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Eliot Rahal on co-writing 'Hotel Diablo' with Machine Gun Kelly and horror inspirations

Comic Books

Eliot Rahal on co-writing ‘Hotel Diablo’ with Machine Gun Kelly and horror inspirations

The new anthology draws on classic cartoon horror.

Out today via Z2, fans of horror have a brand new way to explore the recesses of evil in a comics anthology called Hotel Diablo. Written by Eliot Rahal, Ryan Cady, and Machine Gun Kelly (yes, that rapper-turned-rocker), the anthology features artists like Martin Morrazo. Each story will explore the horrendous experiences of guests visiting the ghoulish Hotel Diablo.

To get a bit more insight into the new comic anthology, Rahal answered a few of our questions, including discussing how the writing process worked, his many horror inspirations, and much more. Following the interview, find a few exclusive, never-before-seen preview pages from the anthology.

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Eliot Rahal 'Hotel Diablo'AIPT: With Hotel Diablo out in time for Halloween, I wanted to start by asking how long this has been in the works?

Eliot Rahal: So… honestly, time means nothing to me anymore. But at least a year. A year and a half? Two years? Somewhere in that range. A while. I’ve been excited about it for a while.

AIPT: What is the co-writing process like working with Machine Gun Kelly?

ER: Every conversation I have with Colson has become a story I tell at dinner parties. It’s honestly just so much fun. He’s incredibly passionate. Driven. He expects the best. I don’t know. I guess I just really respond to his energy. He just wants to do good work. And he’s been so kind to me.

AIPT: This book has the classic anthology feel with a central character linking stories together, do you have any favorite anthology horror comics or movies?

ER: Any of ’em I read or come across. It’s such a legacy format. And adding our own version of it through MGK’s voice has been really rewarding. I could list a lot but: Creepshow, I love Archie’s horrors stuff. Old Eerie from Dark Horse. The Mortuary Collection. Tales from the Crypt, of course. Hell, and let’s not forget The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror!

Eliot Rahal 'Hotel Diablo'

Courtesy of Z2 Comics.

AIPT: When crafting an anthology like this, do you have a sense of which stories go in which order? I noticed the first story almost ended in a hopeful place with made me wonder where the story is going.

ER: Definitely. Ryan Cady, MGK, and I all chatted about that. And we really paid attention to pacing. We agreed the last story would be last for a specific reason. And then everything else came down to tone. We didn’t want any stories that were next to each other in the OGN to tonally share the same feeling. Hopefully, we accomplished that.

AIPT: What surprised/wow’d you the most working with Martin Morazzo?

ER: I mean everything was pretty much fucking bonkers out of this world. I don’t even know what I’m doing here.

Eliot Rahal 'Hotel Diablo'

Courtesy of Z2 Comics.

AIPT: Is this the last co-lab between you and Machine Gun Kelly? What might be cooking next?

ER: Don’t forget Ryan Cady! But hopefully not. My secret goal is to write him starring in a Jukebox musical that’s basically Danger Days meets Purple Rain/Streets of Fire. But ya know… if he wants to do more comics. Yeah, absolutely down. The Hotel Diablo world we’ve created has a lot of opportunities for great stories.

AIPT: When you think of definitive horror, what comes to mind?

ER: Burp. These questions give me severe anxiety. I don’t know… The Excorcist is a perfect movie. That’s all I got. Please don’t send me to jail.

Eliot Rahal on co-writing 'Hotel Diablo' with Machine Gun Kelly and horror inspirations

Courtesy of Z2 Comics.

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