The following is an interview with Tim Zajac regarding the latest installment in the Poe Noir ongoing series with The DuPine Files. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Zajac about his shared creative process in working with artist Graham Sisk to bring the Edgar Allan Poe adaptations to life on the page, the themes that he hopes may resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You recently released the latest installment in your Poe Noir series with The DuPine Files. How would you describe the premise of this new, ongoing series?
Tim Zajac: Adapting Poe’s influential detective stories, beginning with The Murders in the Rue Morgue, THE DuPINE FILES follows the hardboiled, but endearing, A.A. DuPine as he arrives in 1930s New Orleans on a private eye gig. There’s one catch, though: His would-be employer is dead, in an apparent case of arson that has burned down the infamous Club 1002. He’s paired with NOLA police detective Monty, and, together, they try to figure out why the club burned down and why DuPine was hired by its owner. Monty reports to District Attorney Fortunato, who is running for mayor in this city but is not all that he seems. Meanwhile, the Saad sisters, both with their own ties to Club 1002, are on the run after the fire and looking for other survivors. These two young women soon encounter our two intrepid gumshoes, colliding with deadly results.
BD: Given your continued collaboration with artist Graham Sisk, do you find that you have developed a creative “shorthand” in working together to bring the stories to life on the page?
TZ: Graham and I have been collaborating for over nine years, and I feel strongly now that I write my scripts specifically for him, tailoring them for his style, interests, and inspirations. And with each story we create, it pays off, where it almost feels like he’s reading my mind with every panel and every page. That might not be too far off from the truth, because he does have a clear sense of where my head is at, and is steeped in our source material and influences as well. It’s become very organic, where we bombard each other with ideas and references, and can get pretty heavy with our creative back-and-forth. We’re not shy to point things out to each other if they’re unclear, or if there’s anything we can do to improve. That is what makes it such a special partnership: Above all, we both want to do the best work we possibly can and strive for excellence in our storytelling, and we trust each other to do just that. We may never be perfect, but we always reach for it and that alone helps make our collaboration better and better than ever.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums and genres. How do you feel that this series may connect with and impact readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it might inspire?
TZ: The POE NOIR project on the whole brings together two things that people love: Edgar Allan Poe and noir. Our readers occupy one, two, or even all three parts of that Venn diagram. The folks that love Poe get to experience his stories in a whole new way, and folks that may not know Poe so well get to know him through our books. And our passion for film noir and the comics art form draws in people from those two angles just as much.
In THE DuPINE FILES, the New Orleans that Detective DuPine comes to is an incredible melting pot, with people from all over and from varying backgrounds, not unlike much of the world we inhabit today. Our stories depict these folks coming together to solve problems, and figure out who they are and where they come from. These characters we’ve created are ones that people can latch on to and maybe even see parts of themselves. As with our Poe source material and film noir inspirations, this world shines a light on the dark underbelly of society, and perhaps pushing beyond our influences, we show paths to navigate and hopefully overcome it.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
TZ: I have a background in television and film, and am currently working on MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT, which you can stream on Peacock. And if anyone is curious about my most recent short films, they can check out MANDALA ROAD and ONCE IN A BLUE MOON on Vimeo, and my other, older short form video work on YouTube.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to learn more about The DuPine Files and your other work?
TZ: You can learn more by following POE NOIR and THE DuPINE FILES on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. Those are our main channels to let people know about new issues and upcoming appearances.
POE NOIR and POE NOIR: THE DuPINE FILES are available at IndyPlanet for print issues, and on the GlobalComix platform for digital issues.
