Dark Design's Chris Munn
An interview by Dark Design's own Ian Astheimer

X-MEN writer Ian Astheimer recently had a chat with Ghost Rider scribe/site creator Chris Munn for an interview:

Ian Astheimer: Dark Design is your brainchild; there's no question about that. But, what caused you to come up with the idea for Vertigo-style Marvel stories?

Chris Munn: Well, I'm obviously a huge Vertigo fan, and tend to enjoy the Mature Horror comics more than straight-up super hero titles. But, I've also always loved Marvel's horror characters, such as Werewolf by Night and of course Ghost Rider. So what better way to amalgamate my two favorites into one then to start a fic site?

IA: I certainly couldn't think of a better way! Speaking of characters, you had first dibs on anyone in the Marvel Universe, so why did you choose to explore Ghost Rider, as opposed to, say, the Avengers? Does GR just lend himself better to this type of story, or did you just not have any ideas for the Earth's Mightiest?

CM: Ghost Rider is not only one of the most visually appealing characters ever made, but he's also got the potential for some extremely twisted story-telling. Talk about a character with untapped potential! The choice to use him instead of the Avengers, per your example, also fit more into my writing strengths. I don't think my dark outlook on comic-dom would fit well with such a straight-up title as that, or X-Men, Fantastic Four, etc...

IA: And, I couldn't ask for a better segue for this question...You're known for writing more horror-oriented stories from X-Files to Werewolf by Night, so how will Ghost Rider differ from your previous works?

CM: Although the title of the book may be GHOST RIDER, he's far from the star. The main focus won't be on Ghost Rider and his search for vengeance, but on his human host's search for reasoning behind him suddenly becoming the enforcer of Hell itself. That's the main difference between that and my other various projects, in that it's not horror for horror's sake. It's about redemption and the fact that someone put in an impossible situation has to find a way out...despite the consequences. So don't be surpassed if an issue or two goes by with no appearances by Ghost Rider at all!

IA: Interesting to say the least. Keeping on the topic of Ghost Rider, will the series eventually gain a supporting cast over time?

CM: Definitely. Although the first arc revolves mainly about setting up the series premise, the supporting cast will indeed grow as the story develops. I've got plans for everyone from Jack Russell to Jack "Nomad" Monroe, not to mention the various factions out to control the Ghost Rider for themselves.

IA: Interesting to say the least. What prompted the decision to use Frank Castle as the host for the Spirit of Vengeance instead of Johnny Blaze or any of the previous hosts?

CM: Ha...good old Frank Castle. With most of the Ghost Rider's previous hosts, there's been a sort of moral center within them, whether it is Blaze or Dan Ketch. With Frank, the moral part of him has been consumed by the murder of his wife and daughter. So there won't be any fighting for freedom, simply because Frank has finally found the vehicle to start his campaign of vengeance. Of course, he's not too happy that's become Hell's Punisher, and there will be a question of just who's more insane: Frank or Ghost Rider?

IA: I'm sure the answer to that question won't be a clear-cut one. To deviate from the topic slightly, are you anticipating Devin Grayson's upcoming Ghost Rider series for Marvel Knights?

CM: Of course! It's about time Ghost Rider got the Knights treatment. But if it turns out to be a horrible revamp, I'll be forced to hunt Grayson down and set her head on fire :-D

IA: A befitting end, if there ever was one!

CM: heheh

IA: Your titles are largely being started over from square one. Do you think that this and the use of familiar faces will help people ease into the group and accept it?

CM: I sure hope so. It would be impossible to start a group like this with exclusively new titles and characters, so the new versions of Marvel's finest were a necessity. It will be nice to see people's reactions, considering what the writers have planned for their titles! This definitely isn't the Marvel Comics we've all come to love.

IA: It's no secret that you have top talent onboard for this endeavor. How did they come to join your ranks? Did you offer them titles? Did they ask to write for your group upon hearing what you have planned?

CM: The writers were handpicked and offered unlimited access to whatever titles they wanted. This being a new and strange project, I only wanted the best writers on the net to be a part of it. I feel that when they see the names attached to these titles, people will see that we're not only to be respected, but a force to be reckoned with in the fan-fic community.

IA: On that note, many fan-fic groups suffer from long intervals between issues being posted; do you fear that that may be the case for your group, or would you rather have quality over quantity?

CM: We have a monthly schedule, and all hopes that it will be met. I do agree with quality over quantity, but there comes a point when its a choice. If a great series is constantly being put on hold and issues are 4 to 5 months apart from each other, what's the point? So if a writer is constantly late with new issues, they may be asked to be let go and the title will either be cancelled or a new writer appointed. But I seriously doubt it will come down to that with any of the writers we've got on staff now.

IA: That's reassuring to hear. Resurrections, time travel, interdeminsional traveling, and crossovers are all mainstays at the Marvel offices. What's Dark Design's stance on them?

CM: Wow, now that's a sticky question. Resurrections, I feel, are the bane of Marvel. I can guarantee that if a character dies in such a way that it emotionally affects the title and the readers, then there's no way they'll be coming back. Why kill a character that people love only to bring them back six issues later? As for crossovers, don't expect any. Each title has it's own individual feel and focus, so a company-wide crossover would just disrupt what the writers are establishing themselves.

IA: I'm sure fans are overzealous about hearing of lasting deaths and no company wide crossovers. You mentioned that each title has its own feel; can you give us some brief statements about the "feel" of each title?

CM: Sure! First up is Spider-Man by Adam Thur. Let me tell you that it will be one of the most disturbing reads ever written about the wall-crawler! Domestic abuse, teen angst, and schizophrenia are the thoughts you'll be having once this title hits the cyber-stands. Adam is weaving a history for Peter Parker that NO one could have imagined! Then we've got The Avengers by Ryan Krupienski. This book is pretty much a springboard effect off of the other M:DD titles, as the Avengers of this world are a super-human FBI, investigating the sudden appearance of so many strange events/people.

The Hellfire Club, written by Daniel Holmes, is the one title I feel will be the breakout title of M:DD. A group of people with ruthless and psychotic tendencies that just happen to have an influence on the most prominent people in the world! A great cast has been assembled, with such characters as the Man-Thing, Typhoid Mary, and Emma Frost at the forefront, will no doubt lead this book to greatness.

Factor-X, the brainchild of Mike Franzoni, is the site's first creator-owned series. The less I say about it, the better...'cause Mike's ideas are mind-blowing and I don't want to spoil it!

David Wheatley is penning the Captain Britain series, which is a brand new take on the mythos of Brian Braddock. Combining sword & sorcery with super-heroics, David's Cap is going to be the one glimmer of light amongst the dark background of Marvel: Dark Design.

And last, but definitely not least, is X-Men by Ian Astheimer. The mutant revolution of 2001 is starting here, with a revamped premise that will make Ultimate X-Men look like it was written by Mr. Rogers!

IA: Damn, with all those titles lined up, how can Dark Design falter? But, there is still room for other titles, right? Are there any characters you just don't want to see in Dark Design?

CM: Of course there are room for other titles. There is a page set up to describe how submissions should be proposed, and we look forward to any we receive. However, if the title focuses too much on super-heroics then don't expect to be given a shot. We're looking for more character-oriented storytelling and less brawling between super-beings. As for characters that are unwanted, I have one word for you: Wolverine.

IA: And, I can assure you that Logan won't appear!

CM: There are too many underused characters for every prop to contain Wolverine.

IA: Anyway, with all these great titles in the works, will there be any art to accompany them? You and Adam Thur are excellent artists, so will you be exchanging your pens for pencils at any point?

CM: That would be great, but it would also come down to time constraints. I'd love for each issue of each title to have a cover designed by Adam and/or myself, but it seems unlikely that we could do that along with juggling our writing duties. But, you never know!

IA: Ah, well, can't win 'em all, I suppose.

IA: Many fan-fiction sites have connections to regular, informational sites. Will Dark Design?

CM: Hmm...hadn't really considered it, but probably not. Hopefully anyone wanting to submit a prop or get general information knows how to surf the net to find it. We do plan to have links to other fic sites, though, such as Mutant Underground:REVOLUTION and Marvel Dark Lore.

IA: Speaking of other fanfiction sites, will Dark Design be part of any webrings, CFAN, or Heroes?

CM: More than likely, we're still in the planning stages for things such as that. But it's pretty much an inevitability

IA: Understandable. With the Mature line of comics coming from Marvel in the not too distant future, do you think that your site will get more recognition, or do you fear that it will be seen as a knock-off of what Marvel is trying to accomplish and what DC has accomplished before it?

CM: I don't think we have anything to worry about from Marvel's Mature line, I'm more worried about being viewed as an Ultimate rip-off simply because of us starting the books over fresh. As for the Vertigo comparisons, of course they'll be there, but I think people will soon forget that once they read the finished products.

IA: With all these titles in the works, do you fear that some topics might be touched on in excess and that titles will begin to become too similar, treading on each others' toes?

CM: I don't think so. Like I said before, each title has it's own uniqueness to it. As for some topics being touched on too much, that is a possibility that, if it comes up, will be dealt with via the writers themselves.

IA: Sounds good to me. What all warrants the Mature content warning on the front page of the site? Sex? Violence? Drugs? Adult Language?

CM: All of the above, actually. The Mature-Readers stamp isn't simply so we could swear and have as much sex in the books as humanly possible, but was decided upon in order to let the writers have a completely free reign over their titles. This way, if they want to touch on a potentially disturbing topic, they don't have to worry because the Mature Only stamp is there. If someone is offended then it is there own fault, because they've been warned.

IA: And, a fair warning it is. Speaking of matureness in comics, in your opinion, is the Comics Code outdated and useless in modern comics?

CM: I wouldn't say useless, though it is in need of a major re-write. There are kids reading comics that should not be given a copy of Preacher or Hellblazer, simply because of the content. I feel there should be a distinct separation between code books and mature books, a better one than there is now.

IA: The atmosphere of Dark Design is undoubtedly a dark, morbid one, but how's the atmosphere behind the fiction in the ranks of the writers? Do you try to make it a pleasant experience as EiC? Are you a Shooter or a Quesada?

CM: I hope it's a pleasant as possible, lol! I'm a writer myself, so every single person that works on this site is going to be treated fairly. If a writer has a problem, they can come to me and I will do my best to fix what's wrong.

IA: That sounds like the best way to go about doing things. Unless my counting skills and the Count from Sesame Street have failed me, that's 20 questions. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, Chris. Any last remarks?

CM: It was my pleasure! As for last remarks, I hope that everyone that enjoys the work produced on this site takes the time to let the writers know. Feedback can make a writer's day!

Check out Dark Design at http://www.angelfire.com/rant/darkdesign/.