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Comparing Ash And Deadpool – Cullen Bunn Talks Army of Darkness

Published Sat, 06 Dec 2014 08:00:04 -0600

Nancy A. Collins, writer of Vampirella #7, talks with Cullen Bunn about Army of Darkness #1, both in stores now!

NANCY A. COLLINS: How did you end up with the Army of Darkness? Did you volunteer or were you drafted? Were you a fan of the Evil Dead series before taking over the writing chores?

CULLEN BUNN: I had been in talks with Dynamite's Nick Barrucci about working on a number of different projects. In those early conversations, Army of Darkness wasn't on the table, but I always had my eye on the deadite-infested prize.

At one of the conventions I attended, Nick asked if I would be interested in doing a book about Ash. I played it cool, of course, but inside I was doing a jig.

Those movies have always meant a lot to me. They were definitely a big influence … if not on my writing then at least on a couple of college-era D&D characters.

NAC: How does writing for Army of Darkness compare to, say, Deadpool?

CB: I guess many people see a similarity between Ash and Deadpool in terms of zaniness. But I think Ash is a little more subdued. If I were to look at a straightforward Deadpool tale, I'd say there were few similarities. If, however, I were to look at something like Night of the Living Deadpool, where I put Deadpool into the middle of a horror story, I start to see a few readily apparent comparisons. Both of those stories feature relatively serious situations into which a goofball has been thrown. Ash and Deadpool bring the humor, but the horrific elements are played for scares.

NAC: Does Army of Darkness: Ash in Space continue the storyline from Steve Niles' Ash Gets Hitched story arc?

CB: This story takes place in the same continuity as Ash Gets Hitched, but only loosely. I think we only reference that story once or twice in order to place this tale in the continuity. In every measurable way, this story stands on its own.

NAC: What inspired you to take Ash and the Deadites into outer space?

CB: Nick Barrucci really wanted something "different" for this series. He wanted something that readers might not expect. I liked the idea of mixing Army of Darkness with the tropes of classic science fiction stories.

NAC: What is your personal take on Ash and his eternal, undead enemies?

CB: Ash has always displayed a lack of self awareness, but his encounter with the deadites has him completely unhinged. Fighting demons, having your hand possessed, seeing your girlfriend possessed, and jumping back and forth through time will do that to a guy. You have to be a little "off" to go through that much hell and still be so supremely self-confident.

NAC: What can fans look forward to in Ash in Space?

CB: Readers will be seeing a lot of science fiction and horror tropes at play in this story, but I try to maintain the tone of Army of Darkness throughout. I feel like I've come up with something that is very true to the series, and there are some unexpected surprises on the horizon. I think the end of issue 2 has a huge, exciting cliffhanger for AOD fans.

NAC: Do you have any other projects fans should look for in 2015?

CB: What? 2015 is here already? I'm working on a number of exciting projects for the new year. I have a couple of projects with Dynamite, such as Masks II. I also have a new action/horror ongoing titled Hellbreak that starts up in March. And a tale of ghostly horror titled Harrow County starting up in April. We'll also be seeing the final issue of my fantasy/western, The Sixth Gun.

For more on Army of Darkness #1, click here.

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