Steve Niles Talks ‘Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned’

Welcome to the table,

As I’ve stated many times before, I’m a huge fan of Steve Niles‘ work, so when Dynamite Entertainment offered me the opportunity to sit down with him and discuss the upcoming Red Sonja: Empire of the Damned series, I was excited.

As a fan of sword and sorcery and the work Steve has done over the years, I know this is going to be a rad book. Check out our interview below:

Anton Kromoff: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me, Steve. From noir detectives to haunted hotels, vampire kingdoms to fiend-fighting families, your work has colored the landscape of my bookshelves for years. I even have a small golem totem that sits on my desk from when Breath of Bones was being rolled out, so your catalog is anything but unfamiliar to me.

Steve Niles: Wow, thank you for that! I still have one of those golem totems as well.

Anton: Before we dive in to talk about this new and exciting book from Dynamite Entertainment, can you tell our readers, who may not share my love for Washington DC’s punk scene or tortoises, a little bit about yourself?

Steve: Where do I even begin? I guess I can say I’m a punk rock kid who started writing stories, adapting comics back in the 80’s and have been lucky enough to write comics for a living. I’m mainly known for my horror, such as 30 Days of Night – which became a movie, as well as October Faction, Frankenstein Alive and Cal McDonald/Criminal Macabre. These days I live out in the mountains with dogs, cats and Gil the tortoise.

Anton: Now Red Sonja is a favorite in my family, as my mother-in-law is a huge fan of the character and I love almost all things Sword & Sorcery. Have you always been a fan of the genre?

Steve: I’ve always loved Sword & Sorcery, I grew up on Conan, mostly the magazines. I read the Marvel comics too and always loved when Red Sonja appeared. Funny enough, I was going over some old outlines, and I had been working on a Sword & Sorcery story over 20 years ago. I might have to bring that one back. I’ve always really liked Red Sonja as a character, and it’s been fun getting a chance to write her.

Anton: The setup for this new Dynamite book Red Sonja Empire of the Damned has everything I’m looking for in a Sword & Sorcery tale, a lost city littered with bodies, treasures ripe for the taking, and a warlock who seemingly disappeared, the setup for this story has everything I’m looking for in a Sword & Sorcery tale. Were there any specific literary or cinematic influences that inspired the creation of this story arc?

Steve: My interest was creating monsters for Red Sonja to fight. If they’re going to hire me to write RS, I wanted to be sure I could bring some good horror into the mix. But nothing specific comes to mind as far as movies or literature. I do like quest stories and this is definitely a quest story.

Anton: There is mention that Red Sonja will start this adventure in a jail cell with someone named Morgo. Could you tell us a little bit more about Morgo and Red Sonja’s relationship, and how it unfolds in the story?

Steve: They actually meet in a tavern, and Morgo is of course immediately attracted to Red Sonja, but she’s got no time or patience for that. It’s only when they are forced into a situation that causes them to fight alongside each other that a friendship and mutual respect happens… and Morgo is the key to how the whole quest begins. He pays a price but helps guide Red Sonja.

Anton: Empire of the Damned promises monsters, magic, and mayhem. What can readers expect in terms of the fantastical elements woven into the storyline?

Steve: Some really great monsters! There are also ghosts and undead soldiers and some things we just made up!

Anton: Empire of the Damned has the artistic talent of Alessandro Amoruso behind it. How did your collaboration with Alessandro enhance the visual storytelling aspect of Red Sonja’s adventure?

Steve: The art is incredible. Alessandro really adds a lot to every scene. I can’t wait for people to see what he’s done. I love it.

Anton: Red Sonja has a rich history in comics, but this storyline seems to offer a fresh take on her adventures. How did you approach honoring what had come before while still maintaining your always-fresh voice on this new offering?

Steve: I love monster hunters; it seems to be the thing I love to write the most. So, for Red Sonja, I chose to show all of her best-known fighting capabilities. She doesn’t take crap from anybody, least of all monsters and freaks so I loved pitting them against one another.

Anton: Without giving away too much, can you tease any upcoming twists or developments that readers should be looking forward to in Red Sonja’s journey through the Empire of the Damned?

Steve: I can’t say too much without giving the story away. But all monsters may not be monsters, and characters may not be who they seem.

Anton: Thank you so much for your time, I am super looking forward to this book!

Steve: Thank you!

Until next time, Red Sonja Empire of the Damned will be available at you rlocal comics shop April 2024.