Feature Category: Interviews

Dan Abnett has written a great deal of very well regarded tie-in and franchise fiction for everything from Guardians of the Galaxy to The Horus Heresy, from 2000AD’s Sinister Dexter to Doctor Who novels. His work has included novels, comic books and a CGI movie. Starburst caught up with him to find out what this extremely popular and prolific author was going to write next.

Starburst: Some of your recent work for the Black Library touches on aspects of the Cthullhu mythos. Can you tell us more?

Dan Abnett: The tendrils of Lovecraft get everywhere, and I love the fact that the Lovecraftian Mythos, which I don’t think he realised was a mythos at the time, permeates all of modern society, and as it clearly influences the 40K universe, I thought it was about time something very visible showed up, but I didn’t want it to be a Lovecraftian plot token, I wanted it to be something else that people who know Lovecraft would know what it refers to without it actually being that. It adds a frisson to it all.

What is the weirdest thing that has happened to you?

You really want to know? I live in a haunted house. I’ve always been interested in ghosts but I’ve never had any phenomena. My wife lived in a house where some slightly odd things used to happen, but we could explain all of it, but we now live in a 200-year old house in Maidstone and it was a cavalry officer house in the Napoleonic wars and we get apports, which is the appearing out of nowhere of physical objects and the best one of that was a huge bunch of keys that appeared in the middle of the kitchen floor. The keys don’t fit anything. At the moment he’s apporting Spanish coins, though none of us have been to Spain. I say he, I think it’s the Cavalry officer, we call him the Hussar.

Can you tell us about your story in Solaris’ new anthology, Magic?

They asked me to do a magic story and I tried to make it seem like an authentic, real world story. I felt that a political memoir could diverge nicely into the weird. It was fun to write and I really enjoyed it because obviously it’s very different to the things I normally get to do. When we did the book launch at Foyles, Audrey Niffenegger and Sophia McDonald talking about Halloween and someone asked did anyone believe in ghosts, so there’s a weird synchronicity there.

How does it feel to have someone else work on something you’ve created?

Provided someone does it respectfully, I never have a problem with it. With the Horus Heresy, it’s structured in a way that we would do that. So even though there are characters like Loken that I feel very proprietorial towards because I created them, I have no problem with them being used by others, I just want to make sure that if it’s a character I want to use again, that it comes back in reasonably good condition, or at least not dead.

Sometimes the process of asking for permission gives us a much better take on the character. Graham McNeil recently came to me and asked if he could kill a character in the Horus Heresy that I created, and by having that conversation we came up with a greater significance for why that was happening and it grew into something greater from there.

When you’re working in a shared universe like Marvel’s say, you’re inevitably going to see different versions of characters and ideas you created, but comics evolve in a different way.

Talking about Marvel, you wrote the recent Guardians of The Galaxy comic books, which are being made into a movie. Can you tell us more?

I think it’s delicious that they’re being made into a movie. I have nothing to do with it, they didn’t tell me about it before they announced it at San Diego. About a year ago I signed off on minor characters that we created, and I did wonder why they were asking. So if the movie, for instance, features Kosmo (the space dog), I‘ll be very happy because we created Kosmo.

Do you know if any of your other works are going to be made into movies?
I’ve already written one movie, and I am working on another two movie projects that I can’t talk to you about. Deadwardians and Embedded are also being looked at as potential projects. I’d love to see Gaunt’s Ghosts as an HBO TV show though what’s going on at the moment is pretty satisfying.

What is the difference between working for Rebellion, DC and Marvel?
Logistically, not a great deal. Working for American comics is different from working for British comics, because you’re writing 22 page monthly issues for things rather than 5 page instalments for 2000AD, there are simple logistical differences, but essentially you’re working with an editor and passing material along. Marvel and DC aren’t that different apart from the way the universes work, I‘ve always thought, weirdly, that DC is a friendlier company to work with than Marvel, but Marvel are more vigorous and exciting.

I was always a Marvel reader as a kid so I prefer their characters, though the DC ones are great as well. These days both of them are going through such ructions. I really enjoy working at the moment with Vertigo and Boom, whom I’m writing the Hypernaturals for, which remind me of the great creative experiences I’ve had with Marvel in the early ‘90’s when I was starting out in America. Boom is a fabulous company to work for, and because the Hypernaturals is our own thing, there’s much more creative freedom and liberty.

You mentioned Vertigo, how did you come up with New Deadwardians?

The name Deadwardians came to me and I thought it was funny, and then I thought what can I do with that, and in my mind the world came together. I didn’t want to do a zombie story or a vampire story because they are ubiquitous and I have no interest in either of them. Then I suddenly realised I had a brilliant idea for a world in which there were zombies and vampires and I needed them, so I decide not to call them that.

Only after that I realised that the best elevator pitch for them was it’s Downton Abbey meets The Walking Dead, but really it’s a class satire that happens to be supernatural. I loved doing it. DC and Vertigo love it, it got commissioned really fast. In better days we’d already be working on season two, but they’re waiting to see how well the trade paperbacks do. Season two is ready to go though. In the mean time, we’re doing another series which isn’t connected to The New Deadwardians. Can’t say much about it at the moment, but in terms of high concept, it is awesome.

Will we see any more Sinister Dexter?

Yes. The next story is called Witless Protection. We’ve changed artists around, and I’ve got a stalwart, superstar 2000AD artist doing this one. I can’t believe he’s doing it. Can’t tell you who it is though.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one book for company, what would that book be?

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. He’s my favourite author and that’s my favourite book. However, it’s quite a short book, so what I’d really like is the complete version of The Stand which is also one of my favourite books. Stephen King is a fantastic author, and with The Stand I know it would keep me going for a long time. If I’m allowed a third choice it would be Greenmantle by John Buchan; it’s the sequel to The 39 Steps. It’s one I read every few years.

You wake up in the Tanith First and Only (in the 40K universe). What happens next?

Depends on what my rank is. I’d probably follow orders very dutifully until I die three pages later. Almost every science fiction universe is almost a wish fulfilment thing, in as much as I’d love to find myself aboard the TARDIS or wake up in the Star Trek universe. They’re all aspirational, except 40K, you don’t want to live in it.

You wake up in Downlode (Sinister Dexter). What happens next?

Oh, Downlode? In Downlode, where almost everything is possible, I’d go to the Bar None and get a drink.

Is there a franchise you haven’t done that you’d love to do?

I’d love to write a Star Wars novel. I would love to be given either major Marvel or DC, either a Thor or a Green Lantern. In terms of universes, I’d love to write a Blake’s 7. It’s one of my all time favourite things. They approached me for the audios but I couldn’t fit it into my schedule, but I do love Blake’s 7. I wanted Paul Darrow to read the Eisenhorn stuff.

The Doctor Versus The Emperor, who wins?

That’s a story I’d imagine where The Doctor would end up freeing The Emperor from the Golden Throne and leading humanity to a glorious new future that escapes the stagnation of 40K, and then giving him a jelly baby and leaving, and being terribly glad about it all. Despite my loyalty to 40K, I’d think The Doctor would win, though he’d be chased by the Inquisition for all time. That would be an entire series of books.

Truth or Beauty?

Truth.

Simpsons or Futurama?

Simpsons.

Tom Baker or Matt Smith?

Tom Baker.

Charles Fort or Eisenhorn?

Eisenhorn.

Traditonal Games versus Video Games
Traditional.

Up next from Dan Abnett are Gilead’s Blood and Gilead’s Curse out next Spring from the Black Library, and graphic novel The New Deadwardians (reviewed HERE).

Edwin Hodge plays Danny in the remake of Red Dawn. Starburst caught up with him to chat about the film and his career…

Starburst: So, what influenced you to become and actor?

Edwin Hodge: One of my first memories was when I was 3 years old wanting to be inside watching what I called the ‘Magic Box’, which was our TV set. All those people, different situations. You could be a detective, superhero, lawyer, doctor, astronaut… it was pretty exciting for a little kid. My mom ending up taking me on auditions and at the age of 5 and I found my way on Sesame Street. In high school, I continued acting, but was active in sports and focused on getting a good education. I ended up making the honor role when I graduated.

Your first film was Die Hard With A Vengeance and you also worked on the Shane Black vehicle The Long Kiss Goodnight. Do you enjoy acting in action films?

I do, but I also gravitate towards drama. I also like doing romance comedy films; rom-coms. You get funny little quips, witty-one liners in a story that’s a lot of fun. I’m a big fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I’ve learned a lot from that show on dialogue delivery and timing.

What’s the character of Danny like in this film?

He’s different from the original. Here, Danny’s more of a conflict kind of guy and that comes from being a wide receiver on the Wolverines football team. The enemy invasion is a life altering experience for him. He has a more gung ho, let’s go get ‘em attitude. 

Did you prepare a lot for the role? 

Man, did we! We were taught by former military personnel for a week and a half out in Simi Valley, California. They were the best! Very instructive on weapons and how to handle ourselves. We learned how to open doors by slipping a knife under them, how to shoot and carry a gun, combat techniques, relying on and protecting each other. There was a lot of drill and we focused on objectives during our training. You’re put into a situation and you do your best.  It was a great learning experience.

Were there a lot of difficult scenes to film?

There was a lot of wear and tear on us during filming. A lot of running through the woods and emotional moments in the film that kept us mentally focused on some tense situations.

The scene in the cave is pretty intense.

Big time.

So what’s up next? 

I’m currently on Cougar Town and I have Christmas In Compton coming up. I’m heading to Paris to do a motion capture video game. I also have Open Heart, Grimsville Invaders,  James De Monaco’s Vigilandia with Ethan Hawk which is a very intense, dark, sci-fi movie of what could happen in the future and One Heart which is a dramatic football film based on a true story.

Red Dawn is out now in US, with a UK release still pending.

Starburst caught up with writer Jeremy Barlow to talk about his career, influences and the upcoming Dark Horse mini-series R.I.P.D. City of the Damned, the official prequel to the 2013 movie…

Starburst: How did you and City of the Damned artist Tony Parker get your break in comics?

Jeremy Barlow: I landed a job in Dark Horse Comics’ editorial department right out of college, and soon after began writing fill-in scripts under a pseudonym to help keep things on schedule. I had a knack for it, and people liked my work enough that after a few years my freelance schedule overtook my office schedule, so I took the leap into writing full time and haven’t looked back.

I met Tony and began collaborating with him in 2011, when Dark Horse editor Patrick Thorpe put us together for his Savage Sword anthology. We clicked right away. Tony’s immensely talented, which pushes me to write bigger and better things for him to draw, and that’s the best kind of collaboration. We bring out the best in each other.

What were your influences growing up?

I was home schooled, so my childhood was a little different than most. My family ran in some unconventional circles – politically, religiously, philosophically – so I was exposed to unique ideas and atypical people growing up, which all shaped my worldview. A lot of pop culture was filtered early on, though I devoured comics and fantasy novels, and a lot of ‘80s science fiction.

Catching an episode of the old Prisoner TV show in the middle of the night, almost accidentally, at age fourteen blew the doors off. It was The Schizoid Man episode, and I’d never seen anything like it. Just so different and challenging, absurd and smart; it changed my brain. Creatively I was a different person by the end of the episode. There have certainly been other important things along the way – Richard Matheson’s novels, Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone, the Wachowskis’ films, Brad Bird, Darwyn Cooke – but everything I do now stems from watching Patrick McGoohan battle himself at two in the morning. 

Was the comic book industry something you always wanted to get into?

In my teens I wanted to be a comic book artist. I had some raw talent, but I didn’t have the patience or discipline to develop it, and while I submitted short comic stories to Newcomers Illustrated, a Salt Lake City based publisher, I never got any traction. Their rejections were gracious and unnecessarily detailed, though. They picked apart my artistic weaknesses but liked my writing a lot and I took that as a sign. So, yeah – let’s say that was always the plan!

How did you come up with the idea of City of the Damned?

It’s an amalgam of everything I love. Sinister and absurd characters traveling through a wholly unique world – here an anachronistic old west – grappling with big themes and ideas and fighting monsters. Serling and the Wachowskis really imprinted the idea that stories can work equally well on a lot of different levels. You can be taken for a fun ride and shown a dazzling spectacle, and be completely satisfied by that, but you can also dig deeper and find theme and symbolism and meaning, and connect with the work more profoundly. My talent doesn’t even come close to theirs, but it’s what I aspire to.

Cover art for R.I.P.D. City of the Damned #3

Roy’s a great, crusty old lone gunfighter character like Hipshot Percussion, Latigo or Jonah Hex. Did you watch a lot of westerns to find the character and his voice?

I actually hated westerns growing up. Hated them. It wasn’t until I dug into the work of the three Sergios, three legendary Italian directors – Sergio Sollima, Sergio Corbucci, and, of course Sergio Leone – for a college assignment that I realised just how powerful the genre could be. The western is a purely American mythology, but by its nature it can’t escape the concepts of Manifest Destiny and the John Wayne/good guys wear white fantasy. Which just kills it dead for me. Through the European filter, though, it becomes something else entirely. Something more honest and true, more brutal and surreal, and the visual language knocks you on your ass. I love it.

The short answer, though, is Roy isn’t based on any particular character. To me he’s a pragmatic guy with a short fuse but a good heart, and who’s probably done some pretty bad things in the name of doing good. In my head he speaks with Jeff Bridges’ voice. Young, brash, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot era Bridges

With Nick and Roy going after a character Nick knows so well, without giving away the plot, is this the character that led Nick to his demise?

It’s a character with whom Roy becomes entangled on his first case as an R.I.P.D. officer, which is why our story is set 100 years prior to the events in the film. To say any more would spoil the surprise.

Did you get to visit the set when the movie version of R.I.P.D.  was being filmed?

No set visits, unfortunately. Executive producer and series creator Peter Lenkov has been involved with City of the Damned at every step, though, and he’s been amazing to work with. We couldn’t – and wouldn’t – have done this without him.

It must be pretty exciting to have Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges and James Hong in the film; and choosing Kevin Bacon as the villain is brilliant!

Yeah, the cast is outstanding! I can’t wait to see it.

R.I.P.D. City of the Damned is released November 28th.

R.I.P.D. the movie opens in US theatres July 19th 2013, with a UK release still TBC.

If you have ever wondered how the Slyvester McCoy era of Doctor Who would have ended had the BBC not stupidly cancelled the show, you may yet still get the chance. Legendary former Doctor Who script editor (and one-time Starburst editor!), Andrew Cartmel has teamed up with comic book producer Hans Vang in order to create Fan Fiction Illustrated, which will feature comic strip versions of those lost stories.

This exciting new publication is being launched via crowdfunding website IndieGoGo, and only has a few days left to run. Starburst caught up with Andrew and Hans, and quizzed them about this exciting new project, as well as other things.

Starburst: What should we expect to see from Fan Fiction Illustrated?

Hans Vang: You should expect to see a high quality fanzine full of great fan fiction comic strips, some novelettes and short stories, and maybe even some articles – but for the first issue we’re sticking with comic strips, that’s really the absolute main attraction of FFL.

Andrew Cartmel: Be prepared to be surprised.

What’s prompted you to create this after so many years?

AC: The chance to work in comics, a medium I love, with total creative freedom. Well, almost total – put that bullwhip away, Hans!

Will we see fan fiction from other Who shows like Sarah Jane Adventures?

HV: If a good story comes our way, absolutely. Personally, I would like to try to go even crazier, developing a series out of the Nelvana animated series pitch, using the artwork available on the internet as inspiration. I’d like to see The Daleks have their own stories, I’d like to see representations of things like Rose – Defender of the Earth, or whatever that spin-off show was supposed to be called before it was canned. I’d like to see lots of nutty things like that in the ‘zine down the line, and I have a feeling other people would also like to see those ideas represented as something tangible rather than an idea floating in the ether.

What elements of the Master Plan should we expect to see?

AC: The Darker Doctor, of course.

It’s called Fan Fiction Illustrated. What other fandoms do you intend to cover?

HV: Whatever we fancy, really. But Fan Fiction Illustrated is meant as a sort of banner title, under which several fanzines could appear, specialising in one franchise or another, rather than strictly doing a magazine with a mix of things.

How different would the newer series of Doctor Who be now, had you been able to enact your Master Plan?

AC: In many ways – particularly the character of the companion – the new series is a natural extension of where we were going. Rose was a direct descendant of Ace.

Knowing what you know now, if you could have done one thing different during your time with Doctor Who, what would it be?

AC: To write a whole bunch of episodes. But whenever I think about that, I realise it would have meant sacrificing some of the stories by my writers – and it would be hard, if not impossible, to imagine the series without the great scripts crafted by this talented crew.

You cite the excellent Vworp! Vworp! as an inspiration. What artists do you have lined up, and what else should we be looking out for?

HV: I’ve hijacked friends in the comics industry with whom I’ve worked in the past to illustrate things for the first issue, as there really wasn’t much hope of finding enough submissions to be able to boil it down to something of high enough quality, something worth printing, something worth spending your money on. And that’s important to me as an editor – if I wouldn’t want to buy it myself, it’s not good enough – not even when I’m editing a fanzine. The main objective of this exercise, for myself and for Andrew at least, is to have fun. That said, there’s not much point to the whole thing if we just include every scrap of content sent to us without looking on it with a critical eye, editing and conversing with the writers. I’m constantly looking for talent with whom to work in the future, so I also look upon this as a sort of development program for another project of my own that I intend to spend the rest of my life on.

What future projects do you have planned?

AC: I have a series of mystery thrillers coming out around Christmas, a trio of novels concerning a record collector turned detective. Keep an eye out for them. They’re a real labour of love, and the best thing I’ve ever done.

HV: I’ve got a project planned that I intend to spend the rest of my life on, to one extent or another. It’s a comics project that could potentially change the way comics are distributed in the future. I’m currently looking for investors.

What work do you wish you’d created? How would it be different?

AC: I don’t think in that way. If I love a TV show or book (eg The Mentalist by Bruno Heller or Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch) I enjoy it because of the specific way the writer has created it. I couldn’t imagine myself doing it better than the person who thought it up. I can do my ‘own’ stuff better.

HV: I really don’t want to have created any of the things I love – I’d be unable to enjoy them the same way, I think.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one book for company, what would that book be?

AC: The complete Encyclopaedia Britannica.

HV: Gosh, that’s an impossible question. Right now? Today? Probably The Star Wars Trilogy novelization. I’ve been enjoying the Star Wars saga again recently, so that’s off the top of my mind. If I were a masochist, I’d probably bring a cook book – full of pictures!

What inspires you?

AC: Although I’m not a huge classical fan, Stravinsky is a person who inspires me, because he never grew old or stale or fixed in his work. He just kept on changing, evolving and improving throughout a long creative life. US TV drama in general I admire (I don’t know if I’d say it inspires me) because it’s so goddamn much better than what we have in Britain.

HV: I’m very inspired by television. I adore television. Since Buffy, as mentioned above, I’ve adored television. I am so infatuated by the idea of getting 22 or 13 hours of great storytelling per year, rather than 2 hours every few years in a cinema. I love serialised storytelling to death.

I learned to write by watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a teenager, when it appeared on television in Denmark. So Joss Whedon, I guess. There’s not really any one author that has influenced me, I’m more influenced by ideas and good work than individual authors. I respect authors very much, and there are two or three authors that I would like to work with for the rest of my life, but that’s the editor/producer talking.

George Lucas is also a great inspiration to me. I still feel that special magical, almost tingling feeling when I think back to being a six year old watching a behind the scenes documentary on television about the making of Willow or the making of Indiana Jones… That feeling of magic is something George Lucas will always represent for me. This independent filmmaker’s stories and works, that are so colorful and so wonderful, will always hold a very special place in my heart indeed.

Simpsons or Futurama?

AC: Simpsons.

HV: Honestly? Neither. Family Guy all the way.

Coke or Pepsi?

AC: I don’t drink stuff that comes out of a factory.

HV: Pepsi!

Truth or Beauty?

AC: I’m shallow. Give me beauty every time.

HV: What’s the difference?

Rose or Dorothy?

AC: Got to be loyal. The latter.

HV: Dorothy, I think. She didn’t need a Tardis to go home – just a pair of shoes.

Tom Baker or Matt Smith?

AC: Hmm. Now that’s an interesting question. Damn close call. The production values are so much better in Matt Smith’s era that it’s not really a fair comparison. In the end I’d have to go with Tom because of the sheer scale of the body of work during his tenure.

HV: Tom Baker, obviously.

The website for Fan Fiction Illustrated’s IndieGoGo page can be found by clicking on the pic below…

Starburst caught up Booboo Stewart, Amadou Ly, Marisa Quinn and Judith Shekoni, four of the stars of the final installment of the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn – Part 2, which is released this week. Here’s what they had to say…

BOOBOO STEWART – SETH

Starburst: We’re going to ask you a question that you probably get everyday, but here goes anyway… How’d you get that name?!

Booboo: My mother gave it to me as a nickname.

We like it! You have a musical background. Let’s talk about that…

Yes, I have three sisters which I performed with two of them in the band, Echoes of Angels. I also took up dancing which I love and was in Eminem’s video, Just Lose It and went on tour with Miley Cyrus on her Best of Both Worlds tour. 

Sounds like a blast. So, your Twilight character, Seth Clearwater, what’s going on with him in the final chapter? 

Seth has a lot on his mind with the situation he’s given, but without giving anything away, he’s makes the right decision in his predicament.

Spoilers!!! Did you wear a lot of make up for the movie?

Not at all. It was all CGI.

Do you think this will really be the final installment of the Twilight series?

It seems that way as it ends on a high note like Harry Potter did.

Maybe they’ll go through with that rumoured spin-off. What else have you got coming up?

I did a short film called, Running Dear. I really liked doing that film as the script was so great. I play Jonah in Dave DeCoteau’s, Hansel and Gretel film. The Phoenix Larson role in Intrepid is a great part which is a well-thought out story of how someone can dodge or accept paths in their lives with consequences that affect them or the people around them. White Frog was another good story dealing with life’s ups and downs and there’s Space Warriors where I got to work with Dermot Mulroney, Danny Glover and Mira Sorvino. I got to go through astronaut training for the role. That was a lot of fun!

AMADOU LY – HENRI

Starburst: What interested you in acting?

Amadou Ly: I wanted to work as a computer science engineer. I entered a project in a robotic competition and got first place, but it turned out that they discovered that I came to the United States illegally from Senegal. Some big name actors and my friends helped me gain my citizenship for which I will always be grateful. I was incredibly shy in front of people talking to them and it was suggested by a friend of mine that I take acting lessons to overcome that. It gave the confidence I needed as I started to enjoy acting more and more, so I changed careers.

How did you come to get the part of Henri?

I learned about the role through Facebook and submitted my photo and name. I got the chance to audition for the role and when I got the sides, I felt that I was really close to the character and what Henri was going through. I also speak fluent French so that was a plus. When I learned I got the role, it was a wonderful feeling!

What’s Henri up to in Breaking Dawn – Part 2?

He’s from the French coven. This was the first time they included a new character that was not in the books. This shows that the vampire and werewolf are just not limited to the United States, but all over the world. He’s in the battle scenes and there’s a lot of interesting moments he deals with the characters.

Can you tell us about what you’ve got coming up next?

There’s negations going on for some films I can’t talk about, but I did finish a film with Jessica Goldberg called Swimming Pool.

With your passion for acting now, do you ever think of writing or directing in the future?

That would be awesome if that happened, but if there was anything that else I would like to do I would probably focus on music.

You should have a chat with Booboo, he might be able to hook you up.

MARISA QUINN – HUILEN

Starburst: So, what’s Hulien’s role in the final Twilight?

Marisa Quinn: She’s traveling with her nephew from the jungles of South America. They travel solo and keep to themselves for obvious reasons, but become involved with the situation in the final film.

Was acting your first career choice?

Yes. All I can say is I love what I do.

The late Robert Culp told me that – do what you love in life and you’ll be happy.

I totally agree. Movies are a magical world. As an actress, I get to pretend to be someone else. Live out their hopes, suffer through their defeats, deal with life in general with a wide range emotions and artistic expression.  Movies are an inspiration to all of us.

You’re involved with a film called, Sweet Mary & Jane…

Yes, that’s from my Monarch Media production company I formed. I got to co-create a pilot for TV that we wanted to do as a series as well as co-produce and co-star in. We’ve now focused on it as a feature film. It’s traveling around at the film festivals now.

Do you see yourself in the director’s chair one day?

Absolutely! It’s a natural progression. I’ve directed off Broadway theater and I loved it!

JUDITH SHEKONI – ZAFRINA

Starburst: Did you always want to be an actress?

Judith Shekoni: I kind of knew what I didn’t want to do as a child and that wasn’t being stuck behind a desk for the rest of my life.  I wanted to travel, see the world and have fun. I gravitated towards acting and loved it! 

Everyone has odd jobs when they’re starting out as an actress or actor. What were some of yours?

Ha, ha! Plenty! The first job I had was at 11 as a parade girl that walked the dogs past the bettors in the greyhound stadium on race day. At 13, I had to fill 5lb, bags of potatoes. The glamorous life!

Cool! Who were your influences as an actress?

My mom brought me up, so I’d say she’s the major influence, but as for films it was watching Steven Segal and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. I love action films!

We need to make you a Bond girl!

I’d love it!

For the non-Twilight experts reading, could you explain Zafrina’s character?

She’s an Amazon warrior that has a special mental power enabling her to influence other people’s minds with illusions.

What’s up next for you?

I’ll be doing a film in Nigeria in January and a lot of promotional tours for Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

***

Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 opens on November 16th.

Beautiful and charming, Mackenzie Mason is a star in her own right. An amazing woman with style and grace that includes an incredible range of acting talent, she could easily fit in with the glamorous, women of the 1940s silver screen. Starburst caught up with her to talk about her latest role in the hit video game series, Halo 4 as the AI computer, Cortana.

Starburst: Let’s talk about your cosmopolitan background.

Mackenzie Mason: Well my mom was a Lawyer in the Navy so we moved around a lot.  I was born in the Philippines and lived in Germany for high school as well as Miss Porter’s School in Connecticut before moving to LA to act and go to the University of Southern California. Education was huge in my family, as well as travel.

Did you perform in any student films?

Yes a ton of films and commercials just starting out. I recently did a comedic film called Body High and am about to start shooting on a short film I’m very proud of called Shattered Love. It’s a very emotional film about Alzheimer’s.

What actresses inspire you?

I’m a big fan of the ‘40s and ‘50s films. Grace Kelly, Lauren Bacall, Gene Tierney… women from that era are my inspiration. They have glamour, yet they have a wide range of on screen emotion. 

I agree. You lose yourself watching those actresses and actors from that time period. You become absorbed in the moment. You forget that you’re watching a film and you’re absorbed into their world.

They had a certain quality about them. You could watch Cary Grant or Errol Flynn for example on the big screen and you’re transported into a different mindset.

And the movies that you like?

Frank Capra, Preston Sturges, Hitchcock, the list is endless.

Working on Halo 4, as the AI, Cortana must have been an interesting role.

Yes, it was a lot of fun! We did a lot of performance capture on the film and it turned out great! Cortana is the artificial intelligence that guides Chief through the whole game. She is dying from rampancy – a computer glitch where their system sort of burns out. This means that I spent a lot of time on set portraying a woman who is dealing with her own mortality and accepting her demise as a human would, even though she is a computer.  Shes so strong and powerful, it was an honor to play that kind of woman.

It was very interesting creating Cortana because of her quick changes in emotional states.  One moment, she could be quiet and reserved, the next she breaks out in an uncontrollable outburst. Every emotion conceived runs through Cortana’s system. She’s basically a bi-polar computer. There were times that I surprised myself what I was able to do with her.

What are you working on now?

I’m the lead in a comedy called Body High that takes place in Venice, CA.  After that is my short film on Alzheimer’s.  I also study comedy with the Groundlings and Second City improv schools. I have my own comedy group made up of other classmates and I started writing sketches for them as well.

Any hobbies?

I love reading. I also love sci-fi and horror films! I also make candles from vintage containers like film reels and cigar tins.  The company is called Vintage Wicks. 

***

Halo 4 is out now.

When the first full-length adventure of Lenore was published by Slave Labor Graphics in 1998 creator Roman Dirge became the figurehead for comic-books combining the morbid and the macabre with the absurdly cute, kick-starting a mania for the Cute Little Dead Girl that shows no sign of abating 14 years later.

Titan Books recently published Lenore: Swirlies, their fourth collection of Dirge’s comics, all fully coloured by the man himself. Packed full of gory piñatas, Cupcake Castles, unrequited romance and cyborg undertakers, Swirlies represents Lenore at her very best, and Starburst Magazine has taken time out to quiz Roman Dirge about what makes him tick and what valuable lessons he has to share with our children…

Starburst: Years have passed since Lenore made her first published appearance. Did you ever imagine that you would spend so much of your life creating comics like this? 

Roman Dirge: Honestly, I’m surprised I’ve lived this long, let alone still be working on my comics. You wouldn’t believe the amount of scars and broken bones I’ve had. Having stated that, I’m pretty thrilled that I still get to pen my homicidal muse. She’s looking good for her age.

In your introduction to the book you suggest that another collection could be due as soon as a year from now. Is that really possible? 

It is indeed. I believe it’s still on track. I’m an issue away already from having another collected batch. I’m that speedy these days. I’m like a puma and shit but different. 

In twenty years what has been your favourite piece of Lenore merchandise and why? 

The Dark Horse figure of Lenore being wrapped by a python with what is clearly the figure of Ragamuffin inside the snake. I like toys that tell a story. That story was don’t be eaten by a giant snake. It’s a lesson to the children, really.

Going forward, does Lenore have a natural ending or would you like to continue working on the loveable dead girl as long as you can?

I know how Lenore ends. I figured it out years ago. The ending is surprisingly tear-jerking for a Lenore issue. I’ve actually thought about drawing it and putting it away somewhere to be released after my demise. I’m also an artist though, and it’s so tough not to see the reaction of your efforts.  I dunno…

If for some reason you were ever unable to create more comics would you want anybody else to take over Lenore for you, or is she too personal to share?

What? Do you know something I don’t? Is there a hit on me? Speak, damn you!!! When I die, I’d like Lenore to join me. I’m sure there are many talented artists and writers that could pick up her torch. It wouldn’t be me though, and the light would flicker not the same. When you’re the creator, writer, artist, colourist of your invention, it feels impossible to let go. I couldn’t imagine it.

Does Lenore have a soundtrack? If not do you do anything special while you’re drawing? Wall-to-wall torture porn DVDs?

Look, the wall-to-wall torture porn is just a decorative choice. I actually just listen to movie soundtracks when I work or I run through Netflix’s library of awful movies that I can sort of listen to, but won’t distract me too much.

Lenore: Swirlies is out now from Titan Books.

Since his debut feature film Paranormal Activity, which he directed and wrote, became a worldwide Box Office smash in 2009, Oren Peli has gone on to write and produce a string of successful low-budget horror projects with the intention of terrifying and unsettling audiences in a new and somewhat subtler way than the more graphic slasher films which came to characterize the horror genre in the early 21st century. As producer he’s overseen the Paranormal Activity franchise (the fourth entry in the series has recently been released) as well as the 2010 chiller Insidious and the TV mini-series The River in 2011.  More movies are on the way including Lords of Salem (as producer) and Area 51 (as director/producer/writer) but Starburst recently spoke to Oren as his most recent hit, Chernobyl Diaries, arrives on Blu-ray/DVD.

Starburst:  You co-wrote Chernobyl Diaries? What inspired the story?

Oren Peli: It was rather accidental.  I was browsing the internet one day and found websites with videos and photo blogs from people who travelled to Pripyat and Chernobyl.  I found it fascinating and thought that the location would make a great setting for a scary movie.

How much criticism did you receive for potentially ‘exploiting’ the Chernobyl incident and how did you deal with it?

Very little.  A few people (in most cases without even seeing the movie) decided to get outraged and make a lot of noise about it.

We worked with the Chabad Children of Chernobyl Charity and screened the movie for them early on.  Not only did they not find it offensive, they were appreciative of the attention to detail and the amount of effort we put into replicating the setting, and the fact that the movie’s release is raising awareness to Chernobyl.

The budget for Chernobyl was, by Hollywood standards, very low; this is something of a ‘hallmark’ of your films to date. Do you purposely set yourself the challenge of making low budget movies or does the lo-fi approach just suit your movie concepts more?

It’s a bit of both.  I do think that in many cases you can create an effective movie with much smaller budget than what’s considered a “normal” budget, but also, for my aesthetics, I like the look of lo-fi, raw, gritty, almost documentary-like feel.

As writer/producer of Chernobyl, how involved were you in the actual making of the film? Were you involved in the casting?

I was involved in every aspect of the making of the movie, from story development, casting, filming, editing, etc.

Chernobyl did well at the box office but received some negative criticism. How much does this sort of criticism bother you?

You can never please everyone.  In every project I’ve been involved in I hear both praise and criticism.  One person would say “I didn’t like the movie – it was boring…”, and the next person says “this is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen and now I have nightmares”. Always fascinates me that people can have such different opinions of the same movie.

Paranormal Activity kick-started the so-called ‘found footage’ movie genre. Do you take an interest in  other ‘found footage’ movies  and what do you think of those films which have followed in your wake?

I do, although not specifically just found-footage.  I watch all kinds of movies.  I always enjoy seeing what creative ideas filmmakers come up with.

Are you a fan of horror movies in general and which films/ directors would you say have most influenced you?

I like horror movies, as well as other genres of films. I’ve probably been influenced by hundreds of movies that I’ve seen over the course of my life.  Speaking of horror movies, the ones that probably had the most impact on me were The Exorcist and The Blair Witch Project.

You seem to be consciously making an effort to tell horror stories in a more traditional way, relying less on blood and gore and more on building suspense through subtler chills and thrills. Is this a style you actively developed or is it more budget-driven?

It’s mostly for creative reasons.  For me, over-the-top gore isn’t scary.  The kind of things the frighten me are invisible and unknown threats. I find it often more effective to let the audience’s imagination fill in the blanks.

Paranormal Activity was, of course, an enormous worldwide success and has now become an ongoing franchise. Was this something you had in mind when you made the first film or was it conceived as a one-off?

Totally as a one-off.  Never imagined it would ever spawn a sequel, much less 3!

You’re now credited as producer in the PA series. How close an eye do you keep on the progress of the series? Are you concerned that the films maintain their original style and ‘integrity’?

I’m still somewhat involved. I am a producer, but obviously I do not have as much control as I did when I made the original PA.  Yes, we always struggle with the balance of providing something new and fresh while not betraying the core formula that makes the fans like the franchsie.

Insidious was very well-received. The recent Sinister seems to have been inspired by Insidious especially. Are you pleased that your films seem to be influencing other film-makers or do you think it’s just a case of bandwagon-jumping?

I think that Paranormal Activity might have encouraged other filmmakers – especially horror – to find cheap ways to produce high quality horror films.  But these filmmakers have been talented way before PA came out.  I’m very proud of Insidious.

You tend to cast less well-known actors in your movies rather than big ‘marquee’ names. Is this driven purely by budgetary constraints or do you think your films work better with less-familiar faces in the lead roles? How important is the casting process to your projects?

It’s both. In many cases I think that having an unknown face makes a movie more relatable and believable. However, sometimes we stray from the formula.  We had Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne in Insidious and that worked great.

I think that casting is one of the most important parts of making a film.

Are you pleased that mainstream horror films have largely moved away from the torture porn style of the likes of Hostel?

It doesn’t matter to me personally – I think people should be able to watch whatever films they want to.  On a personal level, I do prefer more subtle films that don’t rely on over-the-top gore.

The TV series The River has just started screening in the UK and is very much in ‘your’ style. How pleased were you with the finished series? Was the show conceived as an ongoing series or was the mini-series always intended to tell its story?

I am pleased and proud of many aspects of The River, however, as it went through the process of development with so many different entities involved, it did change quite a bit in style and story from what I originally had in mind.

Originally, we hoped it would do well enough to merit a couple more seasons to tell the story.

Which of your projects to date are you most proud of?

I’d have to say the original Paranormal Activity because it’s the one I had the most control over so I have the most sense of ownership of.

Chernobyl Diaries is out now on DVD and Blu-ray. See our review here.

Find your local Starburst Magazine stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. Our issues are also available as fully interactive iPad editions, loaded with multimedia, and can be downloaded via Apple HERE.

This month sees the release of Gunblitz, a side scrolling retro shooter by independent developer Rapture Gaming Studios. Founded in May 2011 by Zach Steinke and Josh Hovater, they brought together friends who had experience in gaming development. Hard at work they have been and it’s now they feel ready to let the world see the fruits of their labour.

Starburst had the opportunity to speak to Zach Steinke about his passion for gaming, the studio he founded and what the future may hold for his band of indie developers…

Starburst: In the spirit of the magazine, what are your favourite pieces of sci-fi, fantasy and horror and why?

Zach Steinke: Well I could start off by saying I grew up watching Star Wars my whole life. I absolutely love sci-fi and I played Final Fantasy for years. I am a huge fan of horror games such as Silent Hill and Dead Space.  The companies put a lot of effort into developing those games, and did a good job at attempting to scare the crap out of me.

When did you discover your passion for gaming, beyond it just being something to pass the time?

My passion for gaming started at a young age, about the age of three I would say.  I have always had that drive to develop games and play them, ever since I played Mario and Zelda.

What games do you personally think are classics?

Oh there are so many classic games out there, you could go for the obvious and say Pong but that is too boring. I would have to say the old school Mario, Zelda, R-type, Gradius, all the Nintendo classics from the eighties.  Don’t get me wrong I will throw down on some old school Pong anytime… (any takers?)

Gunblitz

When was it you decided that you wanted to make games?

I have always been the creative type of person ever since I was young. I grew up playing with Lego and played video games a lot, so it has always been in my head that this was meant to be.

Obviously you can’t know what people will like and as a fan of games you have your own preferences. Do you find it hard making games but not knowing if it will please gamers?

It is definitely an obstacle to overcome being a developer, but we have to take feedback from forums and other websites to get an idea of what gamers want.  We have to kind of see what is out there in the industry and focus on what we are able to accomplish while still adding our own little touch to our methodology of game design, but keeping in mind that everything is about pleasing the gamer.

With that in mind how do you find balancing feedback and keeping to your creative vision?

I know that we will get criticism on our games, name a company out there that hasn’t been criticized for making games. We just keep in mind that we are telling our story and letting you be the listener by playing through it.  We do this so well that every story is unique and I believe that story driven games are needed, along with the retro ones; we have to keep building those.

The demo of Gunblitz reminded us of those retro games (particularly R-type), where fun gameplay was the focus. Do you think modern games concentrate enough on gameplay or do you think there could there be an improvement?

I believe that companies have been more focused on multiplayer games but keeping in mind that gameplay has to be balanced. Some games could use improvement but I won’t say just to keep the peace.

What are the positives to being an independent studio?

I think it is nice to have your own team of individuals that just builds games in your own time. This has to be a big plus for us, being an independent studio. We don’t have a huge publisher breathing down our necks to tell us to get this or that done.

Are you able to say what other projects your team is working on?

As of right now I am not able to say, I can tell you that we have some games being developed and yes that is plural for more than one and we have stuff that will be released in the near future.  I can also say that we have things in development that hasn’t been done yet for the industry.

What is your favourite game of the year so far and what is your most anticipated game of this year?

My favorite game this year right now would happen to be Borderlands 2, just because of how solid the game actually is, along with it being an awesome FPS/RPG.  My most anticipated game is. Well I actually have two games. Assassin’s Creed 3 and Halo 4 because of how much change is going into those two titles. I have a huge list of pre-orders though.

Gunblitz will be a launch title for the Ouya console but for now you can download the game from their website, www.rapturegamestudios.com. Get your trigger finger ready!

The eagerly awaited sequel to 2006’s Silent Hill is set for release this week. Just in time for the Halloween season, it promises to be one of the more interesting horror films this year. We caught up with writer/director Michael J. Bassett to chat about it…

Starburst: The Silent Hill series is a big hit with gamers all over the world. Does one have to play the video games or see the last movie to understand your new film?

Michael J. Bassett: As a sequel I worked on the script to explain the back-story of Heather/Alessa so that the audience will understand the movie without having to have knowledge of the games or the first film. People who have played the games know the story, but there’s also new elements created in the movie that enhance it. I believe it’s a good balance of the two.

Did you have the actors play the game to get a feel for their characters? 

Adelaide Clemmens’ brother played the video game a lot, so she got to get a good idea of the Silent Hill mythology from him. I didn’t want the actors to be locked into a certain mindset with their character by playing the games.  I wanted to have them interpret their roles with more human emotion.

Judging from the trailer, Australian actress Adelaide Clemens seems like a great choice for the Heather/Alessa role.

Yes, she had the right look and was terrific to work with! Really a great actress!

A lot of films have jumped on the 3D bandwagon. Why did you make that particular choice for Silent Hill?

In pre production, we talked about how we were going to shoot the movie and 3D seemed to the best choice. If you look at Avatar, it’s mostly a computer-generated film. We wanted to utilize the 3D process to immerse the audience in a live action environment.

Did you use the Red Cam for filming?

Yes. It can be a difficult camera to use especially when you have two cameras strapped together on a steady cam. The weight is quite heavy for the operator and you always have to make sure that they’re in sync all the time. The same with editing and sound. It’s a different process of filmmaking. It was a difficult movie to make, but the movie benefits from it.

What can you tell us about your upcoming projects, Saint Mary’s and The 4th Reich?

I’m no longer involved with Saint Mary’s. The 4th Reich started out as a brilliant idea and we’ve turned it into a really cool World War II found footage story that’s quite different. Sean Bean is a terrific actor to work with and he’s in this as well as Silent Hill: Revelations. He says he always gets killed at the end of his films, so we have a unique way of him meeting his demise in this.

Silent Hill: Revelations will be released in US theaters October 26th, before opening in the UK on the 31st.