In our latest interview, we sat down with the incredibly versatile actor and writer David Dastmalchian. Known for his compelling performances and unique voice as a storyteller, David discusses his involvement in Creature Commandos (out October 2nd), a project that fuses his love of horror, comic books, and genre storytelling into a compelling tale.
David also talks about his fascination with these stories and works as a child, how those early experiences shaped his larger creative journey, and the unique opportunity he found in Creature Commandos to explore characters who the public sees as monstrous, but who have the potential for redemption and deeper purpose.
In exploring the themes of the series, David also reflects on the differences between his previous experiences as a Creature Commando and a member of the Suicide Squad, offering a glimpse into the emotional depth and inner conflict that defines these unique characters. Plus, he gives a sneak peek at upcoming stories from the DC Horror Presents anthology, teasing a collaboration with longtime creative partners that promise to deliver some truly chilling and heartwarming tales.
Provided by DC Comics.
Join us on a journey into the mind of creator David Dastmalchian, who continues to push the boundaries of genre storytelling and bring a fresh perspective to some of the DC Universe’s most obscure and intriguing characters.
This is an edited version of the interview. Check out the AIPT Comics podcast in October for an expanded, unedited version of this conversation, which includes talks about Jim Lee, Bauhaus, and more. Be sure to tune in.
Provided by DC Comics.
AIPT: What inspired you to get involved with Creature Commandos?
David Dastmalchian: I read and loved comic books, and I got really into horror and watching creature features starring Clematia Mortem, a local horror show host in Kansas City, and I loved watching movies like Curse of the Werewolf.
This mix of horror comics and the sci-fi superhero genre is the perfect combination for me – it has everything I love and I’m fascinated by the possibilities of what can be done with a story like this.
I had written some small, independent projects and was beginning to develop my own voice as a writer, and for me, Creature Commando was the perfect opportunity to take a collection of my favorite comic book characters and re-examine that world as a place to tell a story about an individual who is haunted by something that seems monstrous to the world and to themselves, and who might find purpose within it, given the right support, the right experience, and the right training.
Provided by DC Comics.
AIPT: I read the first issue and Jesús Hervás’ art is super pulpy. What do you like most about his work in this series?
DD: He’s able to take big risks and bring a fresh perspective to something we’ve seen many times before.
AIPT: This might be a rude question, but now that you’ve written several issues of Creature Commandos, is there anyone on the team that is your favorite or that you’re most excited to write for?
DD: It changes from issue to issue. I was really excited to pick up the character of Gorgon and do some storytelling with that character. It’s a monster that I’ve always wanted to explore more, so I thought that was really special for me. But interestingly, in subsequent issues, I tried to focus on the backgrounds and the history and the emotional resonance of each of the different members of the team. One issue might focus on the mission, but we get inside the head of maybe a particular teammate. I feel a lot of myself when I’m writing it.
Vincent is a man who has suffered from illness and addiction that has ruined his life, and now he’s found some kind of purpose in it, but it’s a very selfish purpose. His anxiety, his pain, what drives him, there was something about him that I could really relate to.
But sometimes I think about Wanda and my own frustration with the system and what’s going on in the world, and my desire to break things down and fight back.
Ultimately, I think that readers of this book will fall most in love with Lucky Taylor, the sweet, dear Private. I could be wrong. This is a soldier who has been put back together again and again. This is Dr. West’s practice of resuscitation. To me, this character is the embodiment of trauma, with secrets hidden deep within his cortex, even if this is a third brain implanted in his skull and a sixteenth heart implanted in his chest. In truth, this creature has a beating heart full of love, it just doesn’t know how to express it yet. I love this character with all my heart.
Provided by DC Comics.
AIPT: There’s a wide variety of monsters in this group. Was there a particular type of monster you wanted to include in this group?
DD: At the beginning of the story, it’s right after a pretty awful tragedy that happened in this unit. People are mocking Dr. West’s project within the Army Future Research Center, calling it the Monster Unit. The m that she uses is fusion. She wants to blend the world of science with the world of what people call the supernatural. According to her, the supernatural is simply science that has not been scientifically proven or disproven. Thinking about the classic story of Dr. Jekyll and Dr. Hyde, that’s the only hint I can offer.
But as the story begins right after this tragedy, something happens before the story begins that gradually reveals why there are no other monster soldiers at this time. And hopefully, in the future, we’ll be able to work with more characters and monsters that I think would be great additions to this world. But you’ll see me playing around with homages to the Black Swamp Monster, homages to the zombie tradition. I’m really excited to work with different versions of classic and mythological monsters, and even modern ones. But for the time being, I’m going to focus mainly on gorgon, werewolf, vampire, and resurrected Frankenstein’s monster type creatures.
Provided by DC Comics.
AIPT: Speaking of the crew, Zatanna also appears in the series. Are you a fan of her?
DD: My editor, Katie, asked me, “Is there a DC character you’d like to include in the story?” Who is a character who understands monsters and the supernatural and mysticism, and who could also be an ally to the misunderstood? Who has a truly kind heart? Who understands the difference between appearance and appearance — between artifice and true magic? I jumped on[Zatanna]. I’m really excited for people to see what Jesus does in this book.
I wanted to give Zatanna the opportunity to be totally confused and totally terrified, but also because she’s a very intelligent and inquisitive character who has her own mission.
Provided by DC Comics.
AIPT: Having had the pleasure of being a member of the Suicide Squad, how would you describe the difference between that team and the team you have now?
DD: Suicide Squad is similar in concept to The Dirty Dozen, where you have a bunch of disposable misfits who are willing to do whatever it takes to get the Suicide Squad on a mission because they just want to get their sentences out of jail. And they’re bad guys who know they’re bad. The difference is that in Creature Commando, each of these guys is a monster.
They are not accepted anywhere and by anyone. Even the scoundrels find a place in the rogues gallery, a gathering of scoundrels. They have a purpose. My creature commandos survive, but they survive with this suffering. And the missions they are trying to carry out in life are either illegal or simply for survival. They are isolated to the point of being completely alone, and yet, deep inside, there is a desire to justify their existence, and they are internally conflicted with the idea that the world might be better without them.
This is something I have certainly felt and struggled with in my own mental health journey, the struggles I’ve had, and just trying to get through this incredibly difficult life that we’re all trying to get through with as much laughter and smiles and love and comic books as we can.
AIPT: Your work will also be included in the DC Horror Presents anthology. Can you tell us something about that?
DD: That was fun. I collaborated with Leah Kilpatrick, who has been my longtime collaborator and co-writer on a number of comics. We’ve been horror buddies and creative friends for 15 years. When we were given the opportunity to tell a one-shot horror story in the DCU, we asked ourselves: “Who is the character we wanted to see more of?” Because it’s so scary. But we dug someone out of the toy box and that’s all we had. We wanted to tell a story with heart.
