Following a successful run at Image Comics, Hoax Hunters is coming back for a second season, only this time at Heavy Metal, where the series will launch the publishing company's first comics line.
Created by Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley, Hoax Hunters centers on three reality-TV show hosts who travel the country, appearing to debunk paranormal mysteries. However, they're actually covering up the existence of aliens, monsters and other things that go bump in the night.
Ahead of the March debut of Season 2, writers Moreci and Seeley and artist Christian Dibari gave ROBOT 6 an exclusive peek behind the scenes of Issue 1, revealing script excerpts, thumbnail sketches, inked pages and the cover process.
"There's so much and so little to say about Christian's work on this issue and on this series in general so far," Moreci told ROBOT 6. "I say so little because, man, these pages really speak for themselves. Christian is a tremendous storyteller and knows how to deliver great horror sequences while never losing sight of the humor that is so crucial to Hoax Hunters.
"One thing that really comes to mind while looking at these pages is the angle we're taking at this second season that, to me, really magnifies the best of Hoax Hunters," he continued. "We've really made it a point to streamline the story and up the humor and the horror; the story moves faster, it's more fluid and fun and engaging. I think these pages show the danger, as well as the laughs -- Murder is still doing whatever Murder does, Regan is ready to kick butt, and Donovan is still a sleaze. Add in a skeleton army on the rise, and you have the start of a pretty cool Heavy Metal comic, I think/hope."
Hoax Hunters (Season 2) #1
(W) Steve Seeley, Michael Moreci (A) Chris Dibari (CA) Rob Prior
History is made this month with the first-ever monthly comic to be published under the legendary banner of Heavy Metal! With the Hoax Hunters team in shambles following Jack's untimely departure, they head to Paris under Donovan's controversial leadership. The Image Comic series makes its Heavy Metal debut and reaches a crucial turning point on and off of the page! Ask your retailer about the special Rob Prior incentive cover!
PAGE 3: (five panels)
Panel 1: Close on the wall as the shape of a human begins to rise from it. This is kind of tricky to describe, but basically Moncrieff is both a lizard man and a ghost. He’s part chameleon, part a lot of things. He’s been hiding in the wall this whole time, as a ghost camouflaged in the wall. We don’t see much of what he looks like yet, not until Panel 2. For now, it’s just a human shape, completely adaptive to the wall.
As for the wall, to give Moncrieff’s shape some texture, how about we have the bottom half be painted a dark green, then there’s a divider rail about that, and then wallpaper to the ceiling. So Moncrieff’s form is pain on the bottom, the rail, then wallpaper.
MONCRIEFF
You are a most disrespectful, contemptuous little snot.
Panel 2: Two-shot of Moncrieff and Chad. Chad is on the right, completely in shock/aghast. Moncrieff—the man we saw in the oil painting, though now looking very much like a lizard (he’s shaken the wall pattern, to note)—stands on the right, pointing at Chad, giving him the tongue-lashing he deserves.
MONCRIEFF
If I could take physical form, I’d slap you across your face. You, Chad, are a black eye on the Edgerton name. The way you talk to people, those weird things you look up on your computer at night—yes, I see it all—it is unbecoming of our proud legacy.
CHAD
G-g-great, great, great granddad?!
Panel 3: Close on Donovan, head held low, shaking it as he face palms.
DONOVAN
Moncrieff…Jesus, you’re supposed to stay hidden…
Panel 4: Moncrieff, holding the lapels of his jacket, addresses Donovan. Chad is in the background, sitting on a chair, crying; distraught.
MONCRIEFF
Don’t you worry about a thing, Donovan. I have a feeling Chad here is going to have his act together real soon.
CHAD
I can’t believe you saw me watching those…those…I thought I was alone!
MONCRIEFF (cont.)
Now, if you have everything you need…
Panel 5: Ken buts in, putting an end to the ordeal.
KEN
We’ll make do. Thank you for your time, Moncrieff. You…you have a lovely home.
KEN (cont.)
Guys, let’s get the hell out of here.
PAGE 13: (four panels)
Panel 1: Wide panel, Regan, Donovan, and Murder walking through the catacombs. Skulls and bones line part of the background wall.
REGAN
It’s not that Ken hates you, it’s just that he…disapproves of everything about you.
REGAN (cont.)
That sounds bad.
REGAN (cont.)
Ken’s just a guy who is set in his ways. And, you know, he has spent a lot of time in his own groove.
Panel 2: Straight ahead on Donovan, with Murder close behind.
DONOVAN
What about you, Murder? You hate me, too?
MURDER
KAW! KAW!
DONOVAN
Grrreeeaaaat.
DONOVAN (cont.)
Look, it doesn’t matter if Ken hates me or not. I’m not trying to date his daughter. But, if he could trust me a little bi--
Panel 3: Upward on the team. They are all stopped in their tracks, looking all around, responding to a noise they just heard.
SFX
KKKKRRROOOOMMM
Panel 4: Focus on Donovan, an anxious look on his face. It’s dawned on him that maybe his idea wasn’t so great after all.
DONOVAN
Maybe that was just the caves settling…
PAGE 14: (four panels + two inset panels)
Panel 1: Close on Murder, standing at a solid brick wall. His crows circle around him, squawking, drawing attention to the wall.
MURDER
KAW KAW KAW KAW KAW
Panel 2: Straight ahead on the trio, Murder in the center, Donovan on the left of the panel, Regan on the right. Donovan is cracking a joke while Regan holds her hands up to the wall, examining it.
DONOVAN
What is it, boy? Is Timmy gruesomely caught in a bear trap and surrounded by cannibals?
REGAN
Hush, Donovan. You feel that?
Inset Panel: Small panel within Panel 2, showing Regan’s hand against the wall.
REGAN (off-panel)
There’s air coming through this wall.
Panel 3: Close on Donovan, from behind, as he moves his hands along the wall, searching.
DONOVAN
Well, if there’s something on the other side, then there must be…
Inset Panel: Small panel within Panel 3, close on Donovan’s hand as it shoves a rock into the wall.
DONOVAN
Holy Indiana Jones.
Panel 4: Wide on the team, from behind, as the wall in front of them opens up.
DONOVAN
A secret passage.
DONOVAN (cont.)
“Find hidden passageway in creepy old catacombs.” I can check that off the bucket list.
PAGE 15: (five panels)
Panel 1: The trio walk through the dark, narrow, dank passageway. It’s walls are wet, dripping. Slimy. It’s so dark that even their torches fail to really light the way. Regan, though, has her powers expressed, providing more light (and protection).
DONOVAN
Whoa, Regan, what are you doing?
REGAN
Uh, a living skeleton, a bunch of abducted people, and now a secret passage leading from what creepy place to an even creepier place…I figure now might be a good time to get ready, just in case.
Panel 2: Straight ahead on Donovan, Regan, and Murder coming out of the passageway. The passage opens up to some sort of reservoir, for lack of a better term. It’s a big, wide cavernous space. On the opposite end of the passage, a pair of waterfalls (about seven off the ground) dump into a small chasm of water below. The chasm splits the room in half, with stone walkways on both sides of the chasm.
Now, of course, all we really see is the trio coming out of the passage, maybe some of the chasm in the foreground of the panel. Up to you how much you want to show, Christian.
Donovan, here, has a sly grin on his face. Kind of mocking Regan for being worried over nothing (in his mind).
DONOVAN
Good thing you’re ready, Regan…
Panel 3: Switch POV, to see the other end of the room. There, by the waterfalls, we see one skeleton. It’s holding a rusted sword, looking over at Regan, Donovan, and Murder).
DONOVAN (off-panel)
We’re really in trouble here.
Panel 4: Wide on the scene as the trio approach the skeleton, somewhat cautiously. The skeleton stands in place, unmoving.
DONOVAN
So, should we just knock its bones apart and be done with it, or…
REGAN
But, how would a skeleton just up and assemble itself? That’s not…typical. You would think there’s something else—
Panel 5: The group, again, halts in place, looking all around as the walls begin to rumble.
SFX
RRRRRRMMMMBBBLLLLEEEEE
DONOVAN
Terrific. Way to jinx us, Regan.
PAGE 16: (three panels)
Panel 1: Cut to a big, beautiful Paris library. I’m not sure if such a place exists but, no matter. Let’s just roll with a fictional location rather than pin down some sort of actual place.
That said, it’s a big, ornate library. Floor to ceiling bookcases filled with old hardcover books. Big marble pillars. Stained-glass windows. I’m not sure how much of this you can capture, Christian, but this is what I have in mind. We’re looking down, specifically, at the study area, a bunch of big, oaken tables where people go to look over books that they absolutely cannot remove from the library. This is where Ken is, though we probably don’t see him here.
Since we’re overhead, if we can fit in one specific thing to tickle my fancy, that would awesome. We’ve had a bunch of Indiana Jones references, and I was thinking we can have one more. Remember in Last Crusade, when they enter the catacombs through the library? Indy finds the giant black X on the white marble floor and pounds through it. If possible, if we can have that X design on the floor, that would be awesome. It would probably be covered by the study tables but, if we can throw that in, cool. No big deal if not.
Mike, can we have the coloring/lighting in this room be a sort of golden brown?
KEN (caption)
Jean-Pierre Vincheneux…
Panel 2: Tight on Ken, seated at the table, studying an enormous book. The book is probably two and half times the length of an average hardcover. It’s old, dusty, antique.
KEN (to himself)
A Royalist who led an opposition against Napoleon in during his early days of power.
Panel 3: Show the interior of the book Ken is studying. There, we see an oil painting (typical in look at style to the early 19th century) of Jean-Pierre. But this depiction is a little unusual. Usually, these painting displayed noblemen standing in a stiff pose, probably surrounded by furniture or standing next to an open book. Jean-Pierre is different though. He’s dressed in a dark cloak tied at his neck with some sort of amulet. This amulet, Christian, is important—give it some color, make sure it pops, visually (we’ll see it again soon). Very Doctor Strange-esque. He’s holding one hand out from the cloak; levitating above his open hand is a human skull.
KEN (off-panel)
Now that’s a weird portrait…
KEN (off-panel) (cont.)
“A wealthy land baron scorned by Napoleon’s empire nobility…”
PAGE 17: (five panels)
Panel 1: Upward on Ken, eyebrows cocked in a “that’s interesting” pose.
KEN
Huh. Vincheneux was also believed to be a famous street performer by night, an illusionist, though he publicly scoffed at the notion.
KEN (cont.)
Some even believed him to be…
Panel 2: Back to the painting, though close and tight on his face. Seeing him closer, focusing on his eyes, he looks way more sinister.
KEN (off-panel)
A sorcerer?
Panel 3: Back to Ken, continuing his studies, though with much more interest than before. He’s moving faster, knowing that he’s on to something.
KEN
“Any doubts of Vincheneux’s secret identity were erased shortly after he was to be excommunicated from Paris. Vincheneux eluded Napoleon’s secret police and allegedly escaped into the catacombs.”
Panel 4: Close on another page in the book showing a weathered, age piece of browned parchment. French writing (text below) is scribbled on it. The writing is hurried, sloppy—not the pristine prose you’d expect to find, given the time period (where proper penmanship was the only way).
KEN (off-panel)
“A note was found in his estate, threatening Napoleon and his ruling order. In it, Vincheneux vowed to use powers of the dark occult to raise an army that would storm the city, then the world. The army was…
KEN (off-panel) (cont.)
“of the dead.”
Panel 5: Back to Ken, looking up from the book, shocked.
KEN
Oh no.
KEN (cont.)
It’s not one skeleton…
PAGE 18: (one panel)
Panel 1: Back to the catacombs where we left Regan, Donovan, and Murder. The three of them are huddled together, backs to each other. Regan is full on power expression, Murder’s crows are swirling around.
Surrounding them is an army of skeletons, coming from every direction, closing in. They hold swords, spears, shields—everything a 19th century army should have. A few even have small muskets (none of which, thankfully, actually work).
I’ll send some photo reference, if you’d like, on Napoleonic weaponry. They also have more antiquated weapons (such as spears) that, presumably, they acquired in the catacombs.
KEN (caption)
It’s an army.
REGAN
In a dusty old library not far from here, I’d bet Ken is just discovering that it isn’t one skeleton down here.
DONOVAN
Wonderful, how very meta.
DONOVAN (cont.)
Listen, let’s just clear a path and get out of he—
PAGE 19: (five panels)
Panel 1: Close on a spear as it pierces one of Murder’s crows.
MURDER
KAW!
Panel 2: Suddenly, the skeletons attack. They go full on after Murder, hacking down his birds, throwing spears, going after his actual suit.
MURDER
KAW KAW KAW
Panel 3: Close on Regan, screaming out.
REGAN
Murder!
Panel 4: Back to Murder, who is overwhelmed. His suit is being torn apart by the army. A few skeletons fly back, nailed by Regan’s blast, but it’s not enough. Murder has suffered some serious damage.
REGAN (off-panel)
Get off of him!
Panel 5: Close on Murder’s tattered suit, floating in the water. Dead crows float next to it.
PAGE 20: (three panels)
Panel 1: Close on Regan and Donovan, back to back, standing in the water, fighting off the attacking skeletons. Donovan knocks a head off, batting it with his torch. Regan blasts whoever comes close.
DONOVAN
Jesus, where are they coming from?! We can’t hold them off for much longer!
REGAN
Donovan…
Panel 2: Close on Regan’s face. Her powers are overwhelming her, the usual expression coming from her eyes are taking over her entire face. She’s about to go nuclear.
REGAN
Get. Down.
DONOVAN (off-panel)
What?
Panel 3: Center on Regan, releasing a mega energy blast. She’s never, ever done anything like this before. The blast explodes from her body, 360-degrees, covering the entire room. All the surrounding skeletons are blown to bits.
Donovan, luckily, had jumped in the water prior to this happening.
REGAN
GET DOWN!