Michael Gilman: How did you get to be a founding father of Comics' Greatest World -- the universe now called Dark Horse Heroes?
Chris Warner: Back in 1992, I was splitting time between Dark Horse editorial and freelance illustration and writing, but I had lost interest in editing books. Mike Richardson asked if I would be interested in helping him develop a superhero line. I did a lot of the groundwork, developing the "operating system" and environments. After a few months we added Randy Stradley, Jerry Prosser, and Barbara Kesel to the team, forming a five-headed dragon that built the universe that culminated in 1993's Comics' Greatest World series. I created four characters/groups outright, plus had major input in the development of all the other characters and story arcs. I also produced the visual designs for the majority of the characters that were introduced -- all but three or four of the first sixteen protagonists.
Gilman: And one of those first sixteen was Barb Wire. Now a new Barb Wire comic-book series, which you are working on, is scheduled to be released in conjunction with the upcoming Barb Wire film. How is this series going to be different from the previous incarnations of Barb Wire?
Warner: The movie takes a departure -- as it almost has to -- from the superhero universe of the original title. The new comics series will reflect some of the costume designs and elements of the film but will function within the Dark Horse Universe. Since Barb Wire already has an established continuity and a cast of characters, it would be a little tricky to pretend they never existed. We want to combine the original character concepts with the best elements of the film, and then drop Barb back into the shared universe where it all began.
Gilman: Why a new series? Why not just continue where the old one left off?
Warner: I don't think Dark Horse was satisfied with the direction the book was taking. Because the film wasn't coming out until 1996, Dark Horse felt that the time was right to put the monthly on hiatus, recalibrate their sights, and relaunch the title in a more focused direction. The original creative teams on the book did a terrific job but as time went on, the book began to drift. I'm not trying to place blame on anyone, but I created Barb Wire, and, therefore, have a pretty specific idea of how I believe she functions. I sold this property to Dark Horse and was fully aware that other editors or creators were going to have their own takes -- and it certainly comes with the territory. All I'll say is that Barb Wire had what I thought was a clear-cut and obvious direction. I'm going to try to move Barb Wire in that direction.
Gilman: You're coming back on board a book and character you created, which has to be pretty exciting...
Warner: Very. I'm really looking forward to seeing the book back on the racks.
Gilman: How are you going to go about refocusing Barb Wire -- both as a series and the character?
Warner: Much of it will be visual. In the original series, some of the artists chosen were simply not right for the book. I'm not saying they're bad artists -- they were just wrong for Barb Wire. Also, the character didn't have the sense of humor that I intended her to have. She is a feisty, aggressive character, but there needs to be a sense of dark fun and a certain kind of character dynamic to the Steel Harbor environment. Steel Harbor is a very specific, special kind of place.
Gilman: As was each of the four cities that make up the Dark Horse Heroes universe.
Warner: Absolutely. And that was never carried through in the original Barb Wire series. Steel Harbor never had the kind of otherworldly quality that it really needs. It has to be a fantastic place -- fantastic in a decayed and destroyed sense. The environment needs to be a character. Just as Gotham City needs to be a character in Batman for Batman to function properly, Steel Harbor needs to be a character for Barb Wire to work. The denizens who inhabit that environment serve as a kind of Greek Chorus to underscore the series' subtext. This is particularly the case with regard to the Hammerhead Bar and Grille, the bar that Barb owns, which functions as a drain that all the worst stuff gets sucked down into.
Gilman: Kind of a nexus for weird goings-on?
Warner: Right. And when the new series begins, the Hammerhead has become Steel Harbor's latest "hot-spot"and neutral ground for all the warring gangs. So, rather than being a struggling concern for Barb -- as it was initially -- it is now very successful. This gives her much more conflict about her bounty hunting, which she always pursued to make up for the club's financial deficit. When the new series begins she's pretty much decided to back off skip tracing and work the club. Of course, things don't work out the way she has planned. We really get a chance to throw the book back into a large scale in its first four-issue arc. It's gonna be wild! After the first four issues, we'll probably bring the scale back down to a more appropriate, ongoing level. After all, you can't wreck the city every month! The first arc involves just about everyone I could think of so that we can reacquaint the readers with all the characters.
Gilman: That's good. The book had a strong supporting cast.
Warner: Well you're going to see everybody -- the Prime Movers, the Wolf Gang -- everybody. Motorhead won't be involved, but that's about it! Again, we're going to get more into the dynamics of Steel Harbor -- the different concerns, the behind-the-scenes treaties, how the city functions with these gangs, and how it sometimes looks the other way -- the socio-political climate of Steel Harbor. I created Steel as a metaphor for how America has allowed the inner cities to decay. Through America's inability or unwillingness to confront its urban challenges, the inner cities have continued to deteriorate and, to a certain extent, the horrific conditions that exist are allowed to continue just as long they don't cross the street. I'm not trying to belabor this point -- to do so would most likely trivialize it -- but I need some kind of solid, subtextual foundation to build a decent, ass-kicking story.
Gilman: Who are the other members of the Barb Wire creative team?
Warner: I'll be writing and pencilling the first four issues, and Tim Bradstreet will provide the inks. We worked together on X and Will to Power, and we're happy to get the chance to work together again. After the first story arc, I will continue to co-write the series for some period of time. And I wouldn't rule out the possibility of doing more artwork on it.
Gilman: Who will you be co-writing with?
Warner: I can't really say since the contracts haven't been signed yet. I'll be writing the basic plot, someone else will script it, and then I'll go back over it making whatever changes I think are necessary -- almost an editorial function. We'll see if that works out.
Gilman: Are you doing the covers as well?
Warner: That's the plan, if time allows.
Gilman: Since it's on the horizon and being released at the same time as this new series, tell us how much you had to do with the Barb Wire movie.
Warner: The movie came together so quickly that other than going to Los Angeles and meeting with Pamela Anderson to work on some preliminary costume designs, I didn't have much to do with the movie -- though many of the elements I created are prominently featured. Barb's character is dead-on in Chuck Pfarrer's script. Barb Wire came together very quickly, as opposed to The Mask, which was a big hit but was in development for years. The time Pamela first showed interest to the time the movie started shooting was only a matter of months -- apparently, this was necessary due to Pamela's window between "Baywatch" seasons. All I know for sure is that it came together at blazing speed, so I really didn't have time to get involved. All things considered, though, I'm pretty happy how everything's worked out. I mean, Pam Anderson for God's sake!
Gilman: You've been working on the Black Cross screenplay for Dark Horse Entertainment, correct?
Warner: Right. That's what's been keeping me so busy.
Gilman: As a person who's written both comics and screenplays, is there a vast difference or are they similar?
Warner: They are similar technically: descriptions of action, followed by dialogue. A comics script is broken down into pages and panels but is otherwise almost identical to a screenplay. I find that the real difference is in presentation. Professionally speaking, when you're writing a comics script, you've already got the gig, and what you write, save for some minor editing, is what will be seen on the printed page; so when you're doing the panel descriptions, you can be as utilitarian as you want. When you're writing a script, however, you're writing something to sell. Even if you're being paid to write a screenplay, there is no guarantee that your script, or any portion of it, will make it onto the screen. This, plus the length of the script, forces you to be more meticulous and produce a more entertaining read. Also, even though the financial stakes are potentially higher, nothing may happen at all. It's almost like you're playing the ponies -- all or nothing. I enjoy the relatively pressure-free writing in comics, but I'd do a screenplay again if there was a pretty good chance that something would happen. Whatever that means.