while Kolchak is determined to stop him.
Did you consider other classic Monsters apart from the three that you selected?
James: This is only Volume 1. Kolchak will be meeting more classic monsters in future installments of the series.
Rodney: Honestly, the possibilities are endless.
In terms of the Kickstarter, can you tell us about the rewards?
James: We have the three individual comics as well as a deluxe hardcover edition that collects all the stories and adds extra material. We also have a Kolchak Challenge Coin, a trading card set, T-shirt, and paperback editions of the original Night Stalker novel by Jeff Rice and the Kolchak Eras anthology.
Rodney: 3-issue comic book series and collection from David Dastmalchian, Steve Niles, and myself. Also introducing the first Kolchak Challenge Coin! It’s a 2-inch extra-heavy UV 3D coin and will be available exclusively through the Kickstarter campaign.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
James: Go watch Kolchak this spooky season and then back the campaign!
Rodney: Back the campaign so we can keep making awesome stuff! Also check out all the artists and writers’ other work!
We would like to say a big thank you to James and Rodney for chatting with us. We wish them the best of luck with Kolchak: The Night Stalker Meets the Classic Monsters.
Feel free to check out Kolchak: The Night Stalker Meets the Classic Monsters on Kickstater.
