The following is an interview with Chris Condon regarding the upcoming release of the comic book adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel, Night People, through Oni Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Condon about his approach to adapting Barry Gifford’s novel 30 years after its initial release, his shared creative experience alongside artists Brian Level, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Artyom Topilin, and Marco Finnegan, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Night People! What are you most excited for readers to experience with this adaptation of Barry Gifford’s acclaimed novel?
Chris Condon: Thank you! I’m very excited about it myself. I can’t wait for folks to read this wild story that Barry had written. It’s been over thirty years since Night People came out and it’s ripe for rediscovery. I hope that this adaptation helps facilitate that. It’s dark, unique, and something that will linger on people’s minds long after they put the issue down.
BD: The creative process of approaching an adaptation of a prior work – especially one as well known as Night People – can be a daunting experience. How would you describe your approach to breathing new life into the story, and what did you find to be most rewarding/challenging about the process?
CC: I had to sit with the book and really distill what Barry was trying to say and what I could or should do with it, in terms of adaptation. Luckily for me, Barry has such a distinctive voice and style that I felt it was necessary to remain as true as possible to his original work. Sure, I had to change things here and there, move things around, cut other things out, but it’s all incredibly faithful to the work Barry had published in 1993. I found the entire process rewarding, to be honest. It made me stretch new muscles and really push myself as a writer. Could I adapt someone else’s work, make it faithful to the source, while also showcasing my own abilities as a writer? I think I did what I set out to do, and I’m incredibly proud of the work I’ve put into this series.
BD: Likewise, what can you tell us about the shared creative process of working with artists Brian Level, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Artyom Topilin, and Marco Finnegan to bring this world and characters to life on the page?
CC: In everything I do, I try to get out of my collaborator’s way. In my mind, there’s a reason they were all hired to tackle whatever project it is they’re working on with me. Why stifle that? I love to see how artists interpret my words. It’s one of the great joys of writing comics—getting the pages in, seeing it all come to life. I like to be descriptive in my scripts but I also try not to be overbearing. I like to give a good, thorough sketch of what we’ll see and allow my collaborators to really push it into a living, breathing thing.
BD: What makes Oni Press the perfect home for this story?
CC: Oni Press is a great home for the strange and wonderful thing. What better home could there be for such a strange and wonderful book as Night People?
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. For the first issue, how do you feel that Betty and Cutie’s story may connect with and impact today’s readers?
CC: They’re outsiders. I think most people feel like an outsider at some point in their lives. Big Betty and Miss Cutie have been pushed to the brink in their lives, survived horrible injustices, and been discarded by society. I think that’s an incredibly relatable set of circumstances, even if these two characters resort to violence and an insane devotion to their own half-baked pseudoreligion to solve their problems.
BD: Are there any other upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
CC: I would love to but those projects have not been announced yet! I do have a short story in James Tynion IV and Michael Avon Oeming’s Blue Book: 1947 issue three that I wrote and Jacob Phillips drew. It’s the first thing I’ve written (or at least that’s been published!) that’s set in my home state of New Jersey. I hope folks dig it as much as I dug writing it.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Night People and your other work?
CC: I have a Patreon that I share with Jacob Phillips at patreon.com/condonphillips. I have already posted a few things about Night People, including a spoiler-free breakdown of how I approached adapting a novel.
*Header image by Jacob Phillips
