While many are pointing
at 12/21/12, some people interpret the Mayan calendar to predict this
Wednesday, 12/12/12, to spell the end of the world as we know it. But, David Lapham feels fine.
The Eisner Award-winning
author has three of his own personal series hitting comic shops this Wednesday,
all published by Avatar Press. In addition to the debut of Caligula: Heart of Rome - the
sequel to his supernatural horror tale set in ancient Rome - Wednesday will
also premiere the trade collection of his original Ferals werewolf crime/horror comic series, and the most recent
issue of his gonzo detective series, Dan
The Unharmable #8.
Having been in the comic
industry for over twenty years, Lapham has worked with Marvel, DC, Dark Horse,
Valiant, Wildstorm and many other publishers as both a writer and an artist. He
won the Eisner Award for his creator-owned series Stray Bullets, as Best Writer/Artist in 1996. It is with Avatar
Press he has found a home, allowing him to publish stories near and dear to his
heart.
This Wednesday’s Caligula: Heart of Rome #1 allows Lapham
to revisit his 2011 hit series set during the horrors of ancient Rome. “The
time period is so twisted all on its own,” explained Lapham. “In a matter
of years, we go from one of the most depraved and insane men who ever lived in
Caligula, to the next most insane and depraved man who ever lived in
Nero. The stories kind of just suggest themselves. Introduce a demon
into the mix and everything just fits in like a perfect puzzle.”
Writing a period piece like Caligula can be challenging and
rewarding at the same time. “The research has been fun,” Lapham added.
“It's amazing how much is known and unknown about that time period. It's
just separated enough from the line that leads to us that there's an alien
sensibility about it. The real challenge though comes in the details.”
And what gory details they are. Having
been known for his over-the-top horror in Crossed
(Family Values and Psychopath, for example), the first Caligula did not disappoint. Will Caligula: Heart of Rome deliver?
“It's very disturbing visually,” Lapham
admitted. “It all fits. Even better here than in Crossed. I feel, while Caligula
might be more visually graphic, it's also more purposeful. Again, there's
a theme of depravity. But the heart of the story is that one man is
trying to retain his honor and dignity in the face of that.”
Staying in the same vein, Lapham’s
on-going series, Ferals, is collected
for the first time this Wednesday. Ferals
takes a much more sophisticated approach to the werewolf mythos.
“The idea was to do Werewolves
differently,” Lapham explained. “In that I had a certain tone and landscape
I saw for a setting. The snow, the mountains. Small town
America. Simple people. Dale Chesnutt suggested himself. He's
the detective from Mayberry on the wrong side of the tracks. He's really
turned into a very dynamic character and very natural to write. For my
part, I do think of it like the what if the Andy
Griffith Show were invaded by booze and werewolves... and David Koresh.”
“I think one of the most successful
aspects of Ferals is that we really
created a credible secret society within our own,” Lapham continued. “The
Ferals are out there and they want to be left alone, but if we're not going to
leave them alone then we're going to die. Nobody puts the Ferals in a
corner.”
Ferals
Volume One collects Lapaham’s complete first
story arc and is available as a soft cover, hard cover and limited signed hard
cover in stores everywhere.
Also arriving this Wednesday is Lapham
detective series, Dan The Unharmable #8,
taking him back to his crime roots. “I wanted to do more traditional crime, and
going back to Stray Bullet's Amy
Racecar and Sadie Dawkins from Young
Liars,” compared Lapham. Fans who want to get caught up on the
misadventures of Dan can expect to
see the first trade paperback in January.
With all three of Lapham’s personal
projects arriving the same day, this Wednesday, it may just be the end of the
world. David Lapham isn’t phased, though. “I ain't scared of nothin'.”
