Wicked Horror interviews Kevin J. Anderson, writer of the new graphic novel Doctor Strange: Endless Nightmare!
Novelist and comics writer Kevin J. Anderson has crafted tales set on Dune, in the Star Wars Universe and in many fantastic locales, but he’s turning now to the world of Doctor Strange. He penned Doctor Strange: Endless Nightmare. That’s a stand-alone graphic novel for Marvel Arts and Abrams ComicArts.
The book reunites Anderson with the artists he worked with on Dune: The Graphic Novel.
The book is part of an award-winning line curated by Alex Ross. Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín provide the artwork for what the publisher is calling a mind-bending celebration of Marvel Comics’ Sorcerer Supreme. It went on sale on September 8th.
Anderson incorporated a popular villain in the Doctor Strange universe, as well as another villain who hasn’t appeared since Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created him in 1964’s Dr. Strange #122.
Anderson recently fielded a few questions about his youthful love of Marvel and Doctor Strange and the joy of entering the world to deploy his own creative vision.
WH: I suppose we should start with your Doctor Strange origin story. You dedicate the story to Strange creator Steve Ditko and Marvel icon Stan Lee. Tell us about your first encounter Doctor Strange and his slice of the Marvel Universe and its place in your world as a young person.
Kevin J. Anderson: I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin, in a rural neighborhood with a few cousins all living close by. As kids, whenever somebody would get their hands on a comic, we would share it around and circulate it. Spider Man, X-Men, Daredevil. I remember one time a cousin gave me a Dr. Strange comic, and I devoured it while sitting on our screened-in porch. How could I not be a lifelong fan?
WH: Can you imagine how your young-reader self would feel getting the opportunity to create something that would make Strange say: “By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!”?
Kevin J. Anderson: I hope it doesn’t sound egotistical, but I have to admit that my life has been magical. I was sitting in the movie theater watching first-run Star Wars, and I could never imagine that I would someday be writing more stories in that universe. I was listening to my Rush albums playing them loud in high school, and I could never imagine that I would write multiple novels with Neil Peart, I read Batman and Superman and I could never imagine I would be writing novels for that … and working for Marvel! Yes, it seems like I came from a dream realm, too. But as a die-hard fanboy, I bring a genuine love for these stories, and I hope the readers can pick up on that.
WH: Do you have a favorite Strange era? Was there a beloved arc or adventure in your experience as a reader?
Kevin J. Anderson: As a kid, I read the comics in the ’60s, so that has a special magic for me. But in preparation for writing this graphic novel, I pored through countless issues and story arcs, and (as should be obvious here), I fell in love with the ghost basset hound Bats as a sidekick, and so I used that in my script.
WH: On the story front for your tale, you clearly adhere to Stan Lee’s rule of thumb, that each story should be treated as the reader’s entry point. You quickly establish Doctor Strange’s place in Manhattan and his role as Sorcerer Supreme, and Bats is on hand as well. Beyond the basics, how did you approach creating a Strange story and taking the reins on an iconic character and deciding on the psychological details to explore—nightmares, insomnia, worst fears?
Kevin J. Anderson: Because Strange has such a long history, I wanted to do something accessible to all readers, even just the somewhat curious fans who had seen the movies. The Marvel/Abrams graphic novels are meant for a wider audience, not just the die-hard readers who knew every issue of every storyline. I hope this is a standalone and accessible adventure that everyone can enjoy, and maybe they will go read other issues. I think the main themes, the fears, the paranoia, and the unreality of nightmares are relevant to everybody.
WH: Once you have his place established, Manhattan’s quickly beset by giant, ethereal tentacles and Strange has a mystery to unlock. Without giving too much away, tell us about the antagonists and obstacles in Doctor Strange Endless Night. Were you given everything in the Marvel canon to choose from?
WH: The book is beautifully visual with many bold images of strange and the antagonist with at least one incredible double-page spread. While we get some first person narration from Strange, it’s definitely not text-heavy. You’re, pardon the verbiage, no stranger to comics writing. But did you ever have to restrain yourself from using the novelist’s tool set? Were there more words you wanted to slip in with extra dimensions to character and story or was it easy to convey the narrative through Strange-oriented images?
Kevin J. Anderson: Writing comics is a different skill set than writing novels. You HAVE to count on your artist to do the heavy lifting for you. I learned a long time ago from a very helpful editor at Dark Horse, David Scroggy, that you never use words to say what the art can convey. I respect my artists and we are a good team telling the story together. A picture is worth a thousand words.
WH: How did you react when you looked at the visuals being created by Raúl Allén, and Patricia Martín? How does it align with what you’d imagined of the Strange Universe and what you had conjured in your imagination?
Kevin J. Anderson: I worked with Raul and Patricia during the development stages, and we even shaped the story around some of their ideas for amazing, bizarre depictions. I had worked with them on three graphic novels before, so I know they are at the top of their game. I had no doubt they could pull it off, and I was not disappointed when I saw the pages.
WH: As you mentioned, you’ve visited Star Wars and other super hero worlds. Is Strange’s corner of the imaginative universe somewhere you’d like to return?
Kevin J. Anderson: Of course! I work on many projects, both my original worlds and existing IPs such as Superman, X-Files, Star Wars, and others. But I never take on a job unless I am already a die-hard fan of the universe, and I certainly love so many Marvel characters. Who knows, maybe we’ll see more Dr. Strange.