Tomm Coker Discusses Crowdfunding ‘Undying Love’ And The Return Of ‘The Black Monday Murders’

Tomm Coker is reissuing his 2011 miniseries, Undying Love: Not Dead Yet, as a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. And which has already smashed its original goal with just a few days to go. So, if you like vampire horror, tragic love stories and kick-ass art, then this new hardcover collection is for you. Plus, this crowdfunding campaign allows Coker to start on a second instalment of this very personal series. I sat down with to talk more about Undying Love as well as quizzing him about the long-awaited finale of The Black Monday Murders. Read on, and find out more about both titles …

Olly MacNamee: By my reckoning, it’s Undying Love’s 15th anniversary this year. Was that one of the reasons behind this new edition you’re crowdfunding?

Tomm Coker: Timing! Undying Love has been written since we began the first issue, but finding the time to illustrate the remainder of the series has been much more difficult. Being a creator-owned title, all of the work involved in producing the book is being done on spec or being paid for out of our own pockets; that’s always been the main hindrance in finishing the book. Finally, having the time to complete the book meant we needed to get the original series back out there in a new and striking format, hence the new 9” x 13” hardcover with white, black, and grey-toned art.

MacNamee: I re-read Undying Love, and it’s still an amazingly powerful series. From the writing — with your co-writer, Daniel Freedman — to the art. Especially the art. And now, fans can get it in a black and white, oversized hardback. What else can fans expect from this campaign, Tomm?

Coker: Presenting the story in black, white, and grey is the big thing, but the extras are remarkable. We’ve got script, concept art, design work, additional bits that were cut from the original series, plus all the original art being created just for the campaign. We also have some amazing never-before-seen art created for a potential film adaptation.

MacNamee: What are your memories of this series? Your inspirations and intrepidations? Especially as this was the first thing Freedman wrote.

Coker: My original idea for the series was a Spaghetti Western love story set in a fantasy world with magic and monsters. When Daniel and I decided to set the story in Hong Kong, the entire Undying Love world opened up in a way we could never have imagined. The research we did into Chinese folklore and how to weave that into our story was some of the most challenging and exciting work I’ve ever done. And then having to convey all of these ideas visually on the page — it’s the most fun I’ve ever had drawing a book.

MacNamee: And, when (not, if) this successfully hits its target, I believe you’re planning to do a send-up series of Undying Love and pick up from where you left off. What can fans expect, and how far down the road are you with this second volume?

Coker: The second volume is completely written, and I’ve been breaking down the script into issues, pages and thumbnails. I’ve also been researching and designing the new characters and settings.

MacNamee: Right. Now, to address the return of The Black Monday Murders. As a big fan, I’m excited that the last two issues are imminent. You must be either elated or revived, or both. Which one is it?

Coker: I really love The Black Monday Murders. Issues #9 and #10 are finished and fantastic. And as soon as Jonathan Hickman gets me the scripts for #11 and #12, I will dig into the artwork. Personally, I cannot wait to find out how the series ends.

MacNamee: And how, if at all, do you tackle The Black Monday Murders compared to your artistic approach and art choices on Undying Love? Especially given the length of time between the last issue of the former titles and these two.

Coker: I think it’s all the same approach. Black Monday was a cleaner artwork than Undying Love, but in my mind it’s all part of the same universe. I have been working hard to recapture the look of the original Undying Love art and so far it’s been working out pretty well.

MacNamee: Tomm, thanks for your time and all the best with both Undying Love and The Black Monday Murders. 

Coker: Absolutely, my pleasure. Fingers crossed. T.

Undying Love: Not Dead Yet hardcover collection is currently crowdfunding here.