The following is an interview with Gerardo “Gerry” Maravilla on the recent release of the comic book series, The Halloween Club. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Maravilla about the shared creative process of bringing the story to life on the page, what he hopes that readers will take away from the story, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the recent release of The Halloween Club! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the premise of this story?
Gerardo “Gerry” Maravilla: The Halloween Club is about Gena, Bret, and Oliver: three best friends in the 1980s who are obsessed with Halloween and horror. But they’re getting older and high school graduation is just around the corner. A horrific event bonds them all together in a way they could never have imagined. It’s a mixture of coming-of-age nostalgia and supernatural nightmare.
BD: What can you tell us about your shared creative process in working with artist Anastasia Longoria to bring this story to life on the page?
GM: I’ve been truly blessed to collaborate with an artist as talented and hardworking as Anatasia. We actually connected on Twitter during the pandemic after I saw her incredible artwork. She immediately understood this story on a deep, emotional level. She’s also been very patient with me. This is my first comic and I’ve adapted it from a feature script that I wrote. She’s been great at sharing resources and sharing her knowledge in ways that make me a better collaborator. The interesting thing about our collaboration is that it’s actually all been remote. We live on opposite coasts and have never met in person. Our collaboration was only possible through email and phone calls. The hope is to meet in person one day soon!
BD: Having worked in various entertainment and storytelling mediums, how would you describe your experience in transitioning to the sequential art medium for this series?
GM: While I primarily identify as a filmmaker, working in a sequential art medium felt very natural in many ways. My family didn’t have a video camera when I was growing up, so I made my own comics before I ever made a film. I’m also someone who meticulously created shot lists in order to previsualize films before I go into production. Writing a comic script forced me to think in shots and edit the film in my head as I was writing it. It was challenging, but also lots of fun.
BD: As a longtime fan of horror stories, what are you most excited for readers to experience with The Halloween Club, and how do you feel that your own fandom influenced your creative approach to horror stories?
GM: Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. There’s an intoxicating blend of nostalgia, excitement, playfulness, eeriness, and, of course, scariness. I hope The Halloween Club brings up all of those feelings and connects readers with their own memories.
This story also comes from my love of horror films like Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Suspiria (1977), Rosemary’s Baby, The Witches (1990). But my favorite comics have been the Maggie and Hopey stories from Jaime Hernandez’s Love and Rockets series. I guess in my mind, The Halloween Club is what would happen if you threw all those things in a blender.
Ultimately, I really want readers to connect with the characters. Maybe it sounds weird, but I feel very attached to them. They feel like real people to me and I hope readers will want to follow them on the journey we have planned.
BD: Do you have a certain number of issues or story arcs planned for the series?
GM: The comic came from me adapting a feature screenplay I wrote. The plan is to do a 12-issue series and then combine the 12 issues into a graphic novel.
BD: Are there any other projects on which you are currently working that you are able to share with our readers?
GM: I’ve been very blessed this year to have two new horror short films out on the festival circuit.
One I made through the Latino Inclusion Fellowship and is called “Enseñame Como Morir (Show Me How To Die)”. It’s about a grieving Mexican-American woman who becomes fascinated with learning what it feels like to die, believing it will allow her to feel close to her grandma in death in a way she never felt in life.
The other is called “Vivir” and it’s about a depressed Latina artist who in her darkest moment crosses paths with a mysterious immortal who changes her perspective.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find out more about The Halloween Club and your other work?
GM: You can learn more about The Halloween Club at jointhehalloween.club and on Instagram at @jointhehalloweenclub. You can follow my other work on IG at @gerrymaravilla, and you can follow Anastasia’s work on IG at @longoriaartwork.
