FOREWORD:

From his brain comes a visceral world, one in which an unknown entity mutilates people deep in the Forests near Rhyll, where wretched souls are forced to eat one another to survive, and where a fetus of necroplasm hangs form a tree branch... waiting to unleash death upon the inhabitants of earth. All these things live within Spawn: The Dark Ages, and these are just a few of the exquisitely disturbing scenarios you will find within the book's pages.

So what makes the mind of a Horror writer tick? Where does it all come from? In Part One of this interview, we begin to tap into some of the things that inspire Steve Niles' dark talent, and along the way we learn much about StDA and his feelings on the comic book industry. Kick back, turn out the lights, and let the glow of your computer screen guide you through the thought process of Mr. Niles:

INTERVIEW:

- Is writing something you dreamed of from a very young age, or did the desire come to you later in life?

I've always wanted to write. When I was a young, young kid I used to draw these elaborate stick-figure drawings that depicted long running (and gory) epic stories. Then later as a teen I started writing vampire scripts and twisted short stories that were, to say the least, extremely lame.

It wasn't until I read I Am Legend by Richard Matheson that I started to really get a feel for how to write. He showed me that horror could be very personal and horrifying at the same time. He is one of the first writers who took horror from the gothic mansions onto Main Street USA. He, with help from Poe and King, made me want to write forever.

- What was the very first thing that you had accepted for publication? Where/when was it published? (And if possible, I think it would be awesome if we could put your first words ever published up at the site, even if its just an excerpt or something)

The first story I ever had "published" was a story called "Billy and Me". It was published in the high school arts annual and upset a few people. It was about two boys who use the corpse of an old man to gain access to an R rated movie by making his body into a big puppet. I'd gladly run an excerpt, but I honestly don't know if I have a copy.

- Is the theme of StDA something that comes very naturally to you, or is the violence and extremely dark tones something you have to reach for?

For better or worse, it comes naturally. I'm very comfortable with things most people consider dark or frightening. As a kid I sought out horror movies and then spent weeks hiding under the covers. It got so bad that my parents tried to cut me off, but I would always sneak over to a friends house and catch the late night horror flicks. One day I just stopped being afraid and as a very young teen I became obsessed with horror novels, movies, make-up effects and the rest.

As for the violence (which I consider separate from the dark tones) I do have to reach a bit and try to be as creative as possible. I prefer over-the-top violence because I find it entertaining and for Dark Ages that's what I'm shooting for. I want people to react whether it's in horror or laughing or even being upset, violence should always get a reaction. When it doesn't, that's when we have something to worry about.

- How many hours would you say it takes to write an issue of Dark Ages? And just how much consideration goes into future issues? In other words, do you have long term goals for the story, something you are slowly working towards?

I've written a script in five hours and I've had one or two that took a week. It's never the same. It depends on time, mood, and whether my cats will stay the fuck off my desk. When I sat down to write #15 (my first) I had an outline in front of me for the next year. As I start to write, things change. Sometimes new characters come out. Sometimes comments from the fans change what I'm doing, but I always have an outline before I write. Sometimes a whole new story will come out of nowhere, like the "Seedling" (not Seeding!). That was a completely spontaneous story. If you take the issue preceding it and the one following, you will see that the "Seedling" is sort of an aside, and the other two issues link together perfectly.

The short answer to your question, is yes I do have long term goals. I know what will be happening for the next year, and I even now how Covenant's story ends. How's that for a tease?

- Are there ever things you want to do with the story, but are not allowed to? I guess the question is, do you have absolute freedom with the book or is everything accepted by McFarlane before print?

I have absolute freedom. Todd likes to push boundaries as much as I do, so the only restrictions I have are within the confines of continuity. If I had Covenant flying around on a rocket, I think they'd say something. Otherwise, I'm free to experiment.

- Are comic books your medium of choice? Do you expect to work in the industry for a long time to come? (Is there a stand alone novel from Steve Niles in our future?)

I've written two books, one called "Freaks of the Heartland" that came out in a small WAY overpriced paperback from FantaCo, and one based on my monster hunter character that is sitting in a drawer. The character, Cal McDonald has been published in comics by Dark Horse and Arcane/Eclipse comics, and I have a screenplay that has made the rounds with no takers as yet.

Comics are my first love. I am a complete and total comic geek and proud of it (as proof, just last week I got in trouble from my wife for buying a cool Gary Gianni skull drawing, and a Hulk original page off e-bay). The fact that I am writing a Spawn comic and working with Todd McFarlane is a dream come true, and I hope to be writing for comics (and other mediums) for the rest of my life.

- This is possibly a touchy subject, but do you feel the material you write for StDA is something children under 14 should be reading? Do you feel a warning or anything should be placed on the cover indicating that the book contains very adult themes? Very curious to hear your thoughts on this.

I believe that it is the parents responsibility to monitor and/or censor what their children read, and decide what is appropriate for their children and at what age. I write what I write. The only reason people point their fingers at us is because we make comic books. If the material I write for StDA were in a novel, nobody would blink an eye (some might even call it juvenile). People have to understand that there are toys and comics for adults just as there are books for children and adults. If a child walks into a book store and picks up a copy of "Hannibal" by Thomas Harris there isn't a big warning on the cover saying NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN. Why? Because we know what it is. Parents have to be aware of what their kids are doing, not me. Common sense rules over censorship. Period.

- A question I will probably be asking most of the Creative Team, what are your thoughts on the declining sales of comic books? What do you feel can be done to improve the situation, and do you think titles like StDA will survive in this dwindling market?

I wrote a response to this question in an upcoming Dark Ages, but the thrust of my opinion is this; I believe that comic sales are declining because there are so many more outlets for kids (and everybody) today. Video games have become living comic books (Hell, even I'm addicted to Resident Evil!), chat-rooms and message boards take over kids days, so I blame Twisted Spine for the decline in comic sales...

Kidding.

The problem is complicated, but I really feel that three things will save the industry.

1) WORD OF MOUTH. If there is a book you like, tell the world. Hell, buy extra copies and hand them out as gift. I great example of this is the fact that every single woman I have ever dated never opened a comic before they met me, and every single one wound up reading at least one title. I can hear my wife now yelling when I head to the comic shop, "See if the new "Lenore" is out!" When I met her she had never read a comic in her life. Word of mouth.

2) Everybody stop being fucking greedy and thinking that comics are going to make you rich. This goes for retailers, publishers and collectors. During the last big comic boom a lot of sales were made on multiple copies by retailers and collectors hoping to strike it rich. I bet we could get the numbers on who bought just to read, the number would drop almost in half. A lot of "civilians" got suckered by "events" like the Death of Superman and it left a bad taste in their mouth, and frankly I don't blame them. Comics are about stories and art. End of story. A genuine rarity is well worth the money, but don't try to sell me a calculated collectors item. A good living can be made in comics if everybody just keeps a level head about it. Read what you love because you love it and tell others.

AND

3) Take a breath and ride it out. Things will go up and down, but comics will never die.

Thanks for your time, it is GREATLY appreciated. I enjoy your work a great deal and hope you choose and are able to write for StDA for a long time to come.

Thank you tWISTEd. It's fan's like you that will ensure a long life for Spawn: The Dark Ages. I love the site. You're really doing a beautiful job.

Thanks!

- Steve