It’s time for the Loch Ness Monster to die. Or at least, someone wants to off the cryptid in Who Killed Nessie?, a new comic hitting Zoop today from creators Paul Cornell and Rachael Smith. But why Nessie?
“Okay, so ‘Who Killed Bigfoot?’ is a tragedy, ‘Who Killed that Fairy?’ is kind of horrid, but ‘Who Killed Nessie?’ is funny,” quipped Cornell in an email interview with Comic Book Club. “Sorry, Scottish people!”
To find out more about the comedy mystery, read our interview with the duo, below.
Paul, this idea seems like a real amalgamation of your interests: strange creatures, conventions, etc. What did it start with?
Paul Cornell: I was talking to a group of creative friends about ridiculous story ideas and I had a sudden vision of the title and the front cover. It was like a Muppet-y version of divine inspiration.
Rachael, when did you come aboard the project? And what was your approach to making sure a world with so many magical creatures looked cohesive?
Rachael Smith: Paul and I came up with the rough concept together, so I’ve been here since the beginning! Paul has since run with the concept and made something truly magnificent.
And, um, I don’t think the magical creatures fit into this world very well at all. They are centuries old, mythical, sometimes god-like beings staying in a slightly run-down hotel…I don’t think they are supposed to look cohesive. I think that’s part of their charm.
The pages I’ve seen are very packed with jokes. I love jokes, but when you’re approaching a comedy mystery, how do you make sure the stakes are there along with the laughs?
Cornell: Oh, there are stakes. There’s a whole pile of them in the corner of Lindsay’s office so she can negotiate with the vampires. No, but seriously, thank you for saying ‘packed with jokes’, I like packed with jokes. Everything I do is informed by Moonlighting, it’s in my DNA (don’t ask questions about my family), so hopping back and forth between comedy and serious stakes is kind of my brand. (Except when I’m doing deadly horrifying stuff like I Walk With Monsters, but you get what I mean.)
Why Nessie? Why did Nessie have to die? What did she ever do to you?
Cornell: Okay, so ‘Who Killed Bigfoot?’ is a tragedy, ‘Who Killed that Fairy?’ is kind of horrid, but ‘Who Killed Nessie?’ is funny. Sorry, Scottish people!
Smith: She knows what she did.
The creatures you’re dealing with are cryptids… What makes that sub-section of creatures so fascinating?
Cornell: ‘Sub-section’ is very charitable on your part. I’ve been reading about mysterious unknown creatures all my life, so I have offhand knowledge of stuff like the Mongolian Death Worm and the Jersey Devil. Hence I was able to summon up a whole menagerie of convention attendees.
Rachael, were there any that were particularly difficult to tackle?
Smith: None so far! I’m a bit nervous about the ones I’m a bit scared of though…I’m not going to say which ones…too spooky!
Similarly, a convention setting is usually packed… Does that make it more difficult to handle artistically, or more fun? Or both?
Smith: Definitely more fun! But I don’t think this is going to be a regular convention…
Assuming Lindsay makes it out of this one, “hotel for cryptids” seems like a palpable set-up for a series. Are there more stories to come? Is Bigfoot next on the chopping block, you monsters???
Cornell: That would be awful. Stop it. But now you mention it, and I honestly hadn’t thought about it before, maybe we could return for a sequel.
What can folks expect from the Zoop campaign?
Cornell: Signed book plates, sketches, original art and Zoom live-drawing experiences!
Smith: There will be some preview pages, a chance to preorder the book of course! There’ll also be a chance to bag some original art and there’s been talk of super cute, signed and sketched on bookplates…lots of cool stuff!
Who Killed Nessie? is crowdfunding on Zoop starting today!
