Dream Thief #1 Cover by Alex Ross!
Jai Nitz is a journeyman in the comic book industry. He has written for all of the major companies, most notably his work in recent years at Dynamite Comics. This May, Jai teams up with newcomer Greg Smallwood to bring you Dream Thief. Dream Thief is the story of John Lincoln, a troubled individual who comes into possession of a mask. Suddenly, John’s life becomes a lot more complicated.
REMEMBER: You can pre-order DREAM THIEF right now, order code MAR130014.
Excalibur Comics, Cards, & Games recently got in touch with Jai to learn a little more about Dream Thief. The following interview is an exclusive for www.excaliburccg.com.
Excalibur: Hi, Jai! It’s great to have you take a little bit of time to chat with us about your new book, Dream Thief, out from Dark Horse Comics this May. Give us a brief history of how this book came into being.
Jai Nitz: DREAM THIEF is a supernatural-crime-horror story about an unlikeable protagonist who may or may not become a hero. I had the idea for the book years ago and wrote up a pitch to take to publishers. No one bite, but I thought the idea was a winner, so I put it in a drawer. When I met the artist, Greg Smallwood, I let him pick the best stylistic fit from my drawer full of projects. He picked Dream Thief. He started doing designs for the character and blew my mind. It went from “this is a good idea” to “this could be a career-defining idea” because of Greg’s art.
Dream Thief Preview Page #1
Excalibur: You are far from new to comics, being both a recipient of the Bram Stoker Award for horror and a Xeric Foundation grant winner. You have been quite busy these last few years, most notably with your work from Dynamite Comics. Why did you choose to bring Dream Thief to Dark Horse Comics instead of Dynamite?
JN: Greg and I started working on Dream Thief back in 2009, before I’d ever started working at Dynamite. Of course, the book has changed considerably since then, but Dynamite was never on our radar as a publishing option. Besides, until recently (with Ennis’s RED TEAM and Diggle’s UNCANNY) Dynamite didn’t really publish any creator-owned or creator-participation comics. Don’t get me wrong, I love Nick and Joe and the rest of the team at Dynamite, but Dark Horse was the best home for DREAM THIEF.
Excalibur: Is Dream Thief a story that you’ve had in your head for a while? What brought it into existence?
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JN: Dream Thief started with me thinking about, “What would you do if you woke up next to a dead body?” Then the storytelling circumstances carried the kernel of an idea into the comic that comes out on May 15th. What if you really killed the person, but you did it for a good reason? What if they were a murderer but the Justice System never caught them? So the dead guy is cosmically guilty of a crime, but no one could prove it. So you just killed a horrible person and did the right thing…but you can’t explain to the cops that you were possessed by a ghost and that makes everything okay. The complications that land in John Lincoln’s lap have impossibly high stakes attached to them.
Excalibur: How much did your work on Green Hornet and Kato influence your approach and storytelling with Dream Thief?
JN: I’d say they had a pretty strong influence. Writing superhero comics, you have to keep certain unwritten rules in mind. For one, the characters have to appear in costume, even if it doesn’t make much sense in the story, otherwise, they’re just people in street clothes and that’s boring to look at. Also, I try to take chances with all my Dynamite work (KATO: ORIGINS, GREEN HORNET, SILVER STAR, BRING THE THUNDER) to push storytelling techniques to find what works and what doesn’t. When I find something that works, I file it away and come back to it again and again. Most of those techniques show up in DREAM THIEF.
Excalibur: Let’s talk specifically about your book, Dream Thief. The protagonist is John Lincoln. How would you describe him in a nutshell?
JN: John Lincoln is an entitled jerk. He’s all the things I wish I could say and get away with, but he’s also the opposite of what I would choose in certain situations. I see a lot of me in John Lincoln, but I also see a lot of the opposite of me. As an aside, I hate stories where the hero/protagonist is eminently likable and never wrong. I’d much rather watch a character like Charles Foster Kane (CITIZEN KANE) than George Bailey (IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE).
Excalibur: Mystery. Murder. Mysticism. This book has a little bit of everything. Whom is this book going to appeal to? What would you liken it to? What would you say to those that might pass it by on the shelf to get them to pick Dream Thief up and give it a chance?
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JN: Stylistically, I think it would appeal to fans of Brubaker/Phillips (CRIMINAL, INCOGNITO, FATALE), Waid/Samnee (DAREDEVIL, ROCKETEER), and Bunn/Hurtt (SIXTH GUN). I think Greg and I are on the same page as creators, much like the teams I listed above. For television fans, I think DREAM THIEF would appeal to fans of JUSTIFIED, THE WIRE, and the little-seen JOURNEYMAN. The biggest compliment I’ve gotten from other pros is, “I have no idea what’s going to happen next.” For people who are professional storytellers to say that, it means we’re doing something right. So, as a reader, if you feel like you’ve seen it all before, read DREAM THIEF because you don’t know what will happen next.
Excalibur: Talk to us some about Greg Smallwood. His art does a great job of telling your story and even has a hint of Sean Phillips to it. How did you two hook up for Dream Thief?
JN: Greg and I shop at the same comic shop. We met through our local shop back in 2009. I’ve been dragging him kicking-and-screaming into the world of professional comics (Greg is too nice, if I had his talent I’d be a bigger jerk than I am now) ever since. Meanwhile, he’s been elevating my game ever since; I’ve become a better writer to keep up with his immense talents. Combine that with the fact that we live about a mile from each other and you get us becoming great friends and creative partners. I’d run just about anything I do past Greg to get his professional opinion because he’d help me make any concept better. But remember, this is Greg’s first pro job. He’s never drawn a comic professionally before. His first work, out of the gate, will be probably the best freshman comic since maybe Dave Stevens or Steve Rude. Greg is going to be a monster in this industry.
Excalibur: Is there anything else you would want people to know about you, Greg, or Dream Thief?
JN: DREAM THIEF comes out May 15th, but that’s just the first issue. We’ll have five issues, monthly, on time, and each issue is a complete story that can stand on its own or be read in a series. We’re super-proud of this book and think readers and retailers will respond as soon as they see it. The best business card for the book is the book itself. Once you see it, you won’t put it back on the shelves.
Excalibur: Jai, it has been a pleasure getting to talk with you a little about your new comic, Dream Thief. The first issue looks great and fans will find out what all the talk is about this May!
Dream Thief Poster
Dream Thief Paper Doll
Dream Thief Paper Figure
