Back in 2021, Eric Palicki and Wendell Cavalcanti debuted Black’s Myth. In it, we followed Janie Jones “Strummer” Mercado, a werewolf P.I., as the “case of a lifetime falls into her lap.” Turns out, the story of a Lupine private dick trying to make it in a bonkers L.A. was a big enough hit, and Palicki and Cavalcanti (who also created the equally great Atlantis Wasn’t Built For Tourists) have reunited for a Black’s Myth sequel.
Due out June 21 via AHOY Comics, Black’s Myth: The Key to His Heart brings back the entire cast, including Strummer and her “half-djinn assistant Ben Si’lat.” This time around, Strummer “finds herself in the orbit of her enigmatic client-turned-nemesis Rainsford Black,” who tasks Strummer with finding the mysterious sender of equally mysterious packages. The story promises to “build on the unanswered questions of the first volume while also delivering a new mystery for Strums and Ben to unravel.”
So, just what can we expect from Black’s Myth part deux? Luckily, Palicki was kind enough to give us some clues, including how his collaboration with Cavalcanti has developed, the possibility of a new intern for Strummer, and his favorite page-panel, among other tidbits.
Main cover by Liana Kangas. Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
AIPT: What should newer/uninitiated fans be aware of when coming in?
Eric Palicki: I did everything I could to make The Key to his Heart a story that will stand on its own. If you know that Strummer is a werewolf P.I., her partner Ben is a half-djinn, and they inhabit a world in which supernatural goings-on exist in secret, right under our noses, then you should be good to jump into our new series. Of course, neither I nor my creative partners would be too shaken up if you wanted to pick up the first volume TPB, but I think reading volume one would be more about enriching your experience, rather than a necessity.
AIPT: The first volume was pretty well received. Is there something deeper about why people care about a werewolf detective (beyond that it’s a totes cool concept)?
EP: Oh, wow. If only I could predict what will and will not resonate with readers. In the end, all I can do is–and pardon the cliché–write the stories I want to read. I grew up loving stories where occult secrets existed behind a veneer of mundane reality — Stephen King, Highlander, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural — and I know I’m not the only one. All I can do as a writer is to honor those influences while moving the genre forward. Black’s Myth’s success suggests I didn’t screw up my job too badly.
AIPT: What’s it like returning to the Black Myth universe? Is there a familiarity with these people, places, and situations?
EP: Oh god, yes. When I wrote the original pitch for Black’s Myth, I laid out how the story was about finding one’s place in the world. For me, that place was comics, a community where I felt comfortable in my own skin for the first time. In that way, Black’s Myth is the most personal story I’ve ever written, and the new volume was just a matter of extending the metaphor.
Cover to issue #2 from Liana Kangas. Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
AIPT: How has our hero, Janie Jones “Strummer” Mercado, developed and/or grown between these volumes? What’s it like to further tell her story?
EP: We find Strummer finally comfortable with her place in the world: she’s now more confidently part of LA’s secret supernatural underground, and now serving her community rather than only taking on “mundane” cases as a P.I. She’s also in a romantic relationship, drinking less…Ben remarks within the first few pages about how well Strummer seems to be doing. Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a story if we didn’t upset the status quo.
AIPT: This volume promises some possible changes for the formerly mysterious Mister Black. What can you tell us about this transformation?
EP: Strummer’s client Rainsford Black drives the first volume and lends his name to the title. He’s an old-money billionaire who fancies himself an almost anachronistic big game hunter, one who happens to specialize in the supernatural. Beyond that, he’s something of a cypher, so I wanted to flesh out his story some, to explain his obsession with killing monsters. As a result, Black once again drives the story, as his greatest failure becomes Strummer’s biggest challenge.
AIPT: There’s also hints of an all-new intern. What’s that about, and how’s that going to go when she’s got an assistant in Ben Si’lat?
EP: I think Ben and Strummer view themselves as partners by now. That said, the introduction of a new intern (Claire) will most certainly change their dynamic. In this instance, If volume one was all about Strummer learning to feel comfortable in her own skin, The Key to His Heart is about Strummer shepherding others toward that same feeling.
Cover to issue #2 from Liana Kangas. Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
AIPT: How has your collaboration with Wendell Cavalcanti grown? Is it easier now, and can you perhaps take more “risks?”
EP: Wendell and I have been working together for closing in on 20 years, beginning with little webcomics we dropped online in the 2000s, and then on to Atlantis Wasn’t Built for Tourists before we collaborated on Black’s Myth. We have a shorthand by now that borders on a psychic connection, such that I have to remind myself when I’m not writing for Wendell. I hope I can keep making comics with him forever.
AIPT: Do you have a favorite moment or page/panel in #1 that sets the tone or speaks to the larger story and themes of this second volume?
EP: The splash page revelation of who Claire is and why her case is pertinent to Strummer’s interests is perfect and encapsulates many of the themes we’ll be playing with in this volume. I’m excited for readers to see it!
AIPT: Could there be even more stories/volumes after this one? Is there a larger plan for the ongoing Black’s Myth universe?
EP: I would love to write stories in this world forever. Without spoiling too much, the arc of this new volume is very much Strummer’s Empire Strikes Back. Noir fiction traditions, to which Black’s Myth owes quite a debt, are not primarily known for their happy endings, but it would be a shame if we can’t give Strummer a third volume and a fighting chance at earning hers.
AIPT: Why should anyone pick up issue #1?
EP: Something I’m particularly proud of with this, as with the first issue of volume one, it’s a satisfying done-in-one story that will introduce readers to Strummer and her world, set up the status quo, and showcase a creative team firing on all cylinders. If you love supernatural horror, urban fantasy, and noir mysteries, you’re going to love the work we’ve done here.
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