The following is an interview with Shannon Eric Denton (Kingdom Riders) and David Hartman (Transformers) regarding the upcoming release of the cosmic horror graphic novel, Kraken, with Titan Comics and in association with Monster Forge. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Denton and Hartman about their shared creative process of bringing the supernatural world and characters to life on the page, the stories that influenced their vision for the project, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Kraken! For those who may be unfamiliar, how would you describe the story’s premise?
Shannon Eric Denton: It’s a classic pulp-hero-story, but, like Indiana Jones, it definitively leans into the supernatural and the monstrous. Our hero, Dale Watters (a.k.a. Kraken), is lost in a dark dimension, and it takes him three years to find his way home. Our story opens with his return and absolute monstrous desire to stop what he saw on the other side from bleeding over into our world. The Kraken and his team are determined to stop an evil sorceress from unleashing a horde of eldritch monsters upon us all. Plus, he punches a LOT of Nazis along the way.
David Hartman: Kraken is steeped in classic pulp, where fearless heroes face down unspeakable horrors in classic two-fisted action. Where the only thing standing between our world and utter oblivion is a man who has seen the abyss, survived its nightmares, and clawed his way back, not to rest, but to fight!
BD: What can you tell us about your shared creative process in bringing this supernatural world and characters to life on the page?
SED: Being an artist myself, I had some things I was excited to see, so a few of those things I asked for, but most of it was just turning David loose on my script. Early on I’d chatted with artist pals James Groman and Kevin Conran to get their input, and then from there we were rolling. For David, I have the fortuitous insight that he and I already like a lot of the same stuff which makes collaborating easy. He has this massive energy and joy he’s able to convey in his art, and I think that despite the extreme levels of monster gore we’ve got in here, there’s always a sense of fun. Shout-out to Kristen Fitzner Denton, too, for making the lettering and design of the book flow so well with David’s art!
DH: It’s been a blast! Shannon and I have known each other for years, and while we’ve both worked extensively in animation, this is the first time we’ve teamed up on a graphic novel. The collaboration has been so much fun, and we already have several more projects lined up after Kraken. Because of our backgrounds in animation, we’ve developed a kind of shorthand when working together. Shannon’s scripts are detailed and full of great visual ideas, but he also trusts my instincts and gives me plenty of room to play with pacing and design, which makes the process incredibly fun. There’s an energy and momentum to this story that really comes alive on the page, and I think that comes from our shared instincts for storytelling.
BD: David, did you have a specific style or tone in mind for the artwork when you first read the story’s concept, or do you feel that your design evolved over time after working through the script with Shannon?
DH: A little bit of both. I tend to let the artwork evolve naturally when I start drawing; I see where the design takes me, but as I get a stronger feel for the characters, I often find myself going back to earlier pages to refine and adjust them. I also love playing with color and atmosphere, and for Kraken, I wanted each environment to have its own distinct mood and tone. Early in the story, the palette is more muted and restrained, but as the supernatural elements start creeping in, the colors become richer, more vibrant, and saturated.
BD: In weaving together so many incredible narrative and visual styles – from pulp to the supernatural to historical fiction – what were some of the stories that originally inspired you within these genres?
SED: Wow, so many. All the original pulp heroes like Doc Savage, Green Hornet, The Shadow, The Phantom, The Spider on up to newer ones like Indiana Jones, Sky Captain, Lobster Johnson, and The Rocketeer. I do think creators like pals Dave Stevens and Mike Mignola (who did our Kraken direct market cover) and Kevin Conran who’ve all created their own fantastic pulp heroes were inspirational in just believing in your vision and going for it. I’d recently encouraged pal Patrick Coyle to do the same with his fantastic Bixby Grant, Private Eye (Mummy Detective), so it was high time I listened to my own advice.
DH: My mind immediately went to the stories I grew up with and Indiana Jones and the TV series Tales from the Gold Monkey were big influences and shaped how I approached the art.
BD: What makes Titan Comics the perfect home for Kraken?
SED: They loved it and they love Monster Forge. It’s made working on this with them so much fun! I’m a huge fan of the books they make, so it was a blessing to have them want Kraken to be a part of their awesome library of titles.
DH: I’m a huge fan of so many books Titan puts out, so when they took on Kraken, I couldn’t have been happier. Their roster is packed with incredibly talented writers and artists, and it’s an honor to be included among them.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
SED: Absolutely, thanks! Other Monster Forge titles include Kingdom Riders at IDW, Monster Born at Dark Horse, gHosts at GlobalComix, Savager at Panick Entertainment, and our recently announced Return of the Monsters on Kickstarter.
DH: Pretty much everything Shannon mentioned, and I can’t wait to share some of the other Monster Forge projects we have in the near future!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to pre-order a copy of Kraken and to learn more about your work?
SED: Aside from walking into your local comics shop and asking them to pre-order it for you (my favorite method – Use ISBN 9781787745360.), I’d follow Titan Comics, MonsterForgeProductions.com, as well as look at the links off the Penguin Random House site.
DH: All that Shannon mentioned, as well as follow us on socials, where we’ll be posting updates. You can follow myself and see more of my art (@davidhartmanart) on instagram or my website at Sideshowmonkey.com.
