True Blood Takes A Bite Out of Comics

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MC: A lot of True Blood watchers are not your typical comic book fans. How are you going to get them to read the comic books?

MH: Comics it’s a funny medium that way because there is a way to read them, and I think it’s daunting for a lot of people who don’t have exp erience with them. But, the cool thing about being currently on the air it’s already the familiarity with the characters on the show so we kind of wrote it with both types of fans in mind: those who already know the characters and are probably at least a little familiar with comics and people who aren’t. We kept it so that it’s not all over the place weird. It’s simple but dynamic stuff. We start it by introducing the characters a little bit, but not making it seem like, “Oh who are these guys?” You kind of have to make certain assumptions. We get into the characters so quickly. It was so important to get the voices I think to make it really sound like the show does. That’s what most people have commented on, how it still sounds like most characters that can hear them say that stuff. I think that’s what helps people who might be nervous picking up a comic is that really it’s not like the show. It’s not like Superman, it’s True Blood and that’s helped a lot.

DT: If you’re not a traditional comic book reader and you watch the show, you can pick up and know who the characters are and enjoy those experience and maybe after that you’ll see another vampire book on the stands and say, “Maybe I’ll pick that up.” I think True Blood is a good gateway for new comic book readers, and there’s also a number of good licensed properties out there now. Some of the stuff at IDW: the GI Joe, Transformers, Star Trek.

MH: People will find the stuff they remember, but with True Blood, the things that are already out, the most important thing for us was that fans, who were going to read a comic weren’t like, “What? This doesn’t really feel like it.” I think the Buffy comics and the Angel comics have done the same thing, try to look at what the property is, what the license is  and tell new and interesting stories, but it’s still rooted in that world and that’s the most important thing.

(More on Techland: HBO Surfs the Vampire Trend, Renews True Blood for Fourth Season)

MC: So it’s like writing fan fiction, but a lot more fun for you guys?

MH: Yeah and official! As people who have watched the show, it was nice going into something where you know it so well and it’s something you enjoy doing. It’s not like something where you have to go, “Oh I have to catch up.” I know exactly what happened last season. That makes it kind of exciting. It also makes it great interacting with the fans. We’re watching it when they are, we’re curious to see what comes up next. We want to know what’s going on. It’s just fun to explore that world. That’s what I like about storytelling.

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