Blackline Interviews MISERY CITY writer K.I. Zachopoulos

Give us a little bit of background about yourself. Previous accomplishments in comics and elsewhere, aspirations, short annecdotes.

I was born in Greece but I tried to make myself familiar with the culture and tradition of other countries. My studies are on the field of social anthropology, which science really gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and give a second chance on every aspect of everyday life. Beeing a good observant, also means that you possibly can be a good story gatherer and probably an adequate story teller. I started as a writer of short stories and I managed to publish my first novel "Mon Alix", by a really open-minded Greek publisher. During the long way of writing and correcting, I also started to write some scenarios for short comic stories. This moment, except for Misery City, I work on my second book. I would be very happy if in the future, my books, could be also published abroad.

What is your background in comics?
I wrote scenarios for horror, action, erotic, social stories and so on. Some of them were published, in magazines and one(Mr. Universe) as a one-shot comic book. A lot of them, ofcourse, never saw the light and they still lurk in the shadowy drawers of my library room.

How did you and Vassilis Gogtzilas get together to make Misery City?
Many years ago, I saw one story that he published in Greece and I was amazed by the quality of his lines and his non-mainstream style. At once, I tried to find him and I gave him some stories of mine. Gradually we started working on many projects. Misery City was one of them. It is a piece of work that has a long history for the two of us. The first material and raw ideas had to grow ripe and give a fruit(Hehe!) of good aesthetic, that during the long procedure of making, Ιt would be for us a whole new world to explore.

What was your creative relationship like with Vassilis working on Misery City?

At first, I gotta say that we were very enthusiastic about working on a project that could be very close to our personal taste. We had to discuss about the atmosfear, the sentiments that we would like to create to the readers, the artistic line, that we had to hold. Vassilis is the creator and I had to completely dive into his mind, in order to be able to share a common dream about our hero and the microcosm, where literally lives(At least for Vassilis, Max and me!). In the end, Misery City is a product that reflects ourselves and our creative psychosis and obsessions.

What do you love most about writing, comics or otherwise?

Writing allows you-if you are lucky enough and you have the chance-to create your preferable worlds that probably they still do not exist. It is like beeing a small child, that builds a brick castle that never existed before, only by using its imagination. It is a procedure that gives you a sweet tiredness. You can sleap easier in the night and the monsters that you created are not anymore fearsome but they work as teddybears for good dreaming. For me, creating is daydreaming written on paper.

Who or what are your writing influences?

Robert Howard, H.P.Lovecraft, Jules Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, Lord Byron, Dante Alighieri, Paul Oster, Jack London, Marquis De Sade(who is my favourite. Think he would torture me to death if he could see with how much aucacity, I steal his marvellous expressions) and a lot more of creative writers and poets of previous centuries and of our own. Roy Thomas, Don Lawrence, Pat Mills, Hugo Pratt, Milo Manara, Jean Tabary, René Goscinny, gave me the opportunity to pass countless moments of reading and rereading, entering into magical and dreamy kingdoms full of adventure and romanticism. Music plays also a big part on the procedure of writing. Tom Waits and Keith Jarrett are always a good company while working. Travels and foreign countries, other people's ideologies and the chit-chat in the countless coffee places of Greece.

Are you working on anything else at the moment?

I try to be on schedule with Misery City, while I am working on my second book. With Vassilis, we are also working on the project of a short movie, under the title "Conundrum"

What did you get out of writing Misery City that you didn't have before?

The procedure of writing Misery City, gives me so much delight, that I feel eager to work on daily base. Sometimes Misery City makes me forget even my book. I am also proud of my work and I try each scenario to be of better quality and aesthetic than the previous. Max is a character that gives the opportunity to stretch my limits of creativity, ach time a bit more.

What's your writing process like?

Firstly, we sit with Vassilis, and we prepare our decafs. He analyzes to me, the basic idea for the plot. He sends me the sketches and I work on the scenario. During this process a lot of things can change as new ideas can arise. I always try to choose very carefully the comic books and books that I read during the period of writing Misery City, as the spirit of them can slip very easilly into Max's adventures. Ofcourse that's not always bad and sometimes I willingly "allow" other writers to enter Misery City.

Did Vassilis's unique art style affect your writing, or was it independent of the art?

Yes. Vassilis was for me at the very beggining something like a teacher for writing scenarios for a comic. During the long period of working together, we started to understand each other and I surely am able now to understand his way and to share the same aesthetics.

Which characters or plot points did you create?

The main characters were created by Vassilis. I participated in less than 10% in their creation. Some ideas about a couple of secondary characters are being discessed but for sure I cannot expose them now. Vassilis is the mind of Max. I am his mouth.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Do not write when you are very emotional. Always think and then write. It is very good to have a plan about your work. Readers can understand if something was created by chance or If it was planned to happen. I think they enjoy the second. It takes longer to do it but it makes you happier.

Why do you think your writing fits the Misery City story?

I'm trying to form the characters as persons and not puppets. People think, talk and act in different ways. Max is a very complex hero. It is like the spirit of a mad poet entered the body of Bogart. He is sexually depressed and yet always has high hopes for a new love. I like balloons to be as full it is possible. I understand these kind of persons and find them very charming, so I think that my flamboyant and sometimes gabby way of writing fits very well to Misery City.

Finally is there anything coming up in further Misery City stories, or other projects you want people to know about?

I really think that you have to discover it book by book! Misery City is huge, merciless. On every corner there's a new terror for Max to fight. Also for us Max's adventures is like a trip to the unknown part of our minds.

regards
kostas

Read the interview in Blackline Comics internet site