ComicBuzz Chats With Steve Niles and Damien Worm

With the Zoop campaign now live for the graphic novel Heartbreak Manor, we are delighted to be joined by the 30 Days of Night Co-Creator Steve Niles and October Faction Co-Creator Damien Worm. Steve Niles is a literary horror legend. Steve has written many comics, including Batman, Kick-Ass, Kolchak, Red Sonja, Spawn and Ash of the Army of Darkness. Damien is the co-creator of October Faction and Monster & Madman.

Hi Steve and Damien, it’s so wonderful to have you both here with us.

Steve: Thank you for having us!

Could you please introduce yourselves to our readers?

Steve: I’m Steve Niles, I write comics, mainly horror comics.

Damien: Of course. Hi! I’m Damien, a comic book artist and illustrator specializing in horror. I’ve been working in the comics industry for over 10 years.

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Steve, can you tell us about the origins of Heartbreak Manor?

Steve: I’m a big fan of ghost stories, such as The Orphanage, Sixth Sense, The Others, as well as stories by M.R. James… so I wanted to create an old fashioned ghost story.

Damien, in order to create Heartbreak Manor visually, do you use reference materials?

Given the historical setting the book is based on — especially the mansion, which is the heart of the story — I do use some reference images of old imagery and mansion interiors from that period.

Who is Sally Madison?

Steve: Sally is the protagonist, she is a very strong-willed young girl, and these qualities are very important to help her navigate through the story.

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Steve, you, and Damien have worked together on other projects before. As an artist, what is it about Damien that you enjoy working with?

Steve: Damien is just brilliant. He is easy to work with, and he is such an innovative artist, so perfect for horror.

What is it about Zoop that makes you want to publish Heartbreak Manor through them?

Steve: Zoop is a great alternative for comic creators to help raise money and crowdfund new books. They are a full service company, and will help make this book everything it can be.

Damien, you are creating all of the art for Heartbreak Manor. What part of that process do you enjoy the most?

The part I enjoy the most is seeing the initial idea I had for each piece gradually turn into what I envisioned. I also love working on the small details and fine-tuning everything.

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How long have you been working on Heartbreak Manor?

Damien: Heartbreak Manor has been in the works for quite a while. I’d say at least three years. It’s gone through changes in every direction — the art, the story, everything. But now the path is finally clear and firmly set.

Steve: We started working on a couple years ago.

Can you tell us about the world in which Heartbreak Manor is set?

Steve: It’s set in New York, 1912. It’s a time when the old and new worlds began to collide, and I wanted to go back in time, reduce the technology and make an old-fashioned ghost story.

Damien: I see it as an elegantly disturbing and suffocating setting. Visually, it’s alluring and uncomfortable at the same time.

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As you are crowdfunding Heartbreak Manor and dealing directly with consumers, does that make Heartbreak Manor special for you?

Steve: Absolutely. We want to have fans who truly want a beautiful, hardcover artbook get involved and help us bring this to life.

What can you tell us about Heartbreak Manor?

Steve: It’s a mysterious mansion, full of secrets. Sally takes it upon herself to find out why doors are locked, why her new parents disappear at night…

Damien: Well, from the very first time Steve talked to me about the project, I thought: ‘We have to do this, no matter what it takes!’ The theme, the story, the setting… everything just fits perfectly. It’s a dream project.
Whether you’re a horror fan or not, here you’ll find a dark ghost story packed with uncomfortable secrets.

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