GVN Talking Comics Interview: Writer/Director/Producer Steven S. DeKnight For Humanoid's 'Hard Bargain'

Steven S. DeKnight

Steven S. DeKnight stands out for his involvement in all facets of creation. He gained fame as the creator, head writer, and executive producer of the Starz series Spartacus, encompassing Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Spartacus: Vengeance, and Spartacus: War of the Damned. Soon, he will return to the franchise with Spartacus: House of Ashur, taking on the roles of showrunner and executive producer once again.

If that wasn’t enough, Steven is preparing to release a new book featuring artwork by Geno Carvalho. Titled “Hard Bargain” and published by Humanoids, this dark supernatural thriller is set in 1940s Los Angeles and centers on Frank Harding, a hard-boiled private investigator. Harding is pitted against not just a typical array of criminals and miscreants but also faces demons, monsters, and other sinister supernatural entities as he endeavors to unravel a lethal enigma before a dreadful destiny befalls all those involved.

Beginning today, Humanoids, celebrating its 50th Anniversary, launches the Hard Bargain Kickstarter campaign. In advance of this, we had the chance to catch up with Steven recently to discuss his origins and this thrilling new endeavor. Therefore, let’s extend a warm welcome to writer, director, and producer Steven S. DeKnight to GVN Talking Comics.

Passion for Writing

GVN: Thank you for sharing a few moments of your time, Steven. Since this is the first time, we have been fortunate enough to hook up, let us discuss your beginnings. When did you first realize your passion for writing and whose work inspired you to pursue that endeavor?

SD: I first realized my passion for writing in college where I started writing plays at UC Santa Cruz. I went on to receive an M.F.A in playwriting from UCLA. During this period, Sam Shepard, Harold Pinter, and Shakespeare were all major influences. In comics at the time, I was blown away by the writing of Frank Miller and Alan Moore.

Filling Different Roles

GVN: You have experience as a writer, showrunner, producer, and director for various projects. When did you decide to expand beyond writing, and who first gave you that initial break to take on these different roles?

SD: While my first foray into the entertainment business was as a writer on MTV’s Undressed, my big break came when I landed a job as a writer on Season Five of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After two seasons on that show, I joined the spinoff where I was given the opportunity to direct. I will always be deeply indebted to the vampire with a soul for giving me a shot!

Love for Comics

GVN: “Hard Bargain” isn’t your first foray into comic book writing (Wastelanders for Marvel). Did you always have a desire to try your hat in that medium, or did someone approach you with that challenge?

SD: I’ve loved comic books even before I could actually read them. When I was a kid, I would pour over each panel and imagine what the characters were saying. My first professional job in comics was again thanks to Buffy the Vampire Slayer when I did an issue about a cute little murderous stuffed animal called Vampy Cat. From there I did a couple of issues of a Spartacus tie in and then some random one shots for Marvel that I really enjoyed. But I always wanted to do more. To really dig my teeth into a long form, original work. “Hard Bargain” fit the bill and then some.

Hard Bargain

GVN: Speaking of ‘Hard Bargain’, (I always appreciate a great lead-in), this is a collaborative effort with the talented artist Leno Carvalho and being published by Humanoids. (The art is fantastic. It reminds me of the hey days of Warren’s Creepy and Eerie Magazines). Could you share how this project came to be and provide our readers with a brief overview of the story’s premise?

SD: I hatched the idea of a hardboiled, two-fisted, 1940’s private detective who specializes in supernatural cases nearly thirty years ago. Then about a decade ago I decided to sit down and write a bit of it to try to get a publisher interested. This became the first two chapters of Hard Bargain. I couldn’t get traction at the time, so into the drawer of broken dreams it went. Flash forward to 2019. I had shared those first two chapters with the amazing artist John Cassiday (Planetary, Astonishing X-Men) to see if he was interested in collaborating on the book. He was tied up, but eventually shared those pages with the good people at Humanoids. They read it, loved it, and we were off to the races!

Coming to Kickstarter

GVN: “Hard Bargain” will launch on Kickstarter on July 8th. Is this your first experience with crowdfunding, and what can fans expect to find when they visit your campaign?

SD: This is indeed my first experience with launching anything via crowdfunding, and I couldn’t be more excited to give readers the opportunity to read this book before it gets released on a wide scale. From what I hear, there will be some really awesome exclusives to the Kickstarter campaign. I can’t reveal what they are yet, but I’m very excited for fans to be able to get their hands on them.

Current and Upcoming Projects

GVN: Thank you once again for spending some time with us Steven. Before I let you go, I want to give you a moment to let fans know one more time about “Hard Bargain” and what other projects you are working on (that you can talk about).

SD: Thanks so much. It’s been a real pleasure. Hard Bargain is a rollicking, two-fisted, hardboiled detective extravaganza with knockout art by Leno Carvahlo and sumptuous colors by Bruno Hang. If you’re a fan of Raymond Chandler, the supernatural, and a good old-fashioned mystery, I think you’ll enjoy it. Also check out “Beneath,” my horror graphic novel being released soon by Comixology. On the TV side, buckle up for a return to the world of Spartacus with my spinoff series House of Ashur, premiering sometime next year.