Steve Ellis and David Gallaher wax High Moon…get it?
Until Zuda shut down, deprivingHigh Moonfans of the series planned ending.
We had a chance to chat with Gallaher and Ellis about how much fun coming back toHigh Moonis.
What did you both draw from to make High Moon?
I see a little Tombstone, a little Leone, a little Coppolas Dracula, a little Lovecraft.
With High Moon, I had the opportunity to blend all of those things together.
Theres hint of August Wilson, a dash of Conan, and a smattering of Celtic mythology.
John Meston, the co-creator of Gunsmoke and actor William Conrad were huge influences.
I particularly liked how savage and visceral they made the Old West feel.
It felt important to have monsters that personified that level of brutality.
DG:I wanted the world of High Moon to feel authentic.
I spent a lot of time researching the costuming, the architecture, the geography.
I felt to make it have the mythic, we also needed to have a bit of the mundane.
Was it tough to weave them all together?
Did you have to work backwards from the climax to verify that everything was appropriately teased ahead of time?
DG:High Moon involves a lot of structured storytelling.
By Page 4, for instance, well set the scene.
By Page 8, well set up our first minor cliffhanger.
SE:We like to play with readers expectations, but theres always a method to the madness.
What is it about westerns that makes them so much fun?
And theres a certain unpredictability about the characters and the world that keeps the environment constantly changing.
Its certainly been a lot of fun.
Why come back to High Moon now, ten years and multiple collaborations together later?
What do you focus on when you read it now thats different from when you were putting it together?
Any spots where you look at it and say Damn, we NAILED that?
SE:And the new volumes look freaking fantastic!
SE:Yes, during the flurry of creation you kind of forget the nuances of the story.
There are of these great details that had escaped me.
In particular the end of the first chapter really works for me.
What it says about forgiveness, betrayal, and adversity really speaks to me.
Were there any challenges in moving the work from webcomic to publication?
Christy Sawyer helped us re-letter the first volume and it really sings.
Were really proud of of this project looks and feels.
Has the ending changed substantially from where you originally envisioned it?
Readers have been waiting a long time to see how the story all ends…
SE:I know I have.
DG:Yeah, I cant wait.
High Moon: Bullet Holes and Bite Marksis in stores on October 18.
For more news and updates on the upcoming volumes, stick with Den of Geek!
