Perfect for the Halloween and fall season, Mark Russell and Mauricet’s AHOY Comics giant-size one-shot Thanksgiving is sure to delight horror and comedy fans, as well as those who get stressed by the annual family gathering.
And speaking of stress, the characters in Thanksgiving have to not only contend with the normal family squabbles and food disasters, but also the presence of the mysterious Turkeyneck Killer.
We were excited to speak to Russell once again about another of his fine stories (in stores on October 22) in this exclusive interview.
Thanksgiving can be a time of celebration and also family arguments. How did the second part of this equation inspire the Thanksgiving one-shot?
Mark Russell: The family argument sort of exposes how far apart people drift from our memories of them over the years. How family, coworkers, fellow Americans aren’t necessarily who our love caused us to imagine they were. This is what Thanksgiving is about. Being forced to confront the reality that people we thought we knew and loved aren’t what we imagined at all. And then to ask ourselves what is more important to us– the family bond we share with those people, or doing the right thing? This is, more often than not, the price the devil pays for our souls. Not palaces or fame, but the opportunity to ignore horrible truths because it makes easier for us to get through Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanksgiving not only includes some real disagreements, but also the introduction of the Turkeyneck killer. What can you tell us about this character?
Russell: The Turkeyneck Killer is a serial killer that only seems to strike around Thanksgiving. So the killer is a regular topic of conversation around the Grandts’ Thanksgiving table, as well as those in other homes in the area. Also, because the killer is something of a Thanksgiving tradition and only seems to strike people the police and local government don’t care about, they don’t put a lot of effort into catching them.
What does Mauricet bring to the story in terms of his art style?
Russell: I think a good sense of realism. By which, I mean, it feels just realistic enough. Hyper-realistic and it would feel gruesome. Too cartoony and it wouldn’t feel serious enough. He strikes just the right balance, which is hard to do when you’re writing something that is supposed to be both funny and horrifying.
You’ve done a lot of great work for AHOY Comics. Does Thanksgiving resemble any of your previous work for AHOY?
Russell: I think it resembles a lot of the work I’ve done at AHOY, particularly things like Second Coming and Billionaire Island, because there are clearly elements of black comedy and social commentary. But, on the other hand, it’s very different because it’s a completely self-contained issue, so it exists purely on the level of parable in a way the others can’t. It’s not a story that uses metaphor. It is a metaphor.
What is your favorite and least favorite Thanksgiving food item?
Russell: I think my favorite thing is the cranberry sauce and whatever I happen to put the cranberry sauce on. My least favorite would have to be the weird creamy string bean dish that everyone seems to have on their Thanksgiving table. What is that thing even called?
Upcoming projects?
Russell: Well, among other things that haven’t been announced, I have a few more long one shots like this coming out from AHOY. Among them is a story about a company that, needing to cut its workforce, hires its employees to dig their own graves. Another one, called The Forgotten Divine, is about a cult that forms around these shared visions that people have of an alien world. I’m very happy to have as much work as I do coming down the pipeline.
Find your copy of Thanksgiving at your local comic shop on October 22.
