The following is an interview with writer Mark Russell (X-Factor, Second Coming) regarding the upcoming release of the horror-comedy one-shot, Thanksgiving, through AHOY Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Russell (ahead of the Final Order Cutoff for pre-orders on Monday, September 22) about his shared creative process in working with artist Mauricet to bring the satirical story and characters to life on the page, the inherent value of satirical storytelling, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: This fall will see the release of your oversized horror-comedy one-shot, Thanksgiving, with AHOY Comics. What can you tell us about the genesis behind this horror title?
Mark Russell: Seeing what this country has become over the last ten years, I have become increasingly aware of how little I actually know the country I live in. It occurred to me that a Thanksgiving Dinner works as a great parable for this sort of continental drift. How we think we know people because we grew up with them, but all we really know is the series of snapshots we see when we come into contact with them once a year or so. How this allows for people we thought we knew and loved to turn into monsters before our very eyes and for us to not notice until it’s too late.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with Mauricet to bring the timely story and characters to life on the page?
MR: It was pretty cooperative. I had written the entire story before showing it to Alain, but he’s been very respectful of the material and eager to share his designs and pages in developing the book.
BD: Much of your work with AHOY has utilized satire to provide insightful commentary on topics ranging from religion to capitalism. What do you feel is the inherent value of satire in storytelling and especially the sequential art medium?
MR: I think that social parable is a great way to talk about painful and complicated subjects, not only because it simplifies them, but also because it adds a layer of abstraction so that even the people you’re talking about can read it without feeling defensive or offended. And comics, I think, are the perfect kind of medium for this sort of storytelling if, for no other reason, than because it’s a visual medium, but one where people can read at their own pace and stop and think about just what it is you’re trying to say even as they’re reading the story.
BD: As with all of AHOY’s releases, this issue will undoubtedly include incredible bonus content. What will readers have in store in terms of extra prose stories or variant covers?
MR: The extra prose stories are entirely in AHOY’s hands, and I don’t know what they’re going to include, but to me, this is one of the cool little things that you don’t get from any other publisher. Little bonuses that remind you that comics are both a fun and literary medium. And the variant covers are absolutely gorgeous.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
MR: Yes! I currently have a sci-fi anthology series out called Vantage Point, co-created by Ryan Alexander-Tanner, which is sort of like if they let me write The Twilight Zone. And also be on the lookout for more single issue stories like Thanksgiving coming from AHOY.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Thanksgiving?
MR: The issue comes out in October and AHOY has let me write a little mini-essay, a sort of mission statement, that explains exactly what it is that went into writing this story. Which they’ve made publicly available before the issue is out.
