Kickstarting Comics — Talking With Neil Roche And Laurence Alison About ‘The Odyssey: In Defiance Of The Gods’

Originally published as a four-issue series, PSYComics’ The Odyssey: In Defiance Of The Gods is getting collected in one 156-page volume, crowdfunding on Kickstarter this week. Written by Laurence Alison with art by Vu Danh, who sadly passed away recently, it is one part retelling of a classic mythological saga, and another part a celebration of Danh’s life. As PSYComics publisher, Neil Roche and writer Alison discuss in this two-header interview. And with the imminent release of Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey, the timing couldn’t be better.

Olly MacNamee: Neil, good to see your PSYComics collecting the whole four-issue series, The Odyssey: In Defiance of the Gods, written by Laurence Alison and illustrated by Vũ Danh, into an A4-sized volume. But before we delve into the nitty-gritty, what can fans expect from this Kickstarter campaign?

Neil Roche: Hi Olly, the collection is really a celebration of Vu’s absolutely outstanding artwork. As well as beautiful art, Vu was a master storyteller. It really sequential artwork at its very best.

We also offering backers two print options — softback and hardback and two cover options too. The main cover is by Vu and Matt Soffe, and the variant cover is by the might Clint Langley.

Laurence Alison: First and foremost, readers are getting the complete story exactly as we always intended it to be read. Reading it from beginning to end in one volume lets the journey breathe in a way that individual issues never quite can.

One of the real joys of the collection is seeing Vu Danh’s progression as an artist. His line work, storytelling and confidence grow with every chapter, and having it all under one cover really showcases just how talented he was. We’ve also collected every cover together and included some additional material that I think readers will really enjoy.

With Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming film shining a spotlight on The Odyssey, this feels like the perfect time to revisit one of the greatest stories ever told. Our version is unapologetically gritty, rough around the edges and psychologically driven. We don’t shy away from the brutality of Greek mythology — we lean into it.

You’ll encounter the cannibalistic Cyclops Polyphemus, our own interpretation of the Sirens, Helios unleashing his wrath on Odysseus’ crew, the terrifying Scylla, and, of course, that iconic moment where Odysseus fires the arrow through the twelve axe heads. The bones of Homer’s story are all there, but we’ve tried to tell it in a way that feels immediate, visceral and unmistakably our own.

MacNamee: Of all the myths and legends in the world, I would think The Odyssey is one of the hardest to adapt. Why this particular sprawling saga?

Roche: That’s a question for Laurence haha.

Alison: I’d already adapted The Twelve Labours of Hercules, and after that I wanted a challenge. Hercules has a relatively straightforward structure. The Odyssey absolutely doesn’t. Its chronology, its framing and the way the story unfolds make it a far more demanding piece of storytelling.

But the real reason I wanted to tackle it was Odysseus himself.

I’ve never been particularly interested in perfect heroes. They’re usually the least interesting people in the room. Odysseus is different. Depending on the moment, he’s a hero, an anti-hero, a liar, a loving husband, a ruthless survivor and one of the greatest military strategists in mythology. Every time you think you’ve worked him out, he does something that changes your opinion of him.

That’s why people are still talking about him thousands of years later.

When I gave Vu Danh a choice of projects, he picked The Odyssey almost immediately. I think he recognised what an artistic challenge it would be, and he absolutely rose to it. Looking back, I honestly think this is the finest work he ever produced.

MacNamee: In this collection, you pose the question, “What if the hero wasn’t heroic at all?” What does that mean in connection with this story all about gods, monsters and … er, heroes?

Alison: To my mind, the best heroes are always the complicated ones, and Odysseus might be the most complicated of them all.

Within the first few pages we’re already asking readers to question whether he’s someone they should admire. He makes decisions that are difficult, sometimes questionable, and occasionally terrible.

One thing surprised me while writing him, though. The longer I spent with the character, the more I understood him. He never wanted the Trojan War. Once he’s dragged into it, however, he becomes the Greeks’ greatest weapon – not because he’s the strongest man on the battlefield, but because he’s the cleverest.

We’ve never written him as a psychopath, and we’ve certainly never written him as a Marvel-style superhero. We’ve written him as a man. Flawed, contradictory, intelligent and endlessly fascinating. If readers are still arguing about him after they’ve finished the book, I’ll be delighted.

MacNamee: From what I’ve seen of Vu’s black and white art, it’s spectacular. It reminded me of a young Barry Windsor-Smith. Making it even more evocative of this classic story and a bittersweet memory to an artist who passed away far too soon. I expect you and Alison are still reeling?

Roche: I’ve heard people mention influence from Bernie Wrightson and Neal Adams too. It was shocking news when we found out Vu had suddenly passed away. With him only being 42 years old makes it that bit harder to accept too. Myself and Laurence would receive a new page of art more or less every day or every other day. The emotional loss has been very similar to that of losing Dave Evans (Bolt-01), which hit everyone in the indie scene every hard. 

Alison: It was a tremendous shock when we learned that Vu had passed away, and it was incredibly sad.

One moment I’ll never forget was receiving one of his original pages in the post. Seeing the ink on the paper, every brushstroke and every pen stroke up close, genuinely brought me to tears. You could feel the care and craftsmanship that had gone into every page.

Although we never met in person, when you work that closely together as writer and artist, you build a genuine connection. I still miss him.

More than anything, I hope this collection introduces even more readers to his work. If this becomes the book people remember Vu Danh by, then I genuinely think it’s a legacy any artist would be proud to leave.

MacNamee: And the colouring by Matt Soffe also adds to this feeling of classicism. How was this produced, as it looks like it was painted using watercolours? 

Roche: One of the last things we discussed with Vu was a new cover for the collection, which never came into fruition. We had to go through the whole of the four Odysseus deus books again (which is never a bad thing) and chose the Sirens double-page spread. Matt was more than happy to help with the colouring. With Matt now living in the States, I sent him Vu’s original scan of the page. I think Matt coloured it in Photoshop. He’s done a fantastic job too.

Alison: The cover is based on Vu Danh’s interpretation of Odysseus and the Sirens, itself inspired by Herbert James Draper’s famous painting. I sent that painting to Vu and asked him to riff on it in his own style, and the result was fantastic.

Vu was incredibly particular about who coloured his work, so continuing that process after his passing carried a real responsibility.

Matt Soffe has done a beautiful job. He hasn’t tried to overpower Vu’s artwork; he’s enhanced it. His colours bring atmosphere and depth while staying completely faithful to the original line work.

Neil and I are enormously grateful that Matt gave his time so generously, and I honestly believe Vu would have been delighted with the finished cover.

MacNamee: Finally, I suppose it doesn’t hurt your campaign that a certain film with a very similar name is also coming out in the coming weeks, right?

Roche: We were well into the project when the film was announced. We decided to kickstart al four books over a nine month period (April 25th – January 26th) and then wait for a confirmed release date on the film.

Once the date was confirmed, we played about with the launch date of the Kickstarter – Do we launch after the film’s release date to see what the general feedback is like, or do we launch a few weeks before and ride the media hype? As we have no shame, we’re going early and going live on 5^th July!

Alison: The timing has been a complete piece of serendipity. I’d already started writing Odysseus in Defiance of the Gods long before Christopher Nolan announced his adaptation. I still smile at how close our strapline is to the film’s marketing.

I’ll absolutely be going to see it. I’ve loved The Odyssey for years, and I’m genuinely interested to see Nolan’s take. Knowing me, I’ll probably compare it with my own interpretation — but that’s simply because I care so much about the source material.

If the film introduces a whole new audience to The Odyssey, that’s a wonderful thing. We hope some of those people decide to discover our version too. It’s a different interpretation, one we’re immensely proud of, and I think readers will have a great time with it.

Most importantly, every copy of this collection helps support Vu Danh’s family. If readers come away with a graphic novel they genuinely enjoy while also helping honour the legacy of an extraordinary artist, then I can’t think of a better outcome than that.

MacNamee: All the best for the campaign. I suspect it will do really well, judging by the previews I’ve seen.

The Odyssey: In Defiance Of The Gods is crowdfunding on Kickstarter now.

And, if you have been touched by the sad story of Vu Danh’s death, you can support the family by taking part in the online auction currently live on a special Facebook page — Remembering the Amazing Artist Vu Danh — here.