Way back in the days of my school boy years, one of the many “cheats” that were available to those of us who were to lazy to read a classic book were the Classics Illustrated editions. Some genius had the wherewithal to put a classic book into a comic form. Where kids couldn’t find it in themselves to read a whole bunch of words, they could do it if pictures were also included. Between Cliff Notes and Classics Illustrated, youngsters could skate by on completing those mandatory book reports and survive.
Fast forward to the present and those classic tales are still be presented to new audiences. Even those who might have missed out on having to read them back in the day. But in this case, great creators are adapting these classic tales into genres that today’s readers can relate to. Such is the case with Humanoids upcoming book Count. As written and drawn by the talented Ibrahim Moustafa, Count is a Sci-Fi adaptation of Alexandre Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo. Moustafa captures the essence of Dumas classic tale but adds his own creative spin on the tale that is replete with adventure, romance and revenge. So in advance of Count’s release coming on March 16th, we are pleased to welcome Ibrahim Moustafa to GVN’s Talking Comics.
The Beginning
GVN: Thanks for giving us some time Ibrahim.
IM: My pleasure– thank you!
GVN: So as we usually do with the great creators we talk to, let’s start at the beginning. When did you take an interest in art and comics especially and who were your inspirations in those early years?
IM: My earliest memories are of playing with Superman figures, and watching the Christopher Reeve movies on VHS. I learned to read with Superman comics that came with an audio cassette with sound effects and voice actors to follow along with. From there it was also Batman, then the TMNT and X-Men cartoons. I would draw all of those characters all the time. Eventually, I fell out of superheroes and comics for a long while as other interests prevailed in middle and high school. But then, Smallville came on the air and reignited my love of Superman. I was given a book about Superman’s history that featured some art by Alex Ross, and I was absolutely floored by it. After that, I scrambled to find everything I could by him, and that led me down the rabbit hole of comics again. And here I am!
Working Criteria
GVN: I can relate to the audio presentation. One of the first albums I ever bought as a kid was an audio presentation of some Batman stories. Sad to say I can still remember many of the words from it. But I digress… You have worked for just about every major publisher in some form or fashion. When you are approached for a project, is there a checklist that you go by? What are the criteria’s that would make you more interested in a project than others? Subject? Storyline? Writers involved?
IM: Certainly all of the above when I have my say, haha. I’m very fortunate to be in a place now where I get to choose the kinds of work I want to do. When I was starting out, I’d take whatever came my way, provided it wasn’t too exploitative of me, and I had no moral opposition to it. Nowadays, I’m most interested in writing my own work, or getting to collaborate with a writer whom I really admire creatively.
Count
GVN: Your latest book is based on the classic Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. What made you decide to adapt that classic story and was a science fiction base always your intention?
IM: I really love stories about justice and revenge. I got to thinking “what are some of the greatest revenge stories out there?” just for my own personal consumption. Naturally, The Count of Monte Cristo came to mind. Then I thought, “what if that story (the original being very long and soap-operatic) was updated in some way and full of action?” A fantasy/sci-fi setting that was a bit more otherworldly seemed like a great place to set it. I thought it could be more timeless than 19th century France. It also gave me the opportunity to inject elements that I love into the narrative. Such as hovering vehicles with unique designs, automatons, and a really cool sword that I made up just for this, haha.
Vengeance is a Dish Best Served Cold
GVN: The thing I love about Count after reading it, is that even if you are unfamiliar with the classic tale, your story holds up on its own as an exciting adventure. Filled with love, betrayal, villains, revenge and resolution. Was that an important aspect for the book, especially for those younger readers who might not be familiar with Dumas story?
IM: Thanks very much. I think those elements you mention are what make the original a classic, so I definitely wanted to keep that DNA present. However, I also could then put my own spin on the process and the resolution. In the original, the protagonist struggles with his own revenge a bit and how it’s effecting the people involved. But it’s on a smaller scale. I wanted to raise the stakes and give his thirst for revenge a cost that reached farther than just his own circle. My hope is that it gets people thinking about “we” vs “me” a bit after reading it.
GVN: I also loved the quotes interspersed between chapters about vengeance. Was that your idea and if so, how did you decide which ones to use?
IM: Thanks! I took inspiration there from a book series that I love, Joe Abercrombie’s “First Law” series. He’ll begin chapters with historical quotes, and I think it just adds such an emphasis on the timelessness of the subject matter, even though it’s fiction. There are so many great quotes about revenge and the cost of it, and I felt those would really enrich the experience. So I selected a handful that I really liked, and I paired them thematically with each chapter of Redxan’s personal journey.
Working with Humanoids
GVN: You have signed a three book deal with the good people at Humanoids. Do you already have something in mind for your next collaboration and will it also be based on a classic, iconic story? If you are free to talk about it as of yet, of course.
IM: As of this writing, I am actually halfway through my second book! This one is wholly original, though it is recognizable in the sense that it takes two familiar genres and weaves them together. Too early to go into details, I’m afraid, but I’m excited to finish it and get it out into the world.
GVN: We really appreciate your time, Ibrahim. We will be following Count closely as well as what you have next for Humanoids.
IM: Thanks so much for having me, for the kind words, and for the thoughtful questions!
Humanoids: Count will be released on March 16th where all great comics and graphic novels are sold. Also look for our upcoming review of the book here at Geek Vibes Nation.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first 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 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
