Interview: Dave Maass And Patrick Lay Discuss ‘Death Strikes: The Emperor Of Atlantis’

Writer Dave Maass and artist Patrick Lay are two of the creative talents adapting the 1943 opera Der Kaiser von Atlantis into the graphic novel, Death Strikes: The Emperor Of Atlantis. The original opera is by writers Peter Kien and Viktor Ullmann while prisoners in the Terezín death camp. Both the opera and the graphic novel center on Death going on strike due to an all-out war that the King of Atlantis starts. As for Maass’s previous work it includes articles for The Daily Beast, Vice, and SyFyWire. While Lay’s previous work includes contributing to comic anthologies and teaching ages K-18 the creation process of comics.

Benjamin Hall: How did you each come to know about this unknown opera?

Dave Maass: This opera has been on my mind since the late ’90s, when I picked up a sampler of music suppressed by the Nazis just by chance at, of all places, a local Best Buy. I was a teenager and had been into punk and metal at the time, and was just starting to learn about free jazz and avant-garde classical—and suddenly this landed in my lap, and I was instantly obsessed.

Hall: What do you remember feeling when learning about the opera and its tragic origins?

Maass: It is a rollercoaster of emotions. With all the humor and fantasy, you sometimes forget where it came from and then it hits you–hard. For example, there’s a playful scene where the characters representing Death and Life pretend to be salespeople hawking “days” like they were melons at a market stall, but they can’t seem to find any buyers. It’s a bouncy and goofy song, and then you realize they’re really talking about the devaluation of human life.

Hall: Do you think the creators of this opera would appreciate your execution of it in the form of a graphic novel?

Maass: I hope that they’d feel some satisfaction that their act of resistance has outlived their oppressors. But Peter Kien and Viktor Ullmann each had very strong personalities with equally strong creative visions, which weren’t always harmonious. They even seem to have disagreed on the opera’s ending. So, I have a feeling they each would have opinions, to say the least, about some of our decisions. Ultimately, it’s just the nature of opera that authors relinquish control over the production to the director’s interpretation. From the responses we’ve received from some of the leading conductors, musicians and musicologists working with this music, we have reason to hope we did right by Kien and Ullmann.

Hall: Have Berger Books and Dark Horse been helpful on this project more than others?

Patrick Lay: Berger Books and Dark Horse have been incredible partners on this project. Working with a creator-owned imprint was high on our wishlist, but to be involved with a legend in the comics industry, Karen Berger, was more than we could have hoped for. She understands the industry and medium past the level of most editors. Dark Horse’s support has surpassed our expectations as well, and bringing the book out in a beautiful hardcover is really a thrill. I can’t imagine anyone else publishing Death Strikes.

Hall: Finally do you hope that there is a performance of this opera at some point with a nod to this graphic novel?

Maass: I would love it if this book ignited a new level of interest in productions of Der Kaiser von Atlantis and we saw it performed in opera houses all over, but with fresh audiences. Patrick and Ezra’s designs and artwork would be stunning on the stage, incorporated into the set or costumes. But the idea of my writing being sung? To go from opera to graphic novel to opera again would be a headtrip in the best possible way.

Lay: Oh, definitely, how incredible would that be?! The opera has made it to the stage before, but to see our work paired with the original music would be astounding. The kind of production that Edward Gorey did for Dracula in the 70s would be a dream!

Thanks to Dave Maass and Patrick Lay for their time and answers!

Death Strikes: The Emperor Of Atlantis sees release from Dark Horse and Berger Books on January 24.