Skybound/Image Comics continue to deliver four-color resurrections of the pantheon of Universal Monsters with Faith Erin Hicks and Lee Loughridge’s new The Mummy comic book.
We got a chance to speak to Hicks about her new take on The Mummy and what Universal Monster fans can expect to unearth in this exclusive interview.
What was your concept for The Mummy comic and how did it change as the story took shape?
Faith Erin Hicks: My concept for this new take on The Mummy was to retell the original story of the 1932 film from the point of view of the movie’s female lead, Helen. In the original film she’s a half British, half Egyptian “modern woman” and also the reincarnation of the Mummy’s beloved from thousands of years ago. I thought it would be interesting to delve intimately into her perspective, both as her modern self and as an ancient soul who still loves the man who became the Mummy. That story perspective didn’t change much as I wrote the comic; it was always very much from Helen’s perspective.
The world and look of The Mummy will be very familiar to fans of the original film, but you also take the narrative to other places in Egypt through your protagonist Helen. How/why did you make Helen the center of the narrative?
Hicks: I’m interested in telling horror stories from the perspective of a monster’s intended victim, instead of the hero who defeats the monster. How does the intended victim find the strength to face the monster pursuing them, how do they fight it? I’m interested in the heroism of someone who might not be the traditional hero of a story.
You captured the famous scene when the Mummy comes to life for the first time in the comic. What stood out to you about the scene and what aspects did you highlight and/or downplay?
Hicks: I like scenes where a character is reading out a curse or a poem and something wild (like raising a mummy from the dead) happens because they spoke aloud certain words. I wanted to emphasize that in the comic, so I drew a scene where the words from the Scroll of Thoth float across the comic page. It’s fun when you get that “oh shit” moment where you know something bad is going to happen, but you don’t yet know what the bad thing is going to be.
This is the fourth Universal Monsters title from Skybound. If you were to take a stab at one of the other monsters that have been used or have yet to appear in a comic, would you have one in mind?
Hicks: I haven’t actually seen the film, but I’ll take a crack at Dracula’s Daughter if I could! I love an evil female villain, let me at ’em. 😉
Lee Loughridge’s colors really bring the story and Egypt to life. Why do you think his coloring is so effective in this regard?
Hicks: Lee has been amazing to work with! I did a bunch of inkwash shading over to my traditional comic inks, to give the Mummy pages a dusty, ancient look. Lee’s colours have really helped to accent the mood I’m trying to bring to the book, one of creeping dread and the looming weight of ancient history. He just makes everything look so good.
The Mummy is a rather restrained monster movie. Do you think this fact allows you to add much more to the narrative and expand on it?
Hicks: The sparseness of the story did allow for a lot of emotional creativity, I think. I spent a lot of time digging into Helen’s mind, trying to draw out her emotions and put them on the page. It’s been a really delightful sandbox to play in. I hope I get to do more horror in the future, it’s awakened (pun intended) certain feelings in me.
Upcoming projects?
Hicks: Besides the Mummy, I also write Avatar the Last Airbender comics, drawn by my collaborator Peter Wartman. The newest Avatar comic is out on March 25 and it’s called “Ashes of the Academy”.
The Mummy #1 is currently available at your local comic shop.
Check out Hicks’ main cover below and stay tuned to Conskipper for all of your Universal Monsters news, reviews, and interviews.
