The following is an interview with Shannon Eric Denton (Kingdom Riders) and David Hartman (Transformers) regarding their upcoming comic book series, Spectors, 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 this new, monstrous tale to life on the page, why Titan Comics continues to be an incredible publishing partner, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of your latest comic book collaboration, Spectors! As this series is set in the same Monster Forge universe as your series, Kraken, what can you share with us about this new, monstrous corner of the ‘verse?
Shannon Eric Denton: Thanks, Barbra! Our Monster Forge book Spectors is a banger, illustrated by the mighty David Hartman and published by our pals at Titan Comics. The story follows a monster hunter and his protégé, both have been hurt by the dark forces the rest of humanity is unaware of, and now they’re on a seek-and-destroy mission against the forces of evil. Unfortunately, this evil is great at hiding and like the real world has a lot of help from the rich and powerful who seek only to enrich themselves at the expense of others. On this journey they’ll encounter another victim of these dark forces and their duo will become a trio. It’s set modern day, unlike Kraken, but has ties to that past. We’re introducing a fun, loose-thread that ties the Monster Forge books together for those reading all our books, but it’s definitely not going to be continuity heavy. Each graphic novel stands on its own.
BD: Given your frequent collaboration, do you feel that you formed a creative shorthand in bringing this latest Monster Forge story to life on the page?
SED: Absolutely. After gHosts, Kraken, and now Spectors (not to mention another fully done upcoming announcement), David and I are in a creative groove. Our design director, Kristen Fitzner Denton, is on all of these, as well, so it’s definitely helped us visually in terms of creating a shared universe, as well as just ease of production.
David Hartman: We’ve got a great shorthand at this point. Since we both come from TV and animation, we kind of just get each other when it comes to storytelling. The cool thing is, there’s a lot of trust between us—we let each other do our thing. It’s super collaborative and, honestly, just a lot of fun.
BD: David, when given the opportunity to design your own team of monster hunters, were there specific characters or creators that inspired your team visually?
DH: I grew up on the old Marvel and DC horror comics—stuff like House of Mystery and Unexpected—and I was obsessed with shows like Kolchak. All that weird, spooky stuff really shaped the tone I was going for. It gave me the freedom to lean into the fun, over-the-top side of things… like giving a character a syringe-shooting Gatling-gun arm.
BD: Having released a few titles with Titan Comics, what makes Titan the ideal publishing partner for your work?
SED: They’ve been absolutely great partners. I think them loving the material is what every creative wants. It’s a ton of work making anything so having that enthusiasm behind us out of the gate has really fired us up to do even more.
DH: Titan’s been super supportive of all our books and ideas. Their excitement for what we’re doing really makes us want to keep pushing ourselves and make each project better than the last.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
SED: Absolutely. Please check out Monster Forge’s Kingdom Riders at IDW, Monster Born at Dark Horse, our crowdfunded gHosts, Return of the Monsters, and Monster Forge presents: The Explorer’s Guide to the Monstrous Cryptid Creatures of the United States, Savager from Panick Entertainment, and be on the lookout for Monster Forge projects coming up at StormKing, MadCave, and The Lab Press. It’s gonna be a busy year!
DH: Alongside the Monster Forge books, I’ve got a few other projects I’m planning to crowdfund on my own. On the animation side, some of my latest work includes directing on Twilight of the Gods for Netflix and ARK: The Animated Series for Paramount. I still love mentioning the live-action film I directed—Phantasm: Ravager, the fifth installment in the classic horror franchise. And for fans of my art, definitely check out the tabletop games, Troll Fest and Blood Orders, from Trick or Treat Studios—I did the art for both, and they’re packed with hundreds of illustrations.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to pre-order a copy of Spectors and to learn more about your work?
SED: Please let your local library, comics shop, and bookstore know to order it through Titan Comics, and for Monster Forge you can find us on most of the socials, as well as https://www.monsterforgeproductions.com/
Thank you!
