Our interviewer sat down with comic-book editor and writer Dave Land -- who's best-known for his outstanding work as the line editor for Dark Horse's Star Wars comics -- to find out more about Diablo: Tales of Sanctuary.
Shawna Ervin-Gore: How did you get involved in the Dark Horse Diablo comic-book project, and what exactly is your role?
Dave Land: I don't recall exactly how it happened, I think I overheard our special projects coordinator, Rich Young, talking about some deal he was making with Blizzard Entertainment. I knew Blizzard was the company behind Diablo and was very interested in working on the project. Rich said there wasn't an editor on the project yet, so he brought me in to work on it. Blizzard Entertainment's Creative Director, Chris Metzen then provided the invaluable story elements necessary to script the feature. Besides editing Tales of Sanctuary, I also contributed two of the short stories -- "Rage" and "Hatred's Bride."
SE-G: I know you're a gaming fan ... have you played Diablo much? If so, what's your opinion of the game?
DL: What's much? Like a 120 hours a week? Then no, not much... I'd say at times I've spent as little as 80 hours a week playing Diablo. Okay, not really. But I have played it quite a bit. It's a great game. It's got just the right mix of action and story. The visuals and sound really draw you in. And then there's the "consumer" aspect, where the game keeps you striving to make more gold so you can upgrade your sword and armor. It works on a lot of levels.
But really I DO have a life... Honestly...
SE-G: Do your video and computer game-playing habits come in handy when working on an adaptation like this?
DL: To a degree. There are elements in the game that spark imagination. When you're in a dungeon or running through the jungle, you can imagine that there's all sorts of nasty stuff waiting around the corner to attack you. Writing the stories was fun because I got to take those ideas and run with them. Also, the story elements from Chris Metzen and cinematic cut scenes in the game provided a lot of inspiration. They set a mood that I tried to maintain throughout the whole book.
SE-G: How does the comic adapt the game? Is it a straight-forward narration of
the game?
DL: It's not really an adaptation or a narration of the game. It's more an expanded look at the world created for the Diablo games. We used the rules and elements from the Diablo game and applied them to comics storytelling. I think you can read the comic, having never played the game and get, at the very least, an enjoyable read from it. But if you've played the game you might get something extra from the book. Hopefully it adds another layer to the world of Diablo.
SE-G: In your opinion, do adaptations like this work for video game fans? What elements from the game story are you able to draw on to make this a good comic?
DL: Well, there's the magic and combat which translates very well from a game to a comic. A lot of games are action based, which is perfect for comics. Diablo in particular was a good game to translate into a comic because there's a real sense of good and bad. The bad guys are overlords of Hell. The good guys are for better or worse, superheroes. It's got all the elements you need to make a good comic.
SE-G: More opinions -- what's your favorite scenario from the game, and is it one of the stories represented in the comic?
DL: My favorite scenario from the game is the "Secret Cow Level" where you're
attacked by wave after wave of demonic cows. It's completely stupid and I love it. I was trying to think of a way to sneak in some cow references, but in the end it got left out. Maybe next time...
SE-G: What can you tell me about Francisco Ruiz Velasco, who provides art for the comic? I know he first worked with Dark Horse on his hit series BattleGods: Warriors of the Chaak, which debuted last year. Why did you chose Francisco, and do you expect fans of the game to enjoy his work?
DL: Francisco Ruiz Velasco and Blizzard Art Director Samwise Didier worked together to create the art for Diablo: Tales of the Sanctuary. Francisco was chosen for a couple reasons. First, he's great. Take a look at any page in Tales of Sanctuary and you'll see what I mean. The man is amazing. Second, he's really, really fast. I think he was actually done with the book before I offered him the job. Third, he's versatile! He was able to alter his art style story to story on this project, which really helped to break the book up nicely. Each story definitely has a distinct look and feel. Fourth, he's great!