Corporate Skull issue three begins on monday. I just wanted to write down a few thoughts about it’s direction and where this issue’s going to take us. I was concerned when I started Skull that my momentum would wane, but two issues in I’m more fired up than ever. When I brazenly announced this book would be 600 pages long it seemed a bit over-ambitious for someone with my low concentration span to complete, but this whole, enormous story is rolling and shaping and falling into place just perfectly – and I can’t wait to start each new issue because I’m becoming impatient to get to the really meaty stuff. But, the set-up is important if the rest of the story’s going to have weight, and I’m rather enjoying laying the foundations.
I was a big fan of the TV show Lost. I waned a bit during season two, but by the end I was totally absorbed, for me it was such a beautiful piece of television. And sure, a lot of people were angry at how it ended, felt cheated, but personally I didn’t really care – the ending was okay, but the journey itself had been such a rush. I mention Lost because I think it influenced me a fair bit on Skull, particularly in building climaxes and mysteries and leaving you asking for more. That I found so exciting, so wanted to try and do for myself. With Corporate Skull, we’re setting up a lot of different threads to what should be a simple story, but we haven’t yet revealed where it’s all going.
What I can say is that issue four will be the turning point, where you’ll see what this had all led up to and the jumping point to fill the next 500 pages. So issue three needs to start filling in some of the blanks. We’re going to begin learning more about Curb, particularly what they’re hiding (a lot of readers have said there’s an omnious feeling behind Skull, which is great). But for Skull, I never wanted to just say ‘hey this guy lost his face, now he’s whacky!’. I want him to go through hell trying to work out who he is. This will be a theme throughout Corporate Skull but in issue three, I want him to really start losing his shit. Thus, the cover.
So, come back on Monday to check out the beginning of issue three. I’m so proud of the opener, I’m hoping it’ll throw you a bit. There are going to be a lot of strange things, a lot of random starting points, a lot of questions. But don’t worry, everything will be answered and more than that, everything has its place.
