We had recently spoken to talented writer Jordan Thomas about his current Comixology Original series Exorcism Island. A story set on a remote Caribbean island administered by the Vatican, where the mission is to recruit a group of priests to care for their most troubled and long-term demonic possession cases. As they navigate this challenging task, the psychologically and emotionally bruised priests bicker and bond in their efforts to maintain control over the madness that envelops the island. They soon discover that ominous and dark forces are working against them from all sides, as evil takes hold of their spiritually poisoned and isolated home.
Illustrated by Jordan’s frequent collaborator Chris Matthews, Issue #2 of Comixology Original’s Exorcism Island comes out November 18th. In anticipation of this exciting continuation, we are pleased to share these exclusive pages from Issue #2. Followed as promised by our interview with artist Chris Matthews.
Interview with Exorcism Island Artist Chris Matthews
GVN: Thank you very much, Chris, for allowing us to share some time. Since this is our first opportunity to chat, let’s start with your artistic origins. You started in animation. Whose work made you lean toward that format, and did you consider other artistic professions during those formative years?
CHRIS: First of all thanks for having me. To be honest it wasn’t anyone’s work in particular that made me want to go into animation. I had to make a decision about what to study at university and the animation course placed a much bigger emphasis on the technical skills involved in drawing compared to the fine art and illustration courses, so I went with that. I quickly learned that being a 2D animator was way too much work for me. It’s kind of ironic, I’m now making comics.
The Transition from Animation to Comics
GVN: You chose to transition into comic art. What motivated you to take on that challenge, and which artists inspired your ambition?
CHRIS: I didn’t really know anything about comics before we made Mugshots, I just wanted to make something of my own. Around the time Jordan was just entering the comics world (As long as I can remember, Jordan’s been mad about comics) I shot him a message and asked if he’d want to do one together – that was the original Mugshots one shot which did relatively well on Kickstarter, so we decided to do a full 4 issue series in the same world. Luckily that got picked up so I could properly join the comics world.
Quarantine#1
GVN: One of the early projects you were involved in was Jordan Thomas’s “Quarantine#1,” a book that explored the effects of isolation caused by quarantine. It featured contributions from many talented artists, including yourself. How did that opportunity arise? I understand that your relationship with Jordan began when you were both young, while living south of London.
CHRIS: I think it was during the COVID quarantines, and Jordan just wanted to get everyone together to make a book for a good cause.
Mad Cave’s MugShots
GVN: Speaking of Jordan, your first full four-issue series was collaborating with him for Mad Cave Studios Mugshots. How did that opportunity come about, and did you have any hesitation in tackling a full series as opposed to a singular title?
CHRIS: I had a lot of hesitation. I was working full time on a different project back then and we hadn’t even spoken to any publishers about it, so I wasn’t sure it’d even go anywhere. I think Jordan pitched it to me as an 80 page book (he likes to lie to me about how many pages stuff will be) so it was a bit daunting trying to figure out how I was going to fit all that work in.
Collaborating Across the Globe
GVN: I brought this up with Jordan during our conversation. You live in Berlin, while he is based in Spain. Given this geographical distance, how has your work process changed? Do you maintain regular contact, or have you both developed such a comfortable working relationship that lengthy discussions are no longer necessary?
CHRIS: We pretty much talk everyday on WhatsApp about various bits and bobs. Mostly he likes to pester me about how many pages I’ve done. We do occasionally have a proper conversation about what our plans are, which is mostly just Jordan telling me what our plans are – he’s much more business minded than I am. I just want to be left alone to draw.
Exorcism Island
GVN: As the saying goes, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” You are once again collaborating with the talented Mr. Thomas on Comixology Original’s “Exorcism Island.” How long has this project been in development? Did Jordan pitch the idea to you, or was it a concept you both developed together?
CHRIS: If I remember correctly, Jordan was over in Germany for my wedding at the time, we were talking about what we wanted to do next, and he let me know of this idea with an island full of possessed people. I love stuff like that so it wasn’t exactly a difficult sell. I think I started working on the pitch straight after we finished Mugshots which was around March 2024.
Putting the “Scary” into his Illustrations
GVN: The public’s fascination with demonic possession has likely been prominent since William Friedkin’s 1973 film, “The Exorcist.” As you read and worked with Jordan’s script, did you have a specific vision in mind for developing his story? How challenging was it to bring his vision to life?
CHRIS: I think because I like to work with really graphic shapes and I’m not so focused on detail, the challenge was making it look scary, as I mostly associate that kind of stuff with more detailed, gritty work. So I tried to use imposing blocks of colour; the black against the orange – at least to me – feels quite imposing, so I leaned into that.
Final Thoughts
GVN: Thank you very much for speaking with us today, Chris. Before we conclude, I’d like to give you the chance to share any final thoughts about this exciting project, as well as any other upcoming projects you may have.
CHRIS: Thanks very much. Not much to add really. I hope people like it. Jordan wrote a great book and I also tried my best 🙂
Comixology Originals Exorcism Island Issue #1 by Jordan Thomas and Chris Matthews is available now. Issue #2 comes out on November 18th.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
