James Zahn

James Zahn – Running with Death while Walking Fango into the New Millennium. By Brian Kirst

Not only is writer James Zahn one of the amazing forces behind the rock ‘em, sock ‘em werewolf-mob comic Death Walks the Streets (receiving a major push at the March 2009 Fangoria Festival in Chicago), but he is one of the major forces behind Fangoria Magazine’s recent online revitalization. The passionate, truly creative Zahn recently took some time to answer questions about both the movie and comic version of Death and the exciting renovation of the legendary Fangoria regime.

www.jameszahn.com
www.fangoriaonline.com

Brian: Who were your first creative influences – Nicholas Hammond rocking that Spider Man costume – FF Coppola decorating beds with horse heads – A deranged uncle telling whisky strewn ghost stories??

James: Nick Hammond? I hadn’t thought of those old Spidey episodes in years. Channel 32 in Chicago used to run those back in the early ’80’s, and I’d watch them pretty often. As for the “horse heads”, I probably saw THE GODFATHER for the first time at a younger age than most. Much like the time I rolled out of bed around 1am and went downstairs to discover my father watching PORKY’S on HBO. I was probably 9 or 10. Sadly I didn’t get an uncle telling ghost stories, but one of my cousins lived in a house said to be haunted by a ghost named “George”. He had some very elaborate tales that he claimed George told him. Since he was only 8 or 9 at the time, he was obviously being told something by someone.

In reality, I’d say my influences stem from exposure to a little too much TV as a kid, fueled by a mix of superheroes, USA “Up All Night”, and Knight Rider. I caught the horror bug when SON OF SVENGOOLIE ran REVENGE OF THE CREATURE in 3-D in 1982. They had a promotion where you had to visit 7-11 to get the glasses, and it was kind of an event. Opened my eyes to a whole new realm.

Brian: Horror film influences are awesomely used throughout Death Walks the Streets. Is there a reference that you haven’t used yet that you are excited about incorporating into the comic?

James: Well, we’ve got Vampires, Demons, Zombies, and Werewolves for the parfait of classic ghouls – but there are some other supernatural elements that will be revealed in future issues. We gave a “tip of the hat” to MONSTER SQUAD in DWTS Issue #0, as well as a not-so-subtle commentary on the state of the entertainment business as well. I’d say you’ll see some influences seep in, but I hope you’ll never be able to say that we’ve aped someone else’s material. There’s a fine line between “homage” and “rip-off”, and I think a lot of filmmakers and authors are starting to cross it too often, and may not even realize that they’re doing it.

Brian: Have the long creative delays that have accompanied Death Walks the Streets project(s) only strengthened them in your opinion?

James: I wouldn’t say that they’ve been “creative delays”, but “business delays”. I’m very persistent, and when I believe in something, I stick with it. DWTS was designed to be a movie first. We made some mistakes, worked with the wrong people, and we almost lost everything on it. In the real world, people were getting angry, money was being lost, and things got real bad for awhile. In the summer of 2007 my wife and I actually sold our house so we could keep moving forward. In the virtual, online world, there was some kind of phenomenon happening where this “buzz” kept building. It was a really awkward situation to be in.

But we brought the ship back around, and we started fresh in 2008. The first issue of the comic was well-received, then we joined with Fangoria. Pretty surreal.

Brian: You bet. You combine action, crime drama and horror in Death Walks the Streets – what kind of plot would you come up using science fiction, musical biography and Lifetime television films as your creative impetus?

James: Like a bizzaro-world version of Death Walks? – “Renowned as one of the Galaxy’s most respected Cellists, Michelle Labou had performed sold-out concerts to millions of fans throughout the solar system. She had it all – money, fame, power – but Michelle was a woman leading a dual life as an assassin for the Alliance of Rogue Planets. If that wasn’t enough, Michelle had a secret addiction to alcohol.”

I’d have to make the entire cast look like the 1960’s version of the “Year 2000.”

Brian: Awesome! How did your amazing association with Fangoria come about?
(That is a fan boy writer’s dream, my friend!!!)

James: This one’s gonna get a little long-winded.

Fango sort of came out of left-field. Back in 2006, they were getting ready to launch FANGORIA COMICS, and Mark Kidwell (creator of BUMP) introduced me to Scott Licina, who was heading up that endeavor. Scott and I had actually crossed paths a few times prior to that, but the Fango Comics discussion was the first time we’d ever spoken at length. There was talk of making DEATH WALKS THE STREETS into a Fango Comic, but it didn’t happen. Scott felt that the project had potential, but needed tweaking, and he was right. Fast-forward a year, and Fango’s parent company was in major trouble. They canned the comics division just a few months after its official launch, even though they’d scored some major coups like getting the books into mass-market like BORDERS and BARNES & NOBLE, and were selling a lot of comics. Most of the Fango Comics crew regrouped and formed THE SCREAM FACTORY, which was a production house billed as “an alliance of film, comic, and entertainment professionals.” Most of the titles rolled into that, and they were looking for new material. I was putting together the first issue of the DWTS comic in January of ‘08, and Kidwell was on-board for a cover. Then Scott contacted me again, checked out the material, and felt that it was time to start working together. We made our debut at Wizard World in June, got the book in a lot of reader‘s hands, and came out of it with some great reviews.

While we were building The Scream Factory, Fangoria was changing. Their parent company filed for bankruptcy in March, and they were facing an uncertain future. Tom DeFeo, the president of the magazine, and champion of the comics line the first time around, was able to purchase the company over the summer under his newly formed THE BROOKLYN COMPANY, INC. It was the push that Fangoria needed to have new ownership, while still keeping it “in the family” so-to-speak. He contacted Scott shortly after Wizard World and they put together the plan for FANGORIA GRAPHIX.

From that came some bigger things, as they were looking to scrape the rust off and start returning FANGORIA to the force that it once was. They tapped into The Scream Factory talent pool to fill some positions within Fango, and I was offered a spot working with Scott on new media development. It’s no secret that Fango’s web presence was lacking, and other sites passed them by.

Initially, I had some mixed feelings about it, as I (like many readers) had been critical of the mag for awhile. As talks continued, it soon became clear that the things that I had issue with were not caused, nor controlled, by the folks I‘d be working with. The vision for the future of Fango was set to honor the past, and that really grabbed me. I couldn’t say “no” to helping a magazine that I grew up on. We were initially met by some resistance by a few of the Fango office staffers, but four months into the job, I’m very grateful that Tom and Scott gave me the opportunity to join the “Fango Family”.

The current Fangoria is run a lot like a start-up. A small, core crew with enthusiasm for the horror genre. The faces and names that readers know are still there – Tony Timpone is still the editor, with Mike Gingold at his side as Managing Editor. Dr. Cyclops still lives in the DVD Dungeon, and the mag still hits stands 10 times a year. Everyone is focused on putting out a great magazine, but knows that it’s time to evolve, break down some walls, and really unite the horror community.

Brian: Awesome! Among the primary characters in Death Walks the Streets is a kick-ass female. What do you think of the treatment of women, in general, in works of genre fiction and film? Traditionally, do you think it’s been fair, under represented or stellar?

James: Danielle Dante is an interesting character to write, even more so now that we have her live-action counterpart. We literally found an actress on the other side of the Globe that not only fit the part, but essentially is Danielle. Efisia Fele is her name, and she’s currently based in Melbourne, Australia. She’s slipped into the role three times so far – once for a screen test, and twice for video blogs that she’s done as Danielle. We did one to tie into Issue #0, and another to tie into Issue #1. She actually shot the first one in London, the second in Melbourne. The international flavor of DWTS isn’t pure fiction anymore.

In general, I think the world has started to embrace the female hero. They’ve always been there, but never as prevalent as the past decade or so. The female in horror has grown from the helpless victim, into a powerful force, often surpassing the appeal of their male counterparts. One of the challenges is to balance femininity with power in fiction without it being cheesy. There’s usually too little or too much of one or the other for it to be realistic. I think of Danielle as a little bit “street”, but she’s still an intelligent woman. Not trained in Kung-fu or anything, but she’ll rip your nuts off if she has to.

Brian: Right on! So, what is the current status on the Death Walks the Streets film?

James: Take 95% of what you’ve ever heard about it and throw that out the window. We’re living life as if the first 3 years never happened, and that it all started last year. Most of the “attached” cast will not be involved, nor will any of the producers that were previously on it. The creative team is still intact. Robert Kurtzman is still on Special FX, Gregory Hill on Production Design, John Roome will still be composing the original score (he’s already completed hours worth of demos). My writing partner, Ben Brezinski is still here tweaking ideas. Since the comic books are a prequel to the first film, a lot of fresh ideas have come forth that will impact the long-written screenplays for DWTS I & II. Ben and I just met last night to discuss changes to the first screenplay as new interest in making the film has come into play recently. The first run of comics will wrap as a four-issue mini-series, then we’ve been tapped to do an original graphic novel set in the DWTS world. I’m confident that you’ll be getting some legit news on a DWTS film later this year, but until then the story will continue through the comics.

Brian: Lastly, any words of wisdom (IE: Never bounty hunt when a ravenous werewolf is on the loose) or any future projects that you’d like to tell us about? And thanks –this has been better than a fountain of red comic book ink!!

James: Words of Wisdom…

Trust no one except for yourself. Get a good lawyer if you plan on making films or anything else creative. Don’t give up, and never listen to people that only tell you what you can’t do. Nothing is set in stone, and there’s too many douche bags running around that have read a few too many text books and can recite and endless list of the “do’s and don’ts” for making movies, comics, and everything else, but they never seem to make anything themselves. At the end of the day, you have to make yourself happy, or do something else. If you happen to create something that even a few other people enjoy, then you’ve done your job – there is an audience for everything. Above all, be nice to people – you never know when you’ll run into them again.

Current/Future Projects:

-We launched a new version of FANGORIA.com on New Year’s day, and people seem to be digging it. The site will continue to evolve.

-Our Digital Publishing arm is open, and we’ve got a crew digitizing and restoring the entire 30-year run of FANGORIA, along with GOREZONE, TOXIC HORROR, a few dozen spin-offs, 300 issues of STARLOG, all of our comic titles, and THE MONSTER TIMES. We’ve got digital previews of the restored FANGORIA #1 from 1979 up, along with DEATH WALKS THE STREETS #0.

-It was also just announced that the original GOREZONE (published in the late 80’s/early 90’s by Fango) will be returning as an all-new print magazine. I’ve accepted the position of Music Editor on that one. GOREZONE is going to cover all the really brutal stuff. Hardcore indie and international horror, with features on Special FX creation, and expanded lifestyle coverage that includes music, comics, etc. It’s like Fango’s violent little brother.

-DEATH WALKS THE STREETS #0 will be re-issued under the FANGORIA GRAPHIX banner, and DEATH WALKS THE STREETS #1 will make its debut at Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors in Chicago this March. It’s already a huge leap from #0, and I’m really proud of it. I think readers will enjoy it.

And thanks for inviting me into the Horror Society! Hope to run into you guys at some more screenings soon!