Broken Frontier

This Wednesday, Raven Gregory opens the first in a series of Zenescope one-shots based on the early Nineties hit film, Se7en. ‘Gluttony’ is the adaptation of the first of seven sins dealt with in the movie—and executed by tough-as-nails serial killer John Doe.

BF spoke to Gregory about the Se7en adaptation and what’s up with The Gift, the book that started it all for him.

BROKEN FRONTIER: Se7en was releases over a decade ago, but still stands as one of the top thrillers in modern cinema. Do you still recall how you felt the first time you saw the movie?

RAVEN GREGORY: I honestly can’t remember the first time I saw it.  I can barely remember what I had for breakfast yesterday.  What I do remember is that every time I have seen it—the mood, the cinematography, the character development, all of it was so seamlessly weaved into some of the most beautiful filmmaking I have ever seen.  And the ending… the ending gives me chills to this day.

BF: The movie was Brad Pitt’s breakthrough moment, made Morgan Freeman the go-to guy when you needed a black detective, and established Kevin Spacey as a psycho/neurotic actor. Which of the three performances did you like the best?

RG: Kevin Spacey without a doubt.  The movie just doesn’t work on the same level without that methodical merciless murdering machine that Spacey brought to life in the character of John Doe.  He’s one of the all-time great real world bogeymen of the thriller genre.

BF: In every discussion about Se7en, people get asked about their favorite sin. Which would you pick in terms of its execution in the movie, and in terms of writing a comic story about it? Are they one and the same sin?

RG: I personal enjoyed wrath and envy above the rest.  Those two sins were so intertwined and the conflict induced by those was just writing on a whole other level.  The ending result of those two still blows my mind to this day.  It was on level with an emotional sledgehammer to the gut. 

In terms of writing a comic though, I rather enjoy the freedom the Gluttony sin has.  It has much less constraints than the others, and that opens up a lot of avenues storytelling-wise.  And being a big guy to begin with, it makes it really easy to feed off the whole mindset of being big and dealing with the shit that comes with it.

BF: Since you’re a big guy, and proud about it too, did you take any special pleasures to write the spaghetti scenes and the like?

RG: Rub it in why don’t you. [Laughs]  Those scenes were kind of already there—fodder that had to go in regardless just for continuity’s sake if for not being an awesome visual.  What I really enjoyed was getting into the fat guy’s head and letting the reader see a whole side of the character that they never got to experience with the movie.  That was fun.

BF: While you had to stick a great deal to the original plot of the movie, how much of your own voice were you able to add to the world of Se7en?

RG: A lot actually.  There is so much that you know happens that you never get to see in the movie but you just know it’s there, right beneath the surface.  So being able to pull back the curtain and add my take on what I see happening was just a great honor.

BF: The comic you’re best known for is The Gift. The book itself is best known for the, well, let’s call them ‘imaginative ways to off people’. Although you couldn’t come up with a killing scene of your own, was that quality the reason why Zenescope let you open the series of adaptations?

RG: I’m not really sure.  I know after I told them I had started cutting the skin off my fingertips, they seemed kind of hesitant at first, but after I mentioned I’d be sending them a box they were really supportive. [Laughs] 

The funny story behind me getting the gig was I had heard they were publishing a Final Destination series and I wrote them and told them to give me the gig since no one can write a cool twisted death scene like I can.  They wrote back and told me the series was already written but that if I was interested they were planning on doing Se7en and asked me if I might be interested… to which I responded “HELL YEAH!”

BF: The Gift is built up around The Ancient One and ‘Gluttony’ is written from the perspective of John Doe. Both characters have a twisted love for the horrific all over them. Still, did you find yourself flexing a different creative muscle on this particular project?

RG: Going into each project I write is a little different.  I don’t really find my voice, but more so finding the story’s voice.  Finding the right feel and vibe is key for me in spinning a good yarn.  But trying to find that punch with something that already had an established ending was difficult at first, but I think we got it at the end. 

I kind of liken it to the movie Titanic.  You know the ship is going to sink, you know the fat guy is going to die… so the big chore for me as a writer is how do I make that ending resonate with the reader even though they know it’s coming.  Tommy Castillo (the artist on the book - ed.) was a big help on that.  He helped me nail it.

BF: With the first volume of The Gift having come to a close a few months back, when can readers expect to see the book resume?

RG: Next year… if everything goes well.

BF: The Gift was initially self-published before you moved it to Image with issue #8. In hindsight, did the switch in publishing give the series a serious boost, both affecting the upcoming instalments and the back issues?

RG: Getting the book to Image was everything I ever wanted.  It was a dream come true and it raised our exposure level enormously.  The move did nothing but help the book in every which way. 

BF: Aside from The Gift and Se7en: Gluttony, what else is on the horizon for you? Are you still working on The Waking, which was announced some time ago?

RG: The Waking is still in development.  I have a couple new projects lined up and as soon as production begins you’ll be sure to hear about it.