The following is an interview with writer Chris Condon (Ultimate Wolverine, Green Arrow, The Enfield Gang Massacre) regarding the upcoming release of the Western one-shot, The Goddamn Tragedy, with Oni Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Condon about his shared creative process in working with artist Shawn Kuruneru to bring the gruesome story and characters to life on the page, the themes that he hopes will resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Fresh off the heels of your work within the thrilling adventure story, Far Down Below, you have returned to your Western roots with the upcoming one-shot, The Goddamn Tragedy. What can you share with us about the genesis behind this gripping project?
Chris Condon: Yes, I have returned to the Old West! My old stomping grounds. The title came first for this one. I had just completed The Enfield Gang Massacre, which was a pretty good title, too—it tells you exactly what the book is. I was talking to Hunter Gorinson at Oni about what my next project would be and if there were any ideas that I had which might fit well at Oni. I had that title and I had been doing some reading on the Donner Party, so I came up with a fairly simple concept: What if you mashed the harrowing story of the Donner Party with the likewise horrifying story of The Shining? What if it wasn’t merely a frontier party gone astray, what if there was something more nefarious, dare I say evil, afoot? Well, that’s the origin of The Goddamn Tragedy.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Shawn Kuruneru to bring the gruesome story and its characters to life on the page?
CC: Shawn has been a delight to work with. I had first seen his work through Instagram, but then when I met him at TCAF in Toronto, I absolutely loved him as a person. I bought some of his books while there, Cave Grave and Poor Moon, and told him right then and there that we ought to find a project to do together. So, when The Goddamn Tragedy came together, Hunter asked me if I had any ideas for an artist and I had floated Shawn’s name. Hunter loved the idea, so it was meant to be. I love Shawn’s linework and use of color. He’s able to tell a story through ‘acting’ but can capture the drama of a landscape like few others. I think that was an important thing to get right on a book like this where the environment plays a vital role.
BD: Having previously worked with Oni Press, what makes the publisher an ideal partner in sharing this story?
CC: I don’t know what else to say except that they are the best at what they do, you know? Hunter is an excellent president and publisher, setting the course for what the company will do. Sierra is a brilliant editorial mind. And for this story in particular, I was reunited with my Night People editor, Megan Brown, who I hope I get to work with again and again and again. She is diligent about deadlines and helps bring the story to the forefront of whatever we are doing together, whether it’s adapting a gonzo story like Barry Gifford’s Night People or bringing something completely new to comic shelves, like The Goddamn Tragedy.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Ellen’s story may connect with and impact today’s readers?
CC: Ellen faces a struggle that many adolescents face, I think. She’s at a point in her life where she sees herself in neither her father nor mother, yet is forced to go along with their wishes. Not because that’s what she wants but because that’s what’s expected of her. I think that’s a very recognizable and realistic thing for people to relate to, and it’s certainly there in Ellen’s story.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
CC: Oh, geez. If people like what we’ve cooked up for The Goddamn Tragedy, I would hope that they would seek out The Enfield Gang Massacre, by Jacob Phillips and myself. That was truly a labor of love and was my first real foray into telling Old West tales.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about The Goddamn Tragedy and your other work?
CC: I would point them toward the real history of the American frontier. Don’t take what you’re spoon fed. Investigate. Dissect. Read, learn, interrogate. Those are the most important things you can do.
