Exclusive Interview – Stephen Mooney, Creator of Half Past Danger from IDW Comics!

This May from IDW comes the first issue of the six issue series, Half Past Danger, by Stephen Mooney. Mooney brings you a strange WWII story full of dames, dinosaurs and danger. This is his first undertaking at having complete control over a series, from drawing to writing and lettering to editing.

Remember: Half Past Danger is available for pre-order in Previews right now, order code MAR130351!

Mooney recently contacted us at Excalibur Comics, Cards, & Games to preview the first issue of his new series. After reading the first issue, I leapt at the chance to get an interview from this talented creator. What you will find below is an exclusive interview with ExcaliburCCG.com.

Excalibur: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about your background and your upcoming comic from IDW, Half Past Danger.

Stephen Mooney: No problem at all! I’m delighted to be asked.

Excalibur: Your name might not be instantly recognizable to the average patron of a comic shop but you’ve been a mainstay at IDW for the past six years. People who have read books like Angel or Spike, The Mummy, CSI: Dying in the Gutters, or Top Cow’s Teen Wolf have seen your incredible art. Is this your first chance to display your writing abilities on a title? Has it been challenging handling more aspects on a book than just the art chores?

Mooney: This is my first attempt at anything other than penciling and inking, yeah. The challenges have been massive! Frankly, I’m still encountering new ones all the time as the production of the series progresses. The aspect I had the least experience with coming into the project was the writing of the story, I guess. I’d worked with enough accomplished writers beforehand to know my way around a script, and the basic nuts and bolts of the format etc., but I was very nervous about how my ideas would be received, since there had been no precedent for it. That said, I was confident in my story, and also in my ability to get it down on paper. I find it hard at the best of times to separate the writing and art in any effective comic book, so in my mind the words were merely an extension of the drawings and vice versa. In that regard, the writing came fairly naturally to me once I’d laid out the various beats and scenes, as it’s all one form of storytelling or another, and in the end didn’t feel that alien to me at all.

I had colored plenty of covers for IDW and others over the years, so was confident enough in my basic coloring skills. The most challenging aspect of that was working out and applying consistent palettes that worked organically with what was happening with the story at any given time, as well as simply looking pretty. I have a lot of newfound respect for pro colorists after this project!

The lettering was pretty fun to do, I enjoy making the balloons and SFX work as graphical elements of the whole, and playing around in that sandbox was very new, but also quite rewarding.

The editing has been quite tough, as the cliché that goes on about killing your babies is a classic for a reason, and I found it difficult to excise some of my favorite beats in order to make the overall story flow better. I had some good friends like Dec Shalvey of Marvel fame and Nick Roche, a stablemate of mine at IDW and a very respected writer in his own right help me out on that score. Their feedback and opinions were invaluable.

Excalibur: Before reading the first issue, when I heard about the concept of this book I likened it to DC’s The War that Time Forgot. I’ve seen you liken this to Raiders of the Lost Ark and James Bond. What were your influences (comic book and/or movies) that you pulled from as you created this book?

Mooney: I’m hoping it’ll be a heck of a ride, very much in the vein of the classic matinee serials that influenced the likes of Raiders of The Lost Ark, The Rocketeer and the 60’s Bond movies. Adventure serials like Dick Tracy, Tarzan, Doc Savage, and Flash Gordon. All going according to plan, it will share the pace and tone (if not the quality!) of those movies and serials.

Excalibur: Having read this issue, the pacing and concept left me feeling like I’ve watched the first 15-20 minutes of a movie. Was that your intention when setting the tone and pace of this story? Is each issue set up to give the illusion of having watched a segment of film?

Mooney: Actually, pretty much. I always lean toward the more cinematic elements in my storytelling, and in my mind, this thing definitely plays out like an action-adventure movie on paper. A lot of the people who’ve read the issues I’ve done so far keep saying that it all feels very ‘Spielberg’, and I’ll certainly take that all day long. I want people to be entertained, y’know? The first issue is absolutely supposed to feel like the opening 15-20 minutes of a movie, the way it’s set up and plays out, and I’m really glad that people seem to be picking up on that. I mean, at the end of the day, I don’t mind how readers interpret the story at all, once they enjoy it, and get something out of it. But yeah, my own personal stylistic tics would certainly lean toward that form of storytelling, since most (but certainly not all) of the stuff that inspired this story was live action as opposed to on the page. I will say that I certainly don’t see this as a movie down the line or anything; I simply want to convey my version that way here and now.

Excalibur: Most people are going to see these characters and feel familiar with the archetypes used for said characters. What led you to use these particular characters (the broken hero, the Eisner-like strong, sexy, and mysterious woman, the strong, noble one, and the mysterious, martial arts wielding Easterner)?

Mooney: One of the reasons that I’ve appropriated such well-known archetypes for my story character-wise, is to make it easier for myself to pull the rug from under people’s feet that little bit. The four main characters absolutely start out as you’ve described above; you’re spot on. But each and every one of them will be profoundly changed by the end of this first series, and I think that’s absolutely essential. If there are no consequences to any of these actions, then why embark on the story in the first place? My use of such seemingly generic character types and to an extent, situations, in the beginning of the story reflects how I feel about the whole series: I want readers to feel somewhat comfortable with the direction and feel of the book, before taking them somewhere that they haven’t been before. Therein lies the roller-coaster ride that I want to take people on.

Excalibur: This group that you’ve put together seems primed for gallivanting off on multiple adventures together. Is this going to be a finite story or could it lead to more adventures?

Mooney: This is absolutely just the beginning in my mind, I’ve already mapped out future stories for these characters. As to whether those new stories actually come to pass depends on sales I guess. IDW are a very successful company for a reason, they aren’t going to keep putting these books out if there’s no audience looking to get their hands on them. If people want to read them then I’m certainly onboard to write and draw them. This is by far the most invested I’ve ever felt in a project, and would love to see it continue. Fingers crossed!

Excalibur: Finally, what do you hope for readers to pull from your story? What should they expect when they pick up an issue?

Mooney: I think readers should expect balls-to-the-wall action, an old-fashioned adventure that doesn’t let up, and that has a definite beginning, middle and end. Thrilling situations, glamourous locales and women, derring-do by the bucket-load, heart-stopping adventure, and men with the nerve to see it through. Nazis versus Dinosaurs.

And one well-adjusted ninja.

Excalibur: Stephen, I appreciate this opportunity to get a chance to hear first-hand from a creator what labors of love have gone into his book.

Mooney: Thanks so much man! Delighted to be asked, as I say. It was fun!

Half Past Danger is available to order now! Just ask us to add it to your pull list! This is a series you won’t want to miss.

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