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    GVN Talking Comics Interview: Writer Rafael Scavone For Comixology Original’s ‘The Devil’s Luck: A Hailstone Story’

    Promotional graphic for "Devil's Luck: A Hailstone Story" interview with writer Rafael Scavone, featuring fanged mouths, text, and a central headshot of Scavone.

    In May 2021, we had the pleasure of chatting with the talented comic writer Rafael Scavone. This was for his Comixology Original title Hailstone, created with artist Rafael de Latorre. We later caught up with him again for his book Red Tag, also part of the Comixology Originals lineup.

    Still, Rafael’s affection for the world of Hailstone that he had built was never far from his thoughts. He knew there was unfinished business to be found there. So fast forward to 2025, and Rafael, along with artist Eduardo Ferigato revisits the town of Hailstone with Devil’s Luck: A Hailstone Story. 

    Set during the Great Depression, Devil’s Luck follows Tim Beacon, a dentist stuck in a remote mining town, who is desperate to fund his California dream. To expedite this goal, Tim takes
    part in a sinister plot to profit from the golden teeth of a mysterious patient.

    With the first issue of Devil’s Luck: A Hailstone Story set to drop on Tuesday, December 9th, we caught up once again with Rafael to chat about his latest dive into the mysterious world of Hailstone. Join us in welcoming back writer Rafael Scavone to GVN Talking Comics.

    A comic book cover with large jagged teeth and the title "Devil's Luck: A Hailstone Story." It is issue one of five from Comixology Originals and Stout Club.

    RETURN TO HAILSTONE

    GVN: I want to welcome you back to GVN Talking Comics, Rafael. We have visited a few times in the past, talking (ironically enough) about your book Hailstone in 2021 and your book Red Tag in 2022, both for Comixology Originals. So here we are again with The Devil’s Luck: A Hailstone Story, also for Comixology Originals. As I mentioned, we conversed about Hailstone. What made you want to return to this eerie Montana town, and how did it evolve in Devil’s Luck?

    RAFAEL: Thanks for having me back! Returning to the town of Hailstone was actually on my plans since the first book, in 2021. The idea was to have Hailstone as a sort of “personal horror playground” where I could tell self-contained stories set in different periods of History. In fact, I already have a bunch of horror stories written for this town which I should follow scripting.

    CHOOSING THE GREAT DEPRESSION ERA

    GVN: You decided to frame this story during the Great Depression. What inspired you to set Devil’s Luck during that timeframe, and how did that era’s social and financial turmoil shape the story?

    RAFAEL: What inspired me to frame Devil’s Luck in the worst year of the Great Depression was exactly what you mentioned in this question, the economic and social chaos left by the Crash, plus, of course, the rampant inequality that came along with it. The other aspect that led me to 1934 was the price of gold, which helped me push the character’s greed to extreme places.

    GETTING TO THE “ROOT” OF THE PROTAGONIST

    GVN: Devil’s Luck’s protagonist is a naïve dentist who unwittingly gets caught in a sinister plot involving golden teeth. Since that profession is not necessarily thought of as a title character (other than Doc Holliday), how did you come up with such a chilling premise?

    RAFAEL: You’re right, Tim Beacon isn’t nothing like Doc Holliday, but he’ll have the chance to show a few tricks further on the series. I suspect one reason why I picked a dentist as a protagonist is because more than a decade ago I had a surgery in my mouth, and before it I had to spend many hours seated in a dentistry chair too. From this experience I think I became sort of fascinated by this occupation. But another reason is that I also love to give life to inoffensive-looking mundane characters, especially for certain kinds of stories, mostly because they’re very cool to bend and shift.

    Comic book cover titled "Devil's Luck: A Hailstone Story" featuring large, menacing yellow teeth against a dark background. Issue one of five.

    Chapter 1 credits page listing writer, artist, letterer, cover artists, and editor for "A Gentleman's Agreement" from the "Devil's Luck" comic by Stout Club and ComiXology Originals. A snowy street in a small Montana town in 1886; people walk and talk, while a man reclines in a dentist’s chair inside an office labeled “Beacon Dentist.”. A scientist observes a large, toothy mouth in a dark lab, talking to it and taking notes as a mysterious silhouetted figure listens from a doorway. A person sits at a table talking to an older man in a bar; later, a lone rider approaches a figure sitting on the ground in a desert landscape with mountains and sparse vegetation. A man narrates a story about a wounded soldier, shown fighting and riding a horse. He describes the soldier’s determination and presents a detailed amulet to a younger man. Three men in an office discuss a job while one stands near the door; a woman enters holding paperwork and later leaves as two men continue their conversation. A man in a trench coat follows another through a snowy alley at night; suddenly, he is shoved against a wall and threatened by a third man wearing a cap.

    THE CREATIVE TEAM

    GVN: You worked with Eduardo Ferigato on art and colors, Deyvison Manes on letters, and frequent collaborator Rafael Albuquerque on covers. How did you and your creative team contribute to shaping the atmosphere of the series?

    RAFAEL: Eduardo Ferigato brought on board a very special art style for the series. I particularly loved the color treatment he used, tinting the story with a truly unique horror ambience.

    Deyvison Manes is one of the best letterers I’ve met. He has been doing a terrific job with Stout Club’s titles and it’s no different with Devil’s Luck!

    Rafa Albuquerque, who needs no introductions, is killing on the covers. He’s working with Eduardo on them. He’s laying out the covers, Eduardo then draws them, and then Rafa takes them back to do the colors in that cool painted style. Needless to say they’re all coming out beautiful this way!

    THE CHALLENGES OF NARRATIVE CREATION


    GVN: What was the biggest challenge in balancing horror, suspense, and historical drama within the storytelling? As you developed your narrative, did you view “Devil’s Luck” primarily as a horror tale, a thriller, or as a moral lesson about the evils of greed?

    RAFAEL: Excellent question! The biggest challenge to me is actually making the narrative always interesting to the reader without falling for clichés. What I do is play with anticipation, after all, the reader is aware he isn’t reading a love story but a scary one. And even if in the following issues the horror and tension grow bigger and bigger, there’s also some funny psychological side to it too, like in the movie Pearl (2022), for example. I think I see Devil’s Luck more as a “psychological horror tale on greed.”

    READERS TAKEAWAY

    GVN: What do you hope readers take away from Devil’s Luck—a cautionary tale, a thrill ride, or something deeper?

    RAFAEL: We can say a thrill ride because as I mentioned above, it grows intense with each issue and the series finale is jaw dropping! But Devil’s Luck is also filled with psychological drama from those troubling three miners and Tim itself, so it can deliver multiple layers of meaning.

    FINAL THOUGHTS AND UPCOMING PROJECTS

    GVN: Thank you again, Rafael, for taking the time to meet with us today. Before we wrap up, I’d like to give you another chance to share your thoughts on “The Devil’s Luck: A Hailstone Story” or any upcoming projects you have in the works.

    RAFAEL: Thank you for these questions! Devil’s Luck: A Hailstone Story debuts December 9 on Comixology, and I invite all readers to give a chance for this horror trip through some of the worst that the human psyche can give us, with a pinch of Faustian bargain.

    I also had the honor to write a short horror story named “The Wheel” for the classic EC Comics with OniPress. It will be featured in the Catacomb of Torment #8, with art and colors by my brothers in art: Rafael Albuquerque and Marcelo Maiolo. It should be published in the next few weeks.

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