Kat Kourbeti interviews Krysty Wilson-Cairns, writer of Penny Dreadful #1…
BEWARE: There is a spoiler for the ending of Penny Dreadful #1 towards the end of the interview!
Kat Kourbeti: How did this comic adaptation come to be?
Krysty Wilson-Cairns: I believed Titan had approached Showtime about a Penny Dreadful comic, and when we in the Penny Dreadful writers’ room heard about this we all could barely contain our excitement. We thought it was a great way to explore more of the characters and spend more time in the amazing Penny Dreadful universe.
KK: How did you tackle the challenge of adapting an existing, well-known story into a new form?
KWC: Luckily I didn’t do this on my own, the story for five issue run was really created by Andrew Hinderaker, Chris King and I, and of course the whole process was oversaw by the incredible John Logan. We tackled it very much as we tackled writing the series. Mainly we thought about the incredible characters John created and weaved a narrative around the show’s established backstory.
KK: Being familiar with the show, I can tell that you’re going about telling the Penny Dreadful story using a much more linear timeline. Is that going to continue for the rest of the series?
KWC: No, with the comics we will very much see flashes from different times and focus on some events referred to but never seen in the show.
KK: What can new readers expect from this series, coming in without any prior knowledge?
KWC: Fans can expect something very true to the series. A cannon story that will show how many of the events happening from Seasons 1 to 3 were set in motion. But it is a stand-alone tale, so those new to the show can read it without knowing the series, and hopefully after reading it they’ll want to get to know the series. I’m probably a little biased but it’s a great show!
KK: And will there be any hidden gems for fans of the show?
KWC: Yes! That was one of the things we really wanted to achieve with the comic. There’s lots of hidden gems, and a lot more of Sembene!
KK: What can you tell us about Mr Harker? He’s a real mystery even for die-hard PD fans!
KWC: Jonathan Harker is Mina’s husband, and he’s recently lost her to elements of Darkness he didn’t believe existed and doesn’t understand. He’s a man desperate to save the woman he loves. If you want more than that keep reading the 5 issues!
Many thanks to Krysty Wilson-Cairns for taking the time for this interview.
You can read Kat Kourbeti’s review of Penny Dreadful #1 here, and while you’re at it, follow her on Twitter and watch her video reviews on YouTube.
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https://youtu.be/b7Ozs5mj5ao?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published May 14, 2016. Updated November 8, 2019.
