For me, horror comics are something I work on all year round. Still, this year’s Halloween was special as The Beat had the chance to speak with independent creator Jonathan Chance about his spooky anthology Never by Night. Two volumes have been released, and a third volume is currently in print. Each volume contains unforgettable stories that will leave you wanting to read the next one. Chance was able to give Beat an insight into his very personal journey into comics, what makes scary stories good, and what it’s like to be an independent creator.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Never By Night Volume 1
Javier Perez: What is a good scary story to you?
Jonathan Chance: Something that grabs you right away. The audience has to care about the characters. This is what I look for in films and I make sure that it is an essential element in my work as well. When you start to care about the characters, you start to care about what happens to them and their journeys. Second, a steady or tortuous development leading to a climactic conclusion. Likewise, the looming dread throughout is effective.
Javier Pérez: Why did you choose horror anthologies and even comics?
Jonathan Chance: This may sound dark, but my first dive into comic books started with the death of my wife. I came to the United States as a writer and director, and I grew up loving comics, so I saw them as another medium to tell my stories. So after the tragedy, I put filmmaking on hold to focus on my son and prepare for an unexpected future. Creating comics was, in a sense, my therapy.
For me, it was a powerful catharsis. I realized that creativity feeds my very being. It’s always like that. I think this is the case with some people. I don’t think I knew how much until something like that happened, but I knew I needed to keep creating stories and I found a way to do it. Based on feedback from our supporters, an award here, a nomination there, we want to continue to give people the reassurance of original stories and quality control that keeps them coming back, every time. Standing apart is important and being seen as you are is probably a process of a little patience, but maybe determination is also about surviving and moving into transformation to success.
Never By Night Volume 2
Javier Perez: I know it can be scary to be an independent creator, what obstacles do you face and how do you deal with them?
Jonathan Chance: Maybe it’s just a natural thing for me, but thankfully it’s not that scary. I love the idea of being free to create what I want, finding great artists and creating magic and hopefully something memorable. You can spend money and do whatever you want with Kickstarter. Finding the right artist, colorist, etc. for your project requires a keen sense of observation. Who makes movies in your head? Maybe you tend to decide what you like when you go to art school. Different stories require different artists depending on the mood and atmosphere the story requires. It’s one of the best feelings when a team comes together and has a cohesive drive to create something great. It’s very exciting to watch the standards perhaps being raised as each team member is inspired to do their best. I’m hands-on in writing scripts, storyboarding, and communicating my vision as clearly as possible, and the creators I work with often collaborate to create great work. That’s what we all want!
Never By Night Volume 2
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Javier Perez: I wanted to ask you about your approach to storytelling. You make choices that are dropped in the middle of the story. There is no host, mascot, or obvious description. Why did you do that?
Jonathan Chance: I decided not to go the usual hosting route with the Never By Night horror anthology series. I’m not opposed to writing anthologies using them, and I’ve worked on quite a few anthologies, but I don’t feel like my work is that way. I think intros and outros, warning words that foreshadow warnings said in a way that excites the reader before they get into the first story, are equally effective, I think. I think it’s similar to the TV show Tales from the Darkside and comics like Tales of Terror from the Eclipse comics that I enjoyed reading as a kid. Calling it a dark poem, or a seasonal warning nursery rhyme, gives the story a chance to stand on its own two feet without trying to be like another creep or code keeper. It is just what it is. Who wants to imitate when you can choose something original? The story is immediately engaging and the reader is firmly drawn into the story.
Never By Night Volume 2 Now everything is silver blue
Javier Perez: What is your relationship with Halloween and how does this anthology add to the Halloween fun for our readers?
Jonathan Chance: I love Halloween. I’m from England, where I literally love haunted houses, witches, and scary stories. But the US celebrates it better. I love the mazes of horror at theme parks, marathons of horror movies, cosplay, and people’s enthusiasm for lighting up their homes this season. Never By Night is my love letter to this season. We want to be a haven for horror lovers and Halloween enthusiasts, giving them some scary fun books to read during the holiday season. I write all my stories and choose a different creative group for each story, depending on the era and mood I want for the story. This is my second year producing Never By Night, and I’m so happy that readers are enjoying the story. And I’m just as excited about who I bring on board every year, because I want it to be a platform where up-and-coming artists and seasoned professionals come together.
Never By Night Volume 2 Collect All Never By Night Volume 2 Collect All
Javier Perez: Can I ask about the artists you work with? The art styles are very diverse and give us a great pace from story to story.
Jonathan Chance: Yes! Last year’s Never By Night featured Del Ballas, a storyboard artist for X-Men, GI Joe, and Transformers, as well as an illustrator for a series of Marvel and DC comics. Another amazing talent for Volume 1 is IDW’s Ron Joseph, and some stories even have some early coloring by none other than Roman Stevens…this year we have artists named Spawn, Rodel Noura, and Bloodshot’s João Azeitna, but these are just illustrators, and colorists include Damian Ferritte and Wren. They are amazing talents who bring so much to the story. Therefore, each year we can imagine incredibly groundbreaking artists, along with good stories. Here’s what you can look forward to on Halloween from Never By Night’s volume.
Never By Night Volume 2 Late Night Host Never By Night Volume 2 Late Night Host
Javier Perez: Do you have any upcoming events? Can I ask what you are working on next?
Jonathan Chance: New comics will be released the day before Halloween, so I’ll be signing volumes 1 and 2 of NBN. I’m really looking forward to it. It would be great if someone came out to support true independent horror comics and creators! I’m honored to be signed to Golden Apple, and maybe they’ll invite me again (lol). I’m also pleased to announce that the legendary Del Barras will be joining me to sign on to contribute to Never By Night Volume 1. He also illustrated another story for me in Dead Sky Publishing’s Permadeath, so I’ll bring you some of those as well. It’s going to be all kinds of horror stuff. I’m also planning on signing Coffee and a Comic and We Could Be Heroes soon, but I’ll have to confirm the dates. I will also be participating in the “Revenge Of” block party on November 8th.
Perez: Is there anything you would like to add?
Chance: New work; working on Volume 3 of Never By Night. I have a big one-shot comic story that I’m producing at Critical Entertainment called Moonlit Palms, and it’s going to go on Kickstarter soon. So be careful with that. Illustrated and colored by the great Damien Ferrit. I’m also looking for a grant to produce a miniseries about the Ohlone people. My good friend, author, and Oron resident Henry Muñoz and I have some stories that we feel the world needs to read. There is also a potential title for another series called “America Hysteria”, illustrated by the wonderful Rodel Noora, and with the first issue already completed, we welcome new offers from publishers. Finally, the award-winning horror mini-series “Cover the Dead With Lime” is still far from over and is often asked about online and in unfavorable places. The same goes for the highest bidder.
Click here for Order Never by Night Vol 1 and Vol 2!
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