When it comes to monsters, is there a beast as hungry as a werewolf? It’s a thought I had this week as we gear up for Thanksgiving here in America and one that I obsessed over while reading Lunar Lodge. Written by Tyler Marceca, and with art by Mirko Colak, the new Dark Horse Comics series blends horror and romance, but maybe not how you think.
The title toys with a most intriguing question: If you were a werewolf, how would you protect yourself and those around you on nights when the moon was full? The first issue introduces Rob, a veterinarian who decides to follow his wife, who isn’t really going on a work trip, but instead to the Lunar Lodge. Their relationship isn’t in the best shape, and he suspects the worst. What he finds may be more damaging than even adultery — and something that puts his life in danger.
To unpack the new series (which is out this week, November 22), I had the chance to discuss its creation with Marceca. We discuss his approach to writing this story, why werewolves don’t get enough love, his favorite werewolf tales, and so much more!
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
AIPT: To start, what makes relationships and werewolves go hand in hand?
Tyler Marceca: It’s funny that you’re diving right into the thematic core with this first question. I think for me, whether I’m tackling a story about werewolves, vampires, or even aliens, it’s all about grounding the story in something that’s human and relatable. Being afflicted with lycanthropy is not something any of us (hopefully) can relate to. But keeping something hidden from a loved one, or worrying that a loved one is keeping a secret from us… that’s something we can all identify with. And given that traditional werewolf lore is commonly centered around someone having to keep their cursed state a secret from others, it seemed a natural fit to marry (forgive the pun) a story about werewolves with a story about a husband and wife keeping secrets from one another.
AIPT: There are a lot of intriguing characters in this series. What goes into fleshing each one out?
TM: With Lunar Lodge, it all starts with the relationship between Rob and Fiona. We meet them when their marriage is in a very rocky place, with Rob believing that Fiona has been stepping out on him. So, with Rob, his drive is to confirm that his suspicions about his wife are true and confront that reality. For Fiona, her drive is to keep Rob safe by hiding her true nature from him. Their drives are at cross-purposes.
When it comes to crafting a character, for me, it really comes down to this simple equation; What’s their drive and how can it come into conflict with the drive of another character?
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
AIPT: Werewolves have always felt underrepresented in media, even with Wolf Like Me out now on Peacock. Would you agree, and if so, why do you think that is?
TM: When compared with the glut of vampire and zombie offerings out there, I would agree that werewolves aren’t nearly as prevalent.
In terms of film and television, I’d guess one reason we see less werewolves is because they’re harder to convincingly render on screen. You need top-notch practical effects and CGI to imbue these creatures with the weight and dimension needed for them to read as threats.
Another reason, I suspect, is that when you tackle a werewolf story, you’re more boxed in by the rules. For example, werewolves only appear when there’s a full moon in the sky according to common lore. So, when you consider there’s roughly one full moon per month, that means you’re either shaping a story that takes place over the course of several months or over the course of a single evening (for Lunar Lodge, it’s the latter). You don’t have the same creative latitude… though I suppose you don’t always have to adhere to the rules. Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King takes place over the course of a year, with each chapter marking a different month (and a different victim). However, when it was adapted for screen as Silver Bullet (1985), they played fast and loose with the rules to fit the story in a tighter span of time… and presumably avoid issues with pacing/sustaining tension.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
AIPT: Do you have any favorite werewolf tales that might have inspired this story?
TM: I’m a big fan of An American Werewolf in London. I love how it effortlessly balances its various tones to deliver moments of horror, comedy and even romance. At the end of that movie, you feel like you’ve had a full meal.
With Lunar Lodge, along with pretty much every story I set out to write, I try to find that balance of tones that feels complimentary rather than contradictory.
But to answer your question in a more direct way, my favorite section of An American Werewolf in London is that opening stretch where American backpackers David and Jack (David Naughton and Griffin Dunne) are trekking through the moors in Yorkshire and wind up in the Slaughtered Lamb, a local watering hole. I just love how the movie wrings tension and laughs from these two outsiders trying to ingratiate themselves to the shifty-eyed townsfolk… all of whom harbor a terrible secret.
You can definitely see the fingerprints of that scene when, midway through the first issue of Lunar Lodge, our main character Rob finds himself in a bar where he’s the only one who doesn’t know what’s really happening at the nearby Lunar Lodge. I had to exercise some restraint in not naming the joint the Butchered Goat.
AIPT: The main character, Rob, is a veterinarian. Is there any significance to his job being a factor in the story?
TM: There’s a few ideas at play there… one of which is that Fiona, given her (un)natural state, would be drawn to a man who has an affinity for animals.
My feeling is that when you’re crafting a character whose job isn’t necessarily central to the plot (in this case, Rob’s not an employee of the Lunar Lodge), it should still have some connection to whatever conflict is driving the story. Otherwise, it’s a missed opportunity.
AIPT: The first issue really struck me with its mood and tone. I honestly could see this as a video game or TV show. How do you approach episodic storytelling with your writing?
TM: It’s interesting because my background is primarily as a feature screenwriter. So even though I’d never written in the graphic novel space before, writing Lunar Lodge didn’t feel all that foreign to me because, like a feature script, a limited series/miniseries employs that classic three act structure.
Once we had a completed draft, my editor was able to identify those issue breaks fairly easily because, as screenwriters, we’re hardwired to make sure something consequential or interesting is happening every ten pages or so.
So when people pick up the first issue, it’ll read like your traditional first act. We have what we hope is a grabby cold open. Followed by a set-up that introduces our main characters, our conflict/mystery and ends with our protagonist taking decisive action from which there is no turning back.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
AIPT: I really dig Mirko Colak’s art with Bryan Valenza on colors. Was there a specific panel or page that blew away your expectations?
It’s tough to narrow it down to one, but I’d have to say the fourth panel on the third page was one that’s always resonated with me. The way the shadows cascade down Alice’s face give her this really evocative profile… and hint at the monster within.
AIPT: If Lunar Lodge was a song, what would it be and why?
TM: “Blue Moon” by The Marcels. Anyone who’s seen An American Werewolf in London will understand why. What a perfect needle drop.
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