An Avalanche of Terror! Mad Cave Announces Dark Pyramid!
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Inside the Cave with David Pepose: The Devil That Wears My Face Q & A
Mad Cave Studios’ marketing manager, Maya Lopez, sat down with David Pepose, author of Mad Cave Studios’ highly-anticipated horror series, The Devil That Wears My Face! Read on to find out about David’s inspirations, his creative process, the making of The Devil That Wears My Face, and more!
Q: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions, David! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m David Pepose, a former newspaper reporter who has since gone on to write comics including Punisher, Moon Knight: City of the Dead, Savage Avengers, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Avengers Unlimited and Darth Vader: Black, White & Red at Marvel Comics, as well as creator-owned series such as Spencer & Locke, Going to the Chapel, Scout’s Honor, and the Ringo Award-winning Kickstarter series The O.Z. And I’m excited to make my Mad Cave debut with artist Alex Cormack on The Devil That Wears My Face!
Q: What is your biggest inspiration when it comes to writing comics?
I’m a big believer in “dessert first.” You gotta follow the things that inspire you, that drive your passion as a creator. If there’s a book or a movie or a character that you can’t stop thinking about, chances are, that’s a thread you should be following in your own work. Beyond that, it’s just trying new things — I get restless if I’m writing the same thing for too long, so I like to bounce around between genres… sometimes in the same book!
Q: In The Devil That Wears My Face, we follow Father Franco Vieri after an exorcism gone wrong leaves him trapped in the body of a stranger. What was your biggest inspiration in writing this story?
I’ve wanted to write a body-swap book for some time, and I’ve also been dying to write a horror book, so The Devil That Wears My Face really is performing double-duty here. Things like Face/Off, The Exorcist, and The Count of Monte Cristo were all huge influences on this book — I love the fish-out-of-water nature of a body-swap story, where both the hero and the villain have to adjust to their new surroundings quickly. There’s a lot of archetypes and expectations you can subvert in really fun ways.
Q: Was there any special research involved in writing The Devil That Wears My Face?
Tons. I read up on the entire history of the Vatican and the Catholic Church, literally reading up on every single historical pope before deciding what era would be the best fit for this story. Lots of research on the political structure of the Vatican, such as the various posts of the Curia, as well as just delving into the general historical context of world politics. And as it turns out, I did get to use six years of Latin classes after all when it came to translating exorcism rituals! (Thanks for that, “Magistra” McCarthy.)
Q: What got you into creating comics?
I’m a third-generation comics reader — my grandfather was a comics fan, my mother was a comics fan. When my parents got me a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #346 when I was a kid, I was instantly hooked. Comics have been truly a lifelong passion for me that’s evolved over the years, as I’ve gone from reader to intern to journalist to creator in my own right. It’s the most challenging and the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.
Q: Which character in The Devil That Wears My Face do you personally connect with the most?
The devil on my shoulder keeps telling me to say Vieri. (Laughs) Honestly, I connect with Vieri and Legion in different ways — Vieri is the side of me that grapples with doubt but ultimately tries to live up to his responsibilities. Legion represents my fun-loving side, the times where I’m able to really just cut loose and be creatively spontaneous. (The biggest difference between us is that I only murder people on the printed page.) But Vieri and Legion represent the superego and id to me, so they both resonate.
Q: What do you hope for people to take away from The Devil That Wears My Face?
I hope they have a great time reading this crazy cocktail of horror and action! Especially when they check out Alex Cormack’s incredible artwork — this is a guy who is absolutely crushing it with every single page, from the acting to the mood to the choreography. Get ready to get to know Alex as a household name. Beyond that, I suppose thematically the thing I hope people take away from this book is that the truth can hurt… but it’s ultimately never too late to face it and grow from the experience.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your writing process?
Usually when I lock onto a concept, I watch and read as much in that general wheelhouse to get my brain primed for that specific genre or storytelling technique. Then I write out a pretty in-depth treatment ironing out any plot issues along the way on an issue-to-issue basis — in particular, I try to think of my ending first, and then work my way backwards from there. Then I break down the entire series with a page-by-page beat sheet. Once that’s done, I usually clear through the panels of a particular issue before circling back to work on the dialogue. Dialogue is often where a lot of themes and character beats really stand out to me, so sometimes I’ll play around with the paneling if something pops out — other times, if I get stuck, I tend to bounce around to another sequence that’s already on my mind. Dessert first is my mentality — when you build enough momentum, it’s easier to break through any stumbling blocks!
Q: Who/what are your biggest influences as a creator?
As far as writing influences go, I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from creators like Devin Grayson, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, Dan Slott, Geoff Johns, Rick Remender, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa… honestly, the list goes on and on. My fiancée, too — she’s a voracious fiction reader, and if she doesn’t like the pitch, I don’t write it.
Q: The Devil That Wears My Face releases just in time for Halloween! Are there any books or movies you recommend to get into the spooky spirit?
My favorite horror movie has to be 28 Days Later — that movie made me terrified of zombies for life! I also love REC, The Purge: Anarchy and the 2020 remake of The Invisible Man… and I think Happy Death Day and Bodies Bodies Bodies are hilarious. As far as horror comics go, I love Afterlife With Archie, as well as Nice House on the Lake. Might I also recommend SINK from my Devil cohort Alex Cormack, as well as Alex’s other upcoming horror comic Drive Like Hell with our pal Rich Douek?
Q: Any upcoming projects we should know about?
Absolutely! I’ve got a few series in the works at Marvel right now, such as Moon Knight: City of the Dead with artists Marcelo Ferreira and Sean Damien Hill, which follows Marc Spector as he teams up with the all-new Scarlet Scarab to rescue a young runaway from a mind-bending underworld. Meanwhile, I’ll be launching a brand-new Punisher series in November with artist Dave Wachter, introducing ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. black ops agent Joe Garrison as Marvel’s newest and most dangerous vigilante. And last but not least, keep your eyes peeled for the third Kickstarter campaign for my Ringo Award-winning series The O.Z. with artist Ruben Rojas, as Dorothy Gale must lead the forces of the Occupied Zone against the iron fist of the evil Scarecrow!
Q: Any events you’ll be attending in the near future?
Yes, I’ll be at Baltimore Comic Con in September as well as New York Comic-Con in October — be sure to stop by my table, and I’ll be happy to sign your books!
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
I couldn’t be more excited for readers to get to check out The Devil That Wears My Face — I think this is some of my best creator-owned work to date, and Alex is just swinging for the fences on every page, which is going to leave you on the edge of your seats in either pure excitement or abject terror. (Or maybe both!) If you’re a fan of Face/Off or The Exorcist, you’re going to love our terrifying body-swap tale — it’s a gorgeously creepy adventure unlike anything else you’ll find at your comics shop!
About David Pepose
David Pepose, Author
A former crime reporter turned Ringo Award-winning comic book creator, David Pepose has written titles such as SAVAGE AVENGERS, FANTASTIC FOUR, HULK, AVENGERS UNLIMITED, DARTH VADER: BLACK, WHITE & RED, SPENCER & LOCKE, GOING TO THE CHAPEL, THE O.Z., SCOUT’S HONOR, and much more. Raised in St. Louis, David now lives in sunny Los Angeles with his understanding partner, their rambunctious terrier, and at least six deadlines.
TRAILER
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The Devil That Wears My Face drops in shops October 2023, just in time for spooky season! You can pre-order the first issue on the official Mad Cave Studios website!
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