The following is an interview with writer William Schoell regarding the release of his work on the books, Super-Action: The Copper Age of DC Comics 1984 – 1991 (BearManor Media) and Hidden World (Raven Tale). In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Schoell about his varied creative processes in working on fiction and non-fiction, what he hopes that readers may take away from his work, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of your work with Super-Action and Hidden World! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the premise of these two works?
William Schoell: Super-Action looks at the many changes at DC Comics in the ’80s and ’90s, such as a complete rebooting of such classic characters as Superman and Wonder Woman, and examines the most memorable stories, writers, and artists during that period, as well as the changes in the industry. Hidden World is the literary equivalent of a fun B-movie, with a group descending into a cavern far beneath the Earth and discovering an ancient world full of monsters, giant cannibals, and a frightening mystical presence that threatens everyone.
BD: In having worked in both fiction and non-fiction, how would you describe your creative process in bringing these disparate narratives to life on the page?
WS: With fiction I generally proceed in a linear fashion, only occasionally popping out of continuity. I work from a basic plot, create the characters, and add the details as I go along – I find that things occur to me that might not have if I spell everything out before beginning. With non-fiction, I tend to jump around a little more, working on whichever chapters especially ignite my interest at that time.
BD: In collaborating with BearManor Media and Raven Tale, what made these publishers the perfect home for your work?
WS: BearManor had already published a book I did on The Silver Age of Comics, so they were the perfect home for this new tome on comics. Raven Tale is a publisher of horror that specializes in “creature” or “cryptid” stories – although they are beginning to branch out – and as Hidden World certainly has strange creatures in it, they were a good fit for the story. I had previously done some monster stories, so they actually reached out to me and asked for new material.
BD: If given the opportunity, do you foresee revisiting the world and characters of Hidden World for future story arcs?
WS: Raven Tale likes to do sequels to their books, so there is a possibility that the Hidden World may get even more exposure in the future – it all depends on sales, of course. One of the ideas is for the creatures of this lost world to get loose on the surface. Another has a new team investigating the place many years in the future. There are all sorts of possibilities!
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
WS: Years ago during the horror boom, I wrote several horror novels that have recently been rediscovered as “The William Schoell Collection” from Encyclopocalypse Publications in both print and audio formats. Another firm, Cemetery Dance, has come out with epub versions of the novels. I’m now finishing up a non-fiction study of horror fiction, a new horror novel, and a non-horror work of fiction with the interesting title of The Flesh Zoo. (Sounds like horror, but isn’t.)
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Super Action and Hidden World?
WS: The books are sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and on the publishers’ website, and there is more info on my website at williamschoell.org.
