ThunderCats Are Loose! — Interviewing Declan Shalvey And Drew Moss

Welcome to the table,

Few things are as nostalgic to me as the ThunderCats. This is due in large part to the iconic designs created by Michael “Mike” Germakian. While so much of the show delighted and inspired me as I watched it in syndication, what I remember the most is the first few moments of seeing Mumm-Ra.

I recall the mummy priest shuffling across the floor of a hidden temple chamber, and all around him were these looming statues of animal-headed entities with glowing eyes that watched from their shrouded perches as this frail undead sorcerer muttered to himself in the dark below the dunes. He was so much like all of the other villains I had seen. Egotistical, twisted, and bent on having total power but ultimately not a match for the ensemble that were the muscular, athletic heroes of the story. That is until Mumm-Ra uttered the phrase…

Ancient Spirits of Evil,
Transform this decayed form,
to Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living!

And in some twisted dark mockery of an anime magic-girl transformation, Mumm-Ra became this hulking, shark-toothed, behemoth of raw power. That first transformation I saw seared itself into my brain and became an iconic part of my day to day play. To this day Mumm-Ra remains one of my favorite depictions of an intelligent undead across all forms of media.

So when news of Dynamite’s new ThunderCats series came across my desk, not only was I delighted, but the first question I asked was “What are they doing with Mumm-Ra?”

Now, plot points would be spoilers, and I would hate to ruin anything for you all, so as per normal there will be none of that here. However I did have a chance to sit down (virtually) and talk with the creative team of Declan Shalvey and Drew Moss to talk a little about the vibe of the book.

Anton Kromoff: From the time this announcement came across my desk, I’ve been waiting to see what direction and tone this book was going to take. Over the years we have seen quite a few iterations of the ThunderCats, ranging from sword & sorcery to weird fiction, and even dipping into comedy at times. Can you give us some insight on what we kind of tone can expect going into this exciting new series?

Declan Shalvey: I think the tone could be described as a slightly darker, more grounded take on the characters. Nothing grimdark or anything, but I’m looking for the reader to see the world more through the ThunderCats’ eyes, just after the huge trauma they’ve just suffered. When I revisited the cartoon to prepare for the series, it had some darker stuff in there that I didn’t remember, so I wanted to lean into that a little.

This is still ThunderCats though, so you can expect a lot of kicking and punching to come along with it.

Drew Moss: like Declan said it’s dark but not grim. There are nice moments between the cats and great action moments. I kept thinking of the comics of my youth. There are some great moments.

Anton: I was young when Thundercats was first on the air, but watched it a lot in syndication in my early childhood. It was one of the first real fandoms I remember connecting with. Probably because there was an undead mummy sorcerer who transformed into this hulking warrior and that just felt like a monster version of He-Man to me.

And I mean, that’s kind of the magic of ThunderCats, from The Sword of Omens to the Mutants of Plun-Darr, the Interplanetary Control Force, to the Black Pyramid, the world is so vast and full of wonder and I think that was what really left an impression on me as a kid. Were the two of you fans of the cartoon when it came out?

Shalvey: Of for sure, I can’t remember exactly when it was I saw ThunderCats in relation to say, He-Man or Transformers but I loved it and had never seen anything like it. It was so dynamic and, as you say, had so many crazy elements. Again, I didn’t remember how wild it really was until I revisited it. You accept a lot of mad stuff when you’re a kid 😛

Moss: I was a big fan of the show as a kid. I was in the fourth grade when it first came out. My friends and I would sing the theme song and have epic battles in the neighborhood. I remember getting in trouble coming home late with sand in my hair. I lived on a military base on the south eastern coast of VA, Fort Monroe. Lots of beaches and sand.

Anton: With such an established, and well-known, set of main characters and an expansive library of lore, toys, and comics already out there, is this story going to be a continuation of any other stories we have seen or is this going to be a new telling of the origin story?

Shalvey: We’re going with a new, clean slate. It’s been so long since the original show or any of the comics, that a fresh take feels right. While I’m not looking to retell the story as a comic or anything, there will be references to elements we’ve seen before for older fans, but for the main part, myself and Drew are looking to do our take on the concept.

Anton: Aside from the core shows, comics, and toys, were there other media influences (music, film, and the like) that you pulled from to breathe life into your iteration of the ThunderCats and make them your own?

Shalvey: I’m really just pulling from the early episodes of the original series, that’s it. Right back to the source. I was gifted a Sword Of Omens by a reader at a con recently, that’s providing plenty of inspiration. That, and me humming the theme music all day every day!

Moss: I feel we have been trying to stay true to the OG but getting to update the designs have been a treat and a dream come true. The kid in me smiles. I have been stuck on Katsuhiro Otomo lately and playing with ink washes. If I get stuck or need an opinion I just ask Declan. He’s a great artist.

Anton: As much as the core characters make the show special, I’ve always been a fan of some of the side characters as well. Characters like Grune the Destroyer, Turmagar, and Linx-O add to the rich tapestry of the world the ThunderCats inhabit. Will we be seeing any of the expanded catalog of characters in this first story you have planned?

Shalvey: All I can say for now is that we’re concentrating on the core characters and really digging into those relationships. There’s plenty of ground there and I really want the readers to engage with them first. Once we’ve earned some trust, there’s plenty of room to introduce more characters and more environments. There’s so much potential, I just want to showcase our core characters for the time being, along with some surprises along the way.

Anton: What has been your favorite aspect to illustrate as you’ve been working within this world?

Moss: I have been really enjoying choreographing the action sequences. Declan really gives me a lot of freedom.

Anton: I’m sure other fans are just as excited as I am about the release of this book. Is there anything you want them to keep an eye out for as they delve into the story?

Shalvey: Look out for thunder. And thunder. And ThunderCats. HO! Seriously though, I just want everyone to take in what Drew is doing on this book. I’m mainly trying to entertain him, be it with opportunities to draw character acting, cool environments and exciting action sequences. I can’t wait for everyone to see what he’s doing on this book

Moss: Hahaha. It’s true he just asked me “which monster would you like to draw?” I tell him and he goes “done”. And yes look for the thunder thunder ThunderCats Hoooo! Definitely a highlight of my comics career to draw.

Anton: I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. Before we wrap up, could you please tell our readers where they can keep up with you and your work?

Shalvey: I’m on the Twitter/X’s and Instagrams at @declanshalvey, I have my website declanshalvey.com where you can also follow my biweekly newsletter.

Moss: Follow me on X @drew_moss or IG @drewerdmoss or Bluesky @drewmoss. Thanks for having us Anton.

Until next time, may you have sight beyond sight!