Steve Foxe is a talented man with a diverse writing and editing background. He has put out over 70 children’s book and comics. In addition, he is the co-creator of Razorblades: The Horror Magazine alongside famed comic artist James Tynion IV, and is the editor of the smash-hit The Department of Truth at Image Comics. So needless to say, he is a busy man. However, when the opportunity to work with rock group Ice Nine Kills front man Spencer Charnas on a graphic novel for Z2 came about, he made the time.
Inked in Blood is a collaborative effort between Foxe and Charnas in conjunction with Ice Nine Kills upcoming video album called The Silver Scream. The book comes out on June 30th, so before it drops, let’s get a little inside information and welcome Steve Foxe to GVN’s Talking Comics Interview. Thanks for giving us some of your time, Steve.
The Beginning
GVN: Before we dive into Inked in Blood Steve, let us start with a little of your background. What got you interested in writing, and comics in particular? Were you a fan of horror, slasher films growing up and if so, which ones?
SF: Oh boy—well, I’m a child of the very late eighties, so I grew up during a perfect storm of spandex at convenience stores and Saturday morning cartoons. After that mandatory “I want to be a zoologist!” phase that 80% of kids go through, I pretty much had my sights set on writing as a career from middle school on. Fortunately, I went to a college that let me focus almost exclusively on comics and children’s books.
First Horror…
Horror, though, is a more dramatic story. As a kid, I was perpetually terrified of the VHS covers at Blockbuster, or my cousin’s talking Freddy Krueger doll. Even though spooky things in myth and folklore were some of my favorite reading topics. It wasn’t until I was 14 or 15, after I read Books of Blood and got to meet Clive Barker at San Diego Comic-Con, that the switch completely flipped. After that, I fell in love with the entirety of the genre. Thanks, Clive!
Then Slasher
My slasher appreciation came later, though. When I first started getting into horror, I went for the classics, imports, hot new indie flicks, etc., and glossed over franchises entirely. You have to remember that this was when stuff like Saw was getting annual releases. And because of that, it was trendy to diss movies that got to their fourth, fifth, sixth installments. Now, though, I’m a diehard fan of the sub-genre, with standout favorites being Sleepaway Camp, Friday the 13th Part VI, and every second of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.
Inked in Blood Synopsis
GVN: You picked some good ones. Especially the Friday the 13th and Nightmare Series. Obviously, Ice Nine Kills also appreciated Friday the 13th. You only need to see their video of “Jason’s Mom Has Got It Going On.” 😏 But I digress, as per usual. So, for those fans unfamiliar, can you give us a brief synopsis of what Inked in Blood is about?
SF: Inked in Blood weaves in and out of an upcoming story that Ice Nine Kills is telling across their album and videos. But it also serves as a stand-alone love letter to slashers—and examination of fan culture and media backlash. I can’t give away too much, but the book centers on a teen super-fan of INK whose devotion to the band puts her in a very dangerous, very deadly position over the course of one bloody night. Fans of the band should appreciate a lot of nods to their music and community, but slasher fans in general should also pick up on a number of tributes.
Working with Spencer Charnas
GVN: As I aforementioned, you collaborated with Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas for this book. This was made in conjunction with their latest cinematic album The Silver Scream. How did that connection come about and how involved was Spencer in the story’s development?
SF: So, Inked in Blood does take inspiration from The Silver Scream, but it also has a lot of fun with upcoming plans from the band that I can’t spoil here. I came onboard via Z2, the publisher, but working with Spencer and the band was a breeze because it was immediately clear we were drawing on so many shared influences and inspirations. Spencer had some killer ideas for the project but also gave me space to run wild and tell my own story within their framework, which is really ideal in a collaboration like this.”
Promoting the Book
GVN: Of course, the benefit of working with Ice Nine Kills is that they are selling pre-orders of Inked in Blood on their website. It is almost like a Mini-Kickstarter. Most graphic novels do not get that kind of exposure. How cool is that?
(On a side note, The title Inked in Blood brings to mind way back in the day when KISS did a comic book for Marvel (1977’s Marvel Comics Super Special #1) where they added their blood to the printing ink…literally “Inked in Blood.”)
SF: While the book is not, to my knowledge, printed with any human material included, it is great to see the way INK is supporting the book. Not to mention how well Z2 in general manages to get these projects out there in front of readers. I love the direct comic market and all the hardworking retailers and dedicated readers it’s comprised of. But especially for projects like this, making the potential audience aware it exists is such a huge element of it being a success. I always got a kick out of scrolling IG or Facebook and seeing it promoted. Like, hey, that’s me and the gang!
INK Encouragement
GVN: I know we touched on this earlier, but were there any restrictions that were imposed on your story, either by Spencer or the band’s representatives or were you given free reign to tell the story as you envisioned?
SF: I’m not just saying this as a PR-approved answer—Spencer and the band not only gave us the freedom to tell the story how we planned, they encouraged us to kick it up a gore level or two. Things get downright nasty as the book goes on.
Working with Two Artists
GVN: Having gotten a sneak peek, I can attest to this. Now, with that in mind, you worked with two artists for Inked in Blood, Phillip Sevy and Andres Esparza. How did that collaboration go and were there any significant differences in workflow between the two?
SF: Working with Phillip and Andres was awesome because both come with their own passion for horror and slashers. But while their styles are complementary, they’re wholly unique as artists. The workflow, thanks to our editor, Ryan Cady, was much smoother than you might expect. If anything, I think having two artists meant they kept trying to (politely) one-up each other when it came to the kills! Everyone on the art side, including the coloring and lettering teams and design, really brought their A-game.
Possibility of a Sequel
GVN: They did indeed. Hopefully, I’m not giving too much away when I say the the ending of the book leaves opportunities for more. Have you given any thought to a follow-up and if so, would Spencer be on board for that possibility?
SF: I never take a sequel for granted in this industry, so I tried to give this one my all with the expectation that this would be the complete story. But we all know a good slasher leaves the door open for more bloodshed. If Spencer and the rest of INK ever wanted to do more, I’d be there in a heartbeat. I just hope it wouldn’t be a case of that trope where the guy from the last movie gets killed off in the opening scene…I’d want to survive to do the whole thing!
On the Horizon
GVN: I certainly can’t blame you for that. Thanks again for your time, Steve. Before I let you go, did you have any other projects in the works you want fans to know about?
SF: Thanks for taking the time! My career is pretty eclectic, but on the horror front, I’d direct folks to Razorblades: The Horror Magazine. It is a quarterly anthology I co-created with James Tynion IV (Batman, Something is Killing the Children). You can buy digital copies from our website, ReadRazorblades.com, for whatever price you’d like. I edit James on the smash-hit The Department of Truth too, so nab that from your local shop to see what all the hype is about.
I’ve also got a horror/thriller OGN from AfterShock Comics that should be announced by the time this goes live. (True to his word, it was announced today (June 22nd). It is called Party & Prey, co-written with Steve Orlando, illustrated by Alex Sanchez and Juancho Valez, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. So keep an eye on my Twitter (@Steve_Foxe) for more on that and all of my other upcoming projects!
GVN: As I said, Steve is a busy man. Z2’s Ice Nine Kills the Silver Scream Inked in Blood drops on June 30th, so look for it where great comics are sold.
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.
