Eric Palicki and Wendell Cavalcanti return for another tale of mystery and monsters in the second volume of Black’s Myth titled The Key to His Heart.
The AHOY Comics collection once again stars Janie “Strummer” Mercado, L.A.’s only werewolf private investigator (and also the only one with a djinn assistant named Ben Si’lat), as she gets herself involved in yet another noir thriller.
We got a chance to reconnect with Palicki about his second story arc in this exclusive interview.
Janie is back for another noir-horror tale in Black’s Myth: The Key to His Heart. How has she grown since the first story arc?
Eric Palicki: We find Janie — “Strummer” — at the second volume, she’s more comfortable in her skin and her place in LA’s secret supernatural underground. Her client list is growing, she’s (mostly) quit drinking, and she’s continuing to foster the relationship begun in volume one with her former client, Carly Barnhardt. Of course, this is a noir tale, so I’m sure nothing could possibly go wrong to upend everything Strummer has built.
Janie’s earnest half-djinn friend Ben also returns in the new story. What do you like about their relationship and how they compliment each other?
Palicki: Ben is the comic relief but he’s also the voice of reason and he provides a nice counterpoint to Strummer’s sometimes self-destructive impulsiveness. This is on display again in The Key to His Heart as Strummer takes on a new intern in spite of Ben’s reservations.
You worked with Wendell Cavalcanti again on The Key to His Heart. As a writer, when you work with the same artist multiple times, do you think the storytelling improves? If so, why?
Palicki: Wendell and I have a working relationship stretching back over a decade by now, beginning with crappy short comics I wrote and posted online before either of us was ready for prime time. We’ve built a good system together, having developed an almost unspoken sense of what the other wants. I can write to his strengths–and I can write what he wants to draw–and he seems to anticipate what I’m hoping to accomplish in a given book/pages/scene/panel. It’s amazing and I hope we can keep making books together until we’re eighty.
Punk rock and heavy metal seem to be the musical genres that work best in horror stories. Do you keep the punk sensibilities strong once again in your new story?
Palicki: Black’s Myth–across both volumes!–is about outcasts finding each other and fostering relationships and becoming comfortable with themselves. That, to me, is the heart of punk rock.
Janie and Ben have some new monsters to contend with this time around. Did you have a favorite new monster?
Palicki: There are witches! But the demon hinted at across the series and ultimately revealed in the final chapter was a ton of fun to write. If I have to name a favorite. It’s her.
Upcoming projects?
Palicki: There is more work coming, but between NDAs and the fragile nature of the industry, I’d rather not get in trouble or jinx them. Stay tuned!
You can find Black’s Myth: The Key to His Heart at your local comic shop on February 14. The first volume of Black’s Myth should also be available at finer comic stores everywhere.
Read more about Black’s Myth right here and stay tuned to Conskipper for all of your latest comic news and interviews.
