Day 8 of my 13 Horrifically Silly Days of Halloween…graphic novel author Conor McCreery
Welcome back, Conor! Always love having you on the 13 Days, whether on video or in text. Last time we chatted a couple years ago, your latest graphic novel series, The Last Witch, was going to drop mere months later. Please give us an update on that series and where it’s at now!
It’s a great time to check back in on Saoirse and The Last Witch. Myself, V.V. Gladd and Natalia Nesterenko are busy putting together the second book. The script is done, and Vee has drawn the first 40 pages or so, and Natalia has just started colouring.
Trying to be spoiler free for the audience, but at the end of Book 1, we left a Saoirse who had been changed by her adventures. She started our series as a headstrong, but joyful young woman, who wanted to prove she was special. Now, Saoirse KNOWS she is special, because of her ability to wield magic, but the power is weighing heavily on her.
In Book 2, Saoirse is going to have to continue to face down the coven in order to get to their Queen (the Cailleach), and only by facing down the Queen can Saoirse stop the coven from opening a door we do NOT want to see opened.
However, Saoirse is going to face grave challenges, not just from the remaining witches, but from herself, as she becomes increasingly seduced by her own powers – there’s a chance that Saoirse could lose herself, and become one of “them” – maybe even… The Last Witch.
So we’re going to have to really depend on her fellowship, of Brahm, her brother, Nan, her Grandmother, and Hugh, the half-faerie boy to keep Saoirse from succumbing to the power – but are they up to the task, and can we trust all of them????
So, lots of adventure, intrigue, and magical thrills still in store for this all-ages tale.
You also previously shared about an up-coming series called Trickster…where’s that graphic novel series at?
Ah, TRICKSTER – weirdly ANOTHER Irish fantasy story – myself and Neil Gibson, the other writer, were working on that for almost a decade, and of course everything came together right around the time of THE LAST WITCH.
Trickster is basically my first super-hero book. It’s about Rory, a master of illusions, who uses those powers to keep the people in his neighbourhood safe from crooks and bullies and con-men. He’s basically Robin Hood — if Robin Hood was a leprechaun.
We put the first giant sized issue out through a crowdfunding campaign, and, now with the whole first graphic novel finished, we’re getting ready to put that out next year as well. Ideally we’ll be putting one Trickster story out each year for the foreseeable future.
Where The Last Witch is a classic all-ages tale (think Pixar’s BRAVE, but with Witches), TRICKSTER is more for teens and older. At times it’s very silly and funny, but it also has some moderate gore and a few… twisted moments. Think Buffy The Vampire Slayer but Irish.
And how about two newer projects you mentioned – Status and Fela?
Well, the script for STATUS is JUST being sent to Scholastic for final approval before the artists Brayden and Shelli start work. They’re a husband and wife team, which is neat, because Status is really my wife, Crystal’s story, and we wrote it together.
It’s based on how Crystal went from being a big fish in a VERY small town in Northern Ontario (Terrace Bay), and then felt completely lost when she moved to Mississauga in the early 90s. It’s a story about how your negative inner voice emerges and starts to take control of you. How it can make you doubt everything about yourself, and push you into some pretty bad decisions.
For people with children who might be reading Raina Telgemaier or Shannon Hale – or The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels – this one is 100% for you.
Fela is now in the home stretch, Jibola, my co-creator, has drawn over 300 pages of his magnus opus which is a magical-realism take on the legendary musician Fela Kuti (for those who don’t know Fela, think the “African Bob Marley” — if Bob Marley had 60 albums, married 27 women, got arrested 200 times and created one country of his own.
This is a book for people who like sex, drugs, rock and roll and politics, and a very, very inappropriate, intelligent and roguish main character.
Now, any updates on your most well known series – Kill Shakespeare? Or any of your other past series?
Anthony and I are getting ready to relaunch Kill Shakespeare. I can’t say too much more about that, but we’ll have more details in the new year.
I can TELL you about something else new though – YouTube series called Future Now – which is a massive sci-fi story I co-created and am showrunning about a mysterious event called the Unraveling and the five factions that seek to control humanity’s future – think of it a bit like The Expanse meets Heroes.
You can check that out HERE. All the videos are free, and if you go to the website, you can learn a lot more, and even read the beginning of a novel by the very talented Miranda Newman.
And now, my typical questions, but updated, since I’ve already asked you the basics in 2020:
Favourite RECENT horror movie?
Nope — I’m a sucker for Jordan Peele and I’m too chicken to actually WATCH most horror films – but this one did everything I wanted. I love horror stories that have something to say – and this definitely does.
Fav recent horror-comedy?
I’m not sure if you would TOTALLY call this a horror, but it does have some mutilation and it IS very funny – The Banshees of Inisherin is my choice here.
Fav B-movie you’ve seen more recently?
I watched a friend’s movie called Apama – based on a comic of the same name. It’s a very fun, whacked out, slightly druggy take on the super-hero origin story.
And have you got any special plans for Halloween this year?
I’m going to the Day of the Dead in Mexico City with my wife and two eldest. I’m very excited to see that parade! (Maybe I’ll get to see James Bond?)
One more question, just for you, the Lord of the Zombies…are you prepared…right down to the very depths of your soul…to make a video interview reappearance for the 20th anniversary of Space Zombies: 13 Months of Brain-Spinning Mayhem! in the autumn of 2024? I mean, weren’t we just doing the interview for the 15th anniversary reunion, like, 2 days ago? Where the hell does all that time go?
Oh, my soul is prepared! 20 years, baby!
Check out Conor's many series, as well as the movies we chatted about:
