With the release of The Goddamn Tragedy #1 later this month from Oni Press, we are delighted to be joined by writer Chris Condon. Chris is known for his work on That Texas Blood, The Enfield Gang Massacre and Ultimate Wolverine.
Hi Chris, it’s so wonderful to have you with us again.
CC: Thanks for having me back!
Could you tell us about the origins of The Goddamn Tragedy #1?
CC: Well, the title came first. That’s the true origin. I thought of the title and thought to myself, dang, that’s pretty good. The rest kind of came from that.
Who is Ellen Janson?
CC: Ellen is a young girl, in adolescence. She’s forced to go on this incredible journey with her parents and finds herself at odds with the flimsy ideals her parents are foisting upon her. She’s forced to reckon with that dilemma and take strides to become her own person. But most importantly, she will have to learn how to survive.
What made Shawn Kuruneru the right artist for The Goddamn Tragedy #1?
CC: Oh, geez. He’s just great! I don’t know what else to say. I read two of his books before we collaborated on The Goddamn Tragedy—Cave Grave and Poor Moon. Both were stellar. So I knew from the get-go that Shawn had a brilliant sense of Western storytelling, so it was really quite simple to set him up and let him knock this one out of the park.
What has it been like working with Shawn Kuruneru and Oni Press?
CC: Well, I suppose I’ve covered Shawn a bit in the previous question, but Shawn is a consummate artist. He’s a fine artist, whose work has appeared in galleries as far as Japan and as close as New York City. So he knows what’s what, put it that way. He’s got a great eye for visual storytelling and we certainly used that skill to our advantage on The Goddamn Tragedy. As for Oni, I love the folks who are running Oni. Hunter and Sierra especially are just the goddamn best.
What can you tell us about Ellen’s family?
CC: Ellen’s family is fractured, I would say. They aren’t exactly on the same page – but that’s okay. That gives us drama.
How did Oni Press get involved with The Goddamn Tragedy #1?
CC: I had completed Night People, the Barry Gifford story I had adapted for Oni, and Hunter wanted to know what’s next. Well, I didn’t know exactly. But I did know that there were a few one-shot stories that I wanted to tell and The Goddamn Tragedy was one of them. I had a great time writing Hell is a Squared Circle a few years ago and was itching to do something like that again. The Goddamn Tragedy was my excuse.
The Goddamn Tragedy #1 is releasing as 48-page graphic novella, is that the format that you wanted for it, when you conceived the idea for it?
CC: Yeah, I had always wanted it to be a one-shot story. It was never going to be anything else.
How would you describe The Goddamn Tragedy #1?
CC: It’s an intense, thrilling frontier experience.
Can you tell us what projects you are currently working on?
CC: I am still working on Ultimate Wolverine for Marvel, Green Arrow for DC, and I have a new Image miniseries with Jeffrey Alan Love called News from the Fallout. News is due out in June, so I hope folks get that pre-ordered because that is a book I am incredibly proud to be a part of.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
CC: All I want to say is thank you—thank you for taking the time to read this interview and for considering The Goddamn Tragedy for your reading pile or pull list. There are an awful lot of books out there these days and when you choose one that I’ve written it means the world to me. Truly. So, in short, thank you.
We would like to say a big thank you to Chris for chatting with us and wish him the best of luck with The Goddamn Tragedy #1.
