Writer Neil Kleid and artist Alex Cormack’s new Comixology Originals series Medieval may take its inspiration from Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, but the story, combining a love of baseball, the Bronx, and sixth-century Britain, is sure to please modern comic readers looking for an irreverent, violent, and wild new series.
We spoke to Kleid all about his new series (which is now on issue #3) in our extensive and entertaining interview with the writer.
You have stated that the original inspiration for Medieval came from reading Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. What did you enjoy about it that inspired your tale?
Neil Kleid: Yankee has always been one of those books I’ve been fascinated by. Many films and comics that I’ve loved have been based on it, and there was always a part of me that wanted to read it…but to be fair, the density of prose and language had always scared me off. Finally, I dug in and it took me a while…and I found it wry and relatable, hilarious in parts, and a fantastic treatise on the effects of capitalism and industry in a feudal society.
So, that all said..I have gone on record to say that in Twain’s novel, his protagonist, a guy named Hank Morgan—a time-displaced, nineteenth-century “yankee” who seems to be a man of all trades—introduces a variety of modern upgrades, tools, philosophies and military tactics into sixth-century England, specifically into Camelot. My one big beef with Twain’s book is: how was Morgan so well-rounded, and how did he know how to do all of the things that he did, and also do them pretty perfectly? Look, between you and me…I can do a lot of things—I can make comics, cook a meal, design a website, play sports—but there is quite a bit I can absolutely NOT do. There’s a huge gap between being able to use a cell phone and being able to invent one. To me, that’s where Twain’s Yankee lost me—I just didn’t believe that Hank Morgan had the breadth of knowledge and know-how that he did.
For Medieval, I wanted to present readers with a regular New Yorker—brash, passionate, opinionated…but also limited, as most of us are. Danny, our hero, knows a lot about plumbing and baseball, and he can drink and curse with the best of them. But he can’t build an electrical grid from scratch, or a smart phone, or do many, many other things. So, he’s stuck out of time having lost a great deal of what we take for granted: a girl, a team, a city, a job, and all the modern bells and whistles we can’t really do without. So, when you’ve got a guy who’s lost everything he loved, what is he left with? Who does he become? What can he become…and what can he change?
That’s what Twain’s book inspired. I hope my take will be as entertaining (and timeless!) as his was.
How would you describe your Danny Landau and how is he able to transition to life in a very different time?
Kleid: I think our hero, Danny Landau, is all of us. Maybe not an “everyman,” but he has big feelings and big anger and big loyalty. He’s a guy from the Bronx who loves a girl and a team (in that order) trying to get back home from Camelot after getting hit on the head with a line drive while sitting in the bleachers. I think what’s great about that is that we can all relate to the dude. Alex and I have presented Danny as a man out of time, sure, but despite all the blood and violence, despite all the f-bombs…he is completely human. Danny loves and is loyal, he gets lonely and envious, and yeah, he’s got a mean streak but even when out of his element and reacting badly (often very badly), he’s just a flawed, limited guy trying to do right by his people, his team, his relationship and his country…and when he can, do right by himself.
What does Alex Cormack bring to Medieval and what is it like working with the artist?
Kleid: When I first typed up my pitch, I knew I wanted the series to feel viscerally cathartic—I had just spent years writing two very dark, intimate, emotionally-charged comic books and now I was ready to break things. That’s what led me to our talented friend, Mister Cormack.
I first encountered Alex’s work in The Devil Wears My Face from Mad Cave and Drive Like Hell, a high-octane thrill ride from Dark Horse. Alex’s art is colorful and gory and brutal and bloody…but also quaint and disquieting and sometimes emotionally sorrowful. I’ve gotten lost in it, and can dive right into the pools of viscous gore. Truth? Alex’s art is worth the price of admission…he manages to take my worst urges, and calls for dismemberment, and beautifully let them unfold in a way that is equally thrilling, gorgeous and disturbing at the same time. Despite being a Boston baseball fan, Alex agreed to co-author with me and I could not be happier. Mainly, our conversations are about “how can we push shit to the limits, and show something that feels emotionally relatable and also heartwarming…but also make readers eyeballs cringe?” When Alex emails pages nearly one hundred percent red, dripping with gore and teeth and broken jaws, I realize how much a perfect marriage this is, between art and story, and I couldn’t even imagine doing Medieval with anyone else. Our partnership has been one of the best I’ve had—enthusiastic, supportive, understanding—and I hope we get to do more together.
Which character do you most enjoy writing dialogue for?
Kleid: Looks obviously coming up with a thousand ways to talk about individual humans as male genitalia or figure out brave new variations on an f-bomb is a lot of fun—so yeah, Danny is a blast to write dialogue for. He’s me with all the niceties and barriers stripped away. But, truthfully, I’ll say that my favorite part of writing this comic was how much fun I got to have with the medieval dialogue. It’s absolutely gut-busting to me and a true joy to be able to layer sixth-century translations on top of modern-day phrases and slang. Sure, letting out my inner gutter and thinking up ways for Danny to insult most of the Table Round and King Arthur’s Court was one hell of a release…but the juxtaposition of Danny’s Bronxisms and pop culture alongside some Ye Auld England speeches coming from King Arthur, Merlin and all the rest? I got a real kick out of that.
Do you prefer a bat or sword as your weapon of choice?
Kleid: Funny you should ask, because last May—for my fiftieth birthday—I had a chance to visit Louisville, Kentucky where I took a tour of the Louisville Slugger factory on Main Street and custom ordered a wooden Medieval baseball bat etched with Danny’s name and the name of the wooden bat he wields in issue one—“The Babe.” Sure, a sword is elegant and all but, like Danny, I prefer heavy, blunt instruments like axes and bats.
Though, as a Star Wars fan I was really thrilled to see some bats at the Slugger factory with lightsaber hilts at the end. If you can figure out a way for me to have a working baseball bat lightsaber, I’ll send you all my money.
Upcoming projects?
Aside from various comic book pitches and projects in development, I am finishing an original horror prose novella that should debut around Fall 2026. This one is insidiously creepy and a whole lot of fun. Like Medieval, it’s inspired by a very specific book (which was also turned into a film…well, three of them, in fact!) It’s pretty recognizable to those familiar with the original influence. More on that as we get closer to the release, I hope.
If you dig fantasy books like Medieval, and are reading this series because of all the fights and jousts and blood, check out Kings and Canvas, a book I crowdfunded with Jake Allen, Frank Reynoso, and the teams at Outland Entertainments and CEX Publishing. It’s about an exiled king in a world where boxing has replaced guns or swords, who breaks out of prison to save his family. “Game of Thrones meets Rocky Balboa.” You can learn more about it and order the hardcover collection right here.
To keep updated about Medieval and my other books and comics from Comixology Originals or otherwise, please subscribe to “Nice Jewish Word & Comics,” my sporadic Buttondown newsletter, where I talk not only about my work but also comics, movies, food, and random nonsense. And I can be found talking comics, food and pop culture on both BlueSky and Instagram.
Medieval #3 is now available to read on Comixology Originals on Amazon.
