Among the many upcoming titles within the Archie Comics relaunch, perhaps the most interesting remains Archie in Hell. from writer Patrick Horavath and artist Tyler Crook. A more satanic engagement with the characters (though that’s not really a new thing when it comes to Archie), the series has our lovable hero confront craven cultists, devilish demons, and his usual band of weirdos. The Beat recently had the opportunity to chat with Crook about drawing the series which arrives in comic shops next week on November 4th.
Sean Dillon: How did you get involved with Archie in Hell?
Tyler Crook: I got a call from Hunter Gorinson earlier this year asking if I wanted to work on this book. I really, really wanted to but I was also in the early stages of a creator owned book. The short story is that I called up Patrick, who I had never met, to see if he was someone I wanted to work with. And SURPRISE! He was! I decided it would be a fun project and signed up!
Dillon: What is the appeal of Archie Comics for both of you? Do you have any favorite Archie comics?
Crook: My favorite Archie comics are always the ones I get out of the back issue bins. There is something really cool about being able to read an Archie comic from the 70’s and have it work just as well as the comics they made in 2020.
Dillon: In both Archie in Hell and your previous works there’s a degree of folk horror to your stories. What is it about this specific subgenre that draws you to come back?
Crook: For me, it comes down to my love of historical story telling. I think the setting for a story is as important as the characters. It contextualizes and guides every decision a character can make. And setting a story in the past gives things an automatic hook.
Dillon: Unlike with Harrow County, you’re largely working with a cast of characters that have iconic designs. How do you approach recreating and altering them to fit with the mood of the story?
Crook: That part isn’t really hard. I mean, I kind of draw how I draw. So my approach has been to draw these characters in a way that feels natural to me. While trying to make them feel like the classic characters. The specific setting sort of takes care of the rest.
Dillon: How do you approach drawing? Is it all pencils and water colors or do you use a digital canvas?
Crook: I use a hybrid technique. I typically do all my thumbnailing and penciling digitally using a program called Clip Studio Paint. Then I print the digital pencils out and ink them traditionally on paper. I find that working digital saves me a lot of time because it’s easier to make corrections and changes while the page is developing. But finishing the page on paper allows me to take advantage of the organic feel of traditional media.
Dillon: What’s your favorite page from the book so far?
Crook: I just finished penciling a page in issue 4 where someone dies in a way that cracks me up every time I think about it.
Dillon: Though the first issue doesn’t really highlight some of the monstrous designs you’ve done in books like Harrow County or the Hellboy books, what can we look forward to seeing?
Crook: It’s hard to talk about it without spoiling some of the fun stuff we have coming up. But I will say that stuff happens that will have the reader shaking their head and saying “poor Archie!”
Dillon: What’s it like working with Francesco Segala instead of coloring the book yourself? And are you lettering the book yourself?
Crook: Working with a colorist is always nerve wracking for me. I tend to take a very intuitive approach to my watercolor work and allow the colors to develop on their own terms. That makes it really hard for me to express what it is I want from the colored page. Thankfully, Francesco has been up to the challenge and has given us some really amazing pages!
I am lettering the book myself. Whenever I can, I really prefer to lettering my own pages. Mostly so that I don’t ruin a real letterer’s day with my constant tweaking and changes.
Dillon: What were some of your non-comics inspirations for Archie in Hell?
Crook: The obvious one would probably be The Witch. That carries a lot of the mood that we are trying to get at. And the clothes and architecture of that movie are incredible.
Dillon: What does the moodboard look like for Archie in Hell?
Crook: It’s mostly made up of period references. At the end of issue 1 we send Archie to someplace strange and that has required a fair amount of research to get the look right. So most of the mood board is made up of that kind of stuff.
Archie in Hell #1 will be available on November 4th.
