Some monster stories are about how fantastic creatures with bestial appearances survive in an ever-changing world, while others are about humans with a grotesque nature and how they developed such inner savagery. Both are equally fascinating, and writer Cullen Bunn is currently telling each of these the types of monster tales for AfterShock Comics.
In the recently launched Brothers Dracul Bunn and artist Mirko Colak are telling a tale that blends history and supernatural horror that shows how Vlad Tepes became the infamous tyrant known as “The Impaler.” In Dark Ark, Bunn and artist Juan Doe are chronicling the voyages of the mirror image of Noah’s Ark; a massive ship that allowed monsters to survive the great flood, and is crewed by a powerful magician and his family.
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In Dark Ark #7, Bunn and Doe kick off a new arc, which finds the monsters and crew of the titular vessel tasked with protecting their counterparts. CBR spoke with the writer about the new arc, the monsters it will feature, and their caretaker -- the powerful magician Shrae. We also chatted about making Vlad Tepes a nuanced and somewhat sympathetic title character in Brothers Dracul, the role Vlad’s brother, Radu, plays in Bunn’s narrative, and the titular siblings war with the undead.
CBR: Your love of monsters and horror is evident in most of your work, even your Marvel stuff. It feels like with your AfterShock work on books like Dark Ark and Brothers Dracul, you have a place to really cut loose and have some fun with darker oriented tales. What's it like writing these two books?
Cullen Bunn: Both of these books are a lot of fun. They’re both so very different. Dark Ark is a strange fantasy tale full of every monster you can imagine, all interacting and trying to survive (and survive each other) in this society that’s been forced upon them. Brothers Dracul, on the other hand, is full-blown historical horror, focused on Radu and Vlad as they are trained to be vampire hunters! I love that AfterShock is willing to take on such a broad range of comic properties.
The first collection of Dark Ark is very much a horror and dark fantasy tale, but it also felt like a prison story as well. Was that your intention? Are Shrae and his family sort of the reluctant guards and warden of a floating penitentiary, where they're sort of trapped with the unruly inmates?
Yes, Dark Ark was always meant to feel a bit like a prison story. Shrae and his family watch over them, make sure they don’t cut out of line and keep them alive while they are on their journey. But the humans are very much prisoners right along with them. I wanted to show numerous factions -- human “wardens”, human prisoners, various groups of monsters, etc., all working in this prison-like setting. And as we explore the bigger world (with Noah, for instance) we realize that everyone is imprisoned by circumstance.
You gave us some hints of Shrae's sorcerous abilities in the first storyline of Dark Ark, but can you talk at all about how powerful he is? Also, how does he feel about that power? Is he reluctant to use all the forces he can command?
Shrae is very powerful. In theory, he’s ancient. Noah, for instance was said to be hundreds of years old, and Shrae’s probably in the same age range. He is a powerful sorcerer, and we see some of that when he calls down lightning or the like. Despite that, I don’t see his use of magic seeming very flashy. His magic doesn’t work the way, say, Doctor Strange’s works. I feel like keeping it more grounded gives the story an interesting feel.
Shrae and his family are just one half of the cast of Dark Ark, the other intriguing cast members are of course the monsters. It seems like you're especially enjoying writing Kruul, the manticore. What can you tell us about the inspiration for his character? What do you enjoy most about writing him?
I don’t know where Kruul came from, but I do enjoy writing him quite a bit. He’s become a favorite character. He’s big and vicious and savage. At first glance, he seems kind of dumb, but there’s more to Kruul than meets the eye. He has secrets to be revealed, and that’s always fun.
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Who are some of the monstrous characters that will step into the spotlight in the new storyline that begins in Dark Ark #7? Will we meet any new creatures?
Well, we’ll see a bunch of new monsters, but there is one monster who takes center stage. I will not reveal the name just yet, but it is an ancient god-like power that will be causing trouble for Shrae and company.
What else can you tell about the action and tone of this new arc where Shrae, his family, and his charges must protect Noah's ark?
In the first arc, we saw sort of a murder and mutiny. In this arc, Shrae is tasked with helping Noah against a terrible threat that is plaguing him. We really dig into some deep mythology here, and we also get to see some flashbacks to the time before the flood. This arc is definitely a world-building experience.
Dark Ark #7 continues your collaboration with artist Juan Doe. His art and colors have really given this series a great look and feel. What are some of the things Juan has added to story that fans may not be aware of? What have you enjoyed most about his work on this new arc?
Early on, I provided lots of descriptions of the monsters. But Juan also added many, many monsters of his own design. I liked those designs so much, I stopped doing deep descriptive dives and just let Juan go wild. The new monster I mentioned earlier is a massive undertaking with multiple forms, and it simply looks amazing.
Over in Brothers Dracul, you're continuing your collaboration with Mirko Colak, who you worked with on Unholy Grail. How does it feel to be back doing another period-style horror piece with Mirko?
I love working with Mirko! He’s a big fan of Dracula legends, so this story seemed like a natural fit for him!
Brothers Dracul #1 very much felt like a blend of historical fiction and horror. How much research went into the writing of this story?
I did just enough research to make me dangerous! While it is based in history, I didn’t want this to read like a history lesson. It’s absolutely fiction! So, I wanted it to feel authentic rather than be authentic. That’s where I focused my research efforts.
It feels like with the beginning of Brothers Dracul #1 and what we see of Vlad and Radu's youthful adventures at the end of #1 that this story will give us a nuanced version of how Vlad became the Impaler. What can you tell us about your approach to the character in this series?
We know where Vlad ends up. He becomes Vlad Tepes, the Impaler. With this story I wanted to show what might have driven him to such a bloody place in his life. I hope readers will see him as a sympathetic character, but also a character who should be feared.
The other important character of Brothers Dracul is Vlad's brother Radu. What can you tell us about his role in the series? What do you find most interesting about Radu?
Radu was always described as “Radu the handsome” and I wanted to see that come across, not just in his physical appearance but also in his personality. He is a foil to Vlad. He is a truly good person deep down, and that will cause trouble for him and his brother.
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Finally, can you leave us with some hints and teases about what we'll see in the next few issues of Brothers Dracul?
The first couple of issues focused on Radu and Vlad taking the fight to the vampires. As we move into the third issue, though, we’ll see the vampires starting to retaliate against the brothers. They are going to hit the brothers where it hurts! And it might turn Vlad and Radu against one another.
Dark Ark #7 is available on Wednesday, June 6, and Brothers Dracul #3 on Wednesday, June 13, both from AfterShock Comics.