With the release of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel from Abrams ComicArts, we are delighted to be joined by writer, editor, producer, former editor-in-chief & chief creative officer of IDW Publishing, Chris Ryall.
Hi Chris, it’s so wonderful to have you here with us. Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Sure! I’m the former editor-in-chief and chief creative officer at IDW Publishing, as well as a writer of a number of graphic novels, both original and licensed, along with being the author of assorted archival books about comics, with more to come. I was also an exec producer on Netflix’s three-season Locke & Key series, and have a couple productions of my own in various stages of slow development. I’ve had my own imprint at Image Comics, most recently doing a horror anthology series called Dread the Halls. And I’m an editor-at-large at Abrams ComicArts, where I authored last year’s Mighty Marvel Calendar Book: A Visual History, as well as Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis graphic novel. And then separate from all of that, I just got a board seat on San Diego’s Board of Library Commissioners, so we’ll see what that brings, too.
Can you tell us about the origins of Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel?
I can tell you it was an unexpected start, as I got an e-mail from Francis Ford Coppola out of the blue in early 2022, asking if I would be interested in helping him make a graphic novel connected to his in-development film. I’d never in my life imagined I’d be chatting with Francis Coppola about anything, let alone comics, so it was quite a surprise, and a pleasant one.
When you read the script for Megalopolis, what were your thoughts?
I had lots of questions, many of which came to show me over time that I was looking at all of it in too linear a fashion, not yet realizing that this was more of a fable than I thought; and also not realizing then that I would have the amount of freedom to interpret it that he gave to artist Jacon Phillips and I. Mostly, I was excited because it was such a blend of so many different kinds of stories, and even then, before I had a sense of the visuals, I started imagining ways the scenes might flow as a graphic novel.
What made Jacob Philips the right artist for Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel?
Jacob has this impressive style that presents realistic situations and characters in ways that nevertheless don’t come off like someone reliant on photo reference. Which we didn’t want for this book. I’ve done adaptations where actors had likeness approval you can end up in a situation where the panels feel flat and somewhat lifeless due to the photo reference. Not in this case. I also knew Jacob was very good at making the locales in his comics feel like very real places, whether that location be the old west or New York City or beyond. So it was a thrill seeing him bring that style, and his beautiful approach to colors, to all the various settings in this book.
What has it been like to adapt Francis Ford Coppola’s script into a graphic novel?
It’s been a thrill for all the reasons mentioned above. But more than just the work itself, it’s been a massive honor to get to do this directly with Coppola – he doesn’t have a team managing his projects, it’s just him. So even while he’s financing, directing, and producing this massive film, he was also gracious as can be with his time, on- and off-set, in discussing even the finer points of this book. That’s been a very special and rare thing, and I’ve valued every bit of it.
What can you tell us about the Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel?
I’d say it very much is, as Francis has described it, a sibling to the film, not a straight adaptation. It’s unique and stands alone and apart from the movie, including as it does additional scenes and various bits of it added to, reshuffled, and tweaked to best fit the format. It’s a wild story with a very grounded message under it all, one concerning the necessary role of art and the artist in a society that hates, but is in dire need of, change. And it’s 200 pages of Jacob Phillips’ beautiful pencils, inks, grey washes, and colors, which is more than enough reason for any lover of great graphic novel art to give this a look. It’s also a way for fans who didn’t quite respond to the film the way they might have wanted to to see the story re-contextualized and re-presented in a way that hopefully adds new layers to the world Francis created.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
Two, really: one is the promotional side of things, with a note that this book goes on sales on October 7 (finally!), I’ll be signing copies in NY (during the New York Comic-Con a couple days later) and San Diego (at Barnes and Noble in Mira Mesa on October 17); and then my Bloomsbury book that helps launch their new Marvel Age of Comics line (mine is Daredevil: Born Again) releases in November; and Dread the Halls, a 72-page holiday-horror anthology, is available for pre-order now and releasing on December 3 from Image Comics.
The other message is, with all of these books–thank you for the consideration and hopeful patronage of any/all of them. I know it’s a challenging economic time for many, as it is for comic retailers, and every bit of support you give us and them is both helpful and very appreciated.
A big thank you to Chris for chatting with us, and we wish him the best of luck for the releases of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel, Daredevil: Born Again (Marvel Age of Comics), and Dread the Halls.
