Steve Niles has brought many monsters to life as a comic writer and novelist. His work in the horror genre has included co-creating 30 Days of Night, creating paranormal detective Cal McDonald, and co-creating Frankenstein-like hero Simon Dark. He co-created The October Faction and Mystery Society, he wrote the I Am Legend comic adaptation, his work has appeared in Spawn comics, and much more. In a conversation with Scoop, Niles talked about some of his well known projects, being a comic writer, and what he’s working on now.

Scoop: When did you become a fan of comics?
Steve Niles (SN): When I was a young kid in the 1960s and ‘70s, I discovered comic books. At first I read magazines like Creepy and Eerie but then spread to reading Marvel, Hulk, Spider-Man, and Fantastic Four. I’ve been a fan ever since.

Scoop: How did you get into writing comics?
SN: I was trying to make amateur movies and having a bad time with it. Just couldn’t get it together with no budgets and whatnot. So, one day I was looking at a film script I was trying to write and realized I could be doing comics. I’d been a fan my whole life, so it seemed like a good jump. Been doing it ever since.

Scoop: What’s your writing process like? Do you have a particular method?
SN: I like to start early and work through the afternoon. Generally, I will outline a story and work out the problems before scripting.

Scoop: Your character Cal McDonald has investigated some really wild cases. What have been the ones you found most fun to write?
SN: I’m really enjoying the stories I’m writing currently for a new Cal McDonald short story collection. It’s not comics, though, it’s prose. Cal fights all kinds of new monsters – and monster-makers. It’s called Cal McDonald: Plague of Evil and Other Stories. More below.

Scoop: In 30 Days of Night you write about vampires who descend on a remote Alaskan town that will be in complete darkness for a month. It’s such a smart concept for a vampire story. What was the process like to create the series?
SN: I read a small piece in the newspaper years and years ago about Barrow and how it went dark for a long period of time. I wrote “vampires” in the margin and eventually developed it into a story. When I teamed with Ben Templesmith for the comic, things really came together. We both agreed we wanted them to be more like “land sharks,” not romantic vampires and we rolled from there.

Scoop: Did you know right away how you wanted to write the vampires in 30 Days of Night, or did that change as you developed the story?
SN: We knew right away we didn’t want romantic vampires. At the time there was Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I wanted to stay as far away from those kinds of vampires as possible.

Scoop: Simon Dark protects his neighborhood in Gotham, but he isn’t the typical comic book hero – he’s a pretty scary guy. What interested you in designing that kind of character?
SN: I wanted a Frankenstein kid who was also a superhero, a macabre hero, who has to learn right from wrong as he protects his neighborhood.

Scoop: In The October Faction you write about a family of monster hunters. What was it like to infuse family dynamics into a story about dangerous creatures?
SN: I love writing monster hunters like Cal McDonald, but I wanted to explore something new. Damien [Worm] and I worked up October Faction as a strange family who slowly become a team. I thought the family dynamic was really fresh and a new way to tell monster hunting stories.

Scoop: Mystery Society is a fun mix of science, supernatural, and pulp with lead characters who have really good chemistry. What inspired you in the creation of those characters?
SN: They were inspired by The Thin Man movies and Nick and Nora [Charles]. I loved the idea of a team led by people who are completely in love.

Scoop: I love The Thin Man movies. You’ve worked quite a bit in horror comics. What is it about the genre that draws your interest?
SN: I’ve never really been able to figure out my attraction to the genre. I wouldn’t even go as far as to say I’m attracted to all horror so much as monsters. I love monsters. They’re misunderstood outsiders and I’ve always related to that. I like freaking people out, I guess.

Scoop: What advice would you give to writers who want to break into the comics industry?
SN: First of all, write. Don’t talk, write. Then when you have some stuff to show, go to lots of conventions and meet editors who can get you work.

Scoop: What are some of the challenges to writing comics that you think readers might not know about?
SN: Like any writer or artist, writing comics can be a lonely business. You never really see people and spend hours and hours alone. I happen to like it but it can wear on you.

Scoop: Switching from creator to fan, what are some of the comics or books, movies, or TV shows that you are really enjoying right now?
SN: I’m reading Eric Powell’s and Harold Schechter’s latest book Dr. Werthless. So far, it’s fantastic. I’m way behind on comics though and need to catch up.

Scoop: What are you currently working on now?
SN: I’m working on a series of huge graphic novels that haven’t been announced yet. I’m also self-publishing the new Cal McDonald book and very excited. It’s called Cal McDonald: Plague of Evil and Other Stories. I got a great cover from Joe Jusko and a ton of artists for the interior’s stories. I hope to get it out in the next few months.