Family is hell. In the case of the forthcoming Image Comics series The Infernals, that’s quite literal.
The book — from writers Ryan Parrott and Noah Gardner alongside artist John Pearson — follows Abraham “Abe” Morgenstern. The actual son of Satan, Abe’s life mission of driving the world toward the End Times is going just swell — until he becomes sick and must choose an heir among his oh-so delightful kids (Jackal, Nero, and Bee). Like Succession meets Little Nicky (but better than either of those, I swear), The Infernals is a poignant and unflinching exploration of the ups and downs of family and what that bond still means when the world’s on fire.
The Infernals #1 debuts, appropriately enough, on February 14. (The FOC is this Monday, January 22). Parrott, Gardner, and Pearson were kind enough to answer some of our most burning questions, including their favorite of the Morgenstern spawn, how they effectively utilized a most unlikable protagonist, and implementing religious iconography within such a specific story.
The interview also features unseen, exclusive images from The Infernals #1. For the previously-revealed interior artwork, head here.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
AIPT: What’s the genesis of The Infernals? Do these ideas sort of form among one person and then get workshopped, or is their “birth” a collaborative process?
Noah Gardner: The short answer is that it was absolutely a collaborative process, because the vision for what this could be was always evolving. But the first seed here was as simple as Ryan and I wanting to do a book together. I sent him a thousand ideas, but nothing really clicked until I shot him a quick logline, which was something along the lines of “what if the Antichrist was dying?” That basic concept really just came from thinking about various archetypes I found compelling and trying to reframe them in a way I hadn’t seen before.
Ryan Parrott: It was exciting for me, because all of Noah’s thousand ideas had merit and would be great comics, but this one just exploded in my brain when I heard it. I could immediately see all the complicated characters and macabre world. It was so good, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it already.
AIPT: What’s the interest in telling stories about Satan/the Antichrist even in 2024? Does it feel that well has been tapped at all?
NG: Personally, I don’t really believe in characters or concepts being tapped out, as long as you have a novel approach and are exploring accessible and universal themes. So in my mind, this was very much just a story about children and their fathers that happens to be told through the lens of the spawn of Satan. But we also did feel like it was a relevant story to tell in our current moment because everything these days feels (and often is) so existential, it seemed appropriate to explore characters with a front row seat to the ultimate existential crisis.
RP: I also think it just comes down to compelling characters, and those who knowingly do evil seem to always be a little more layered and complicated than the characters who do good. It’s probably why stories about the Devil never seem to get old. Why do bad people do bad things?
Variant cover by Christian Ward. Courtesy of Image Comics.
AIPT: Similarly, is there ever a fear at all about tackling characters like this and making them redeemable or likable? Or can you have a protagonist you really, fully hate?
NG: Ryan often makes the point that there’s a difference between likability and relatability, and I think that’s an important distinction to make for this project. These characters may not be the most likable at first, but our belief is that they’re definitely relatable. It’s of course a tricky balance to strike, because we want our readers to be invested and excited to come back for more, but part of the magic trick in this series is starting in a place where our main characters are doing some truly loathsome things, and gradually watching how they evolve from that place. That’s not to say everyone has a redemptive arc, but our hope is that by the end of the series, our readers will be rooting for each of these characters in their own way.
RP: As Noah said, but… preferably you root for the character who is the least evil.
I’m curious about the aesthetic or “iconography” used here (especially the Satanic stuff) — it feels like it touches on so many cultures/backgrounds. Was that a deliberate move with a specific aim in mind?
John Pearson: It’s important to make sure that the story isn’t completely limited to an American Judeo-Christian viewpoint, even though that’s where a lot of the visuals fall and the story starts to take place. This story is a global one with reference to the Apocalypse, so trying to have moments where that broadness creeps in through the visuals hopefully reminds us of the scale of things. For that first splash page of the anti-nativity, for example, Ryan and Noah said they wanted it to be varied with the inspirations for the demons, so we pulled from Egyptian, Aztec and a wide range of cultures to make it feel like the stakes were much broader and all encompassing.
The same goes for some of their counterparts later in the first issue, keeping it broad and visually intriguing. On the flipside of this though, a lot of the Satanic iconography does lean into what we’re used to from popular culture: inverted crucifixes, pentagrams, and so on, which is really useful for signposting that these characters exist in this Satanic context clearly, without the need of showing them really doing anything hugely horrific. That in itself is fun — Sam being the prime example of the goat-headed demon with an inverted pentagram on their head, but also seemingly being one of the most humane characters we are initially presented with.
Exclusive page (Nos. 12 and 13). Courtesy of Image Comics.
AIPT: John, I’ve always loved your style, but here it just feels all the more dirty and frenetic and intense. Do you feel like this book brought out something different in you?
JP: Absolutely. We’ve mentioned before how it’s hard to classify The Infernals into any one genre, so one of the pleasures in drawing this series is that it lets me play with ideas and experiment across a lot of genre expectations, without being tied to them. It’s still got a fairly heavy visual basis in horror for the obvious reasons, despite it not really being a horror comic, and I love horror. A lot of the key influences on my visual approach comes from horror cinema and approaches to intensity of emotion, especially Dario Argento and Mario Bava, as well as filmmakers who take some of those horror aesthetics and twist them, like Kenneth Anger and Ken Russell. All of this I can pour into these pages without feeling confined to hit any expectations, genre or otherwise. I can be weird and horrific and also tender and nuanced, which makes the process of drawing incredibly fun.
AIPT: I love the dynamic already established between Sam and Abe. Why is that so important — is it just because it scratches that ol’ father-son itch?
NG: Going back to the question about likability/relatability, Sam is such a crucial character because he and Olivia (Abe’s wife) are really the two figures who most humanize our protagonist. The irony of course is that Sam is a demonic goat-man from Hell, but the care and concern he shows for Abe is genuine and it hints that there is real tenderness and humanity in our story.
RP: Someone called him “GOAT ALFRED” in a previous interview, and now I can’t get that out of my head.
AIPT: This book touches on ideas of family and legacy, but I think it’s also about the stories we tell ourselves to get through life (and its eventual end). Is there any truth to that, or maybe more specific life lessons/ideas for each of you?
NG: I think that’s a really cool interpretation and exactly right. Our characters are deeply conflicted about who they are and constantly trying to reconcile their identities with the inherited responsibility of destroying the world. But as you say, how much of that is real and how much is just a story they need to tell themselves to rationalize the destructive things they’ve done? Something I hope this book can do is explore this tension between following the story that’s been written for you, and writing a new story for yourself.
Exclusive page (No. 14). Courtesy of Image Comics.
AIPT: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou is a mega-talented and celebrate letterer by now, but his work across #1 is just absolutely bonkers. What does that one “little” element add to the art, the story, the feel of this book?
NG: Yeah, I mean we honestly can’t overstate the impact Hass’ imagination and talent has had on our book. It really is the difference between seeing something in two dimensions and three. He elevates the voices of our characters and adds texture to John’s already mind-blowing art. The only thing I’d want to add is that, as a first-time comics writer, I can’t tell you how helpful it is to have Hass’ eye for craft and comics storytelling. I really gained (and continue to gain) a lot of comics knowledge just from watching Hass work within a panel.
JP: I’ve worked with Hass on a number of projects now, and each time he just raises each comic to new heights through his lettering. The level of consideration to his approach, how it fits the project and how it sits with the art is flawless. His critical understanding of the medium is second to none, and it really shines through on The Infernals. It’s extra important for me to work with someone like Hass, because I don’t really have what I’d call a standard approach to the artwork, so having lettering that’s sympathetic with the art style is integral. We’re blessed to have him working with us here, the pages wouldn’t look half as good without him.
AIPT: I feel like there’s so much history and a larger story not told here. Are we going to get insight into, say, Abe’s rise to power? Or is that left for the (potential) prequel series?
NG: So we’re not going to see Abe’s rise to power in this arc, but we will definitely be meeting all kinds of characters from Abe’s past, and introducing numerous powerful entities across both Hell and Heaven. Our goal in this first arc is really to build a strong foundation through the central characters and leave ourselves a lot of room to explore the broader history in subsequent arcs. After all, the Devil has been trying to bring about the apocalypse for a very long time (maybe, just maybe, he even sent another child into the world at one point…) so the stories we can explore are really endless.
RP: Noah, please stop spoiling the book.
Exclusive page (No. 15). Courtesy of Image Comics.
AIPT: Do you have a “favorite” Morgenstern family member (and why?)
NG: I was initially inclined to say Jackal, because he’s around my age and he’s having this very relatable crisis of identity, but I think the character I enjoy writing the most and have really grown to appreciate is Bee. In my opinion, she has the best grasp on what’s really going on in the family and, despite her initial irreverence, she has a strong point of view and a lot to say. She’s also the one kid in the family who grew up when their father was an older man, so she’s had more time to process mortality than her older siblings, which is a dynamic I find fascinating.
RP: For me, I think it’s honestly probably Abe. He’s the most fun to write because I feel like he has so many masks. Abe with Nero is not the same as Abe with Jackal nor Abe with Bee. In fact, the only really true version of Abe seems to come through in the narration. Then again…maybe that’s a mask, too.
JP: It’s probably Nero for me. His boisterous and brash front is a lot of fun to explore, but there’s that fragility in him just below the surface. He’s a great contrast with his more internal siblings as well, he’s just boiling over constantly, and trying to capture that more external mixture of personality traits is really exciting.
AIPT: What can you tease about the rest of the book, including some possible “opposition”?
NG: Without spoiling too much, I’d say the thing you always have to remember is that the Antichrist isn’t exactly an honest broker… Our first issue is narrated entirely by Abe, but moving forward, the narration will switch to other members of the family, which is going to give us new perspectives and information that will help us sort out Abe’s true intentions. And while the siblings go off to New York to perform a Hail Mary mission for their father (that very much isn’t what it seems), Abe is going to get a visitor from the past who threatens to disrupt everything. To make matters worse, we’re going to learn that there are other entities vying for control of the apocalypse, some of whom have benevolent intentions, and others who are even worse than Abe…
RP: And we also have a pair of missionary-esque assassins named Saturday and Sunday and the succubus ex-wife from hell. Literally.
Exclusive page (No. 16). Courtesy of Image Comics.
AIPT: Why should anyone pick up The Infernals?
NG: If you’re in the mood for a story that blends a lot of different genres — from horror to family drama to dark fantasy to corporate thriller — and features some of the most epic and expressionistic art imaginable, then this book very well might be for you. Likewise, if you’re a fan of Preacher or The Sandman or Hellblazer or any of the early Vertigo titles from which we drew so much inspiration, I think you’ll enjoy the world we’re building. But most importantly, whether or not you end up picking up our book, just get yourself to a comic shop and have a look at all the incredible stories waiting to be read.
RP: Of all the comics I’ve been a part of, I think this story is designed to challenge the reader. These are complex people dealing with complicated feelings and lots of family issues. There aren’t clear cut good guys and bad guys and I think that it really does allow everyone to have to find their own way through the narrative and judge each part for themselves. So if that’s something you’re into… this could be the Antichrist comic for you.
JP: It’s a series that crosses genres and at its heart deals with a complex family drama, only they’re the spawn of Satan. If you love horror, it’s for you. If you love thrillers, it’s for you. Drama, it’s for you. Black comedy, it’s for you. It’s fun, it’s dark, it’s heartfelt and heartbreaking, and for me it’s one of the most visually interesting projects I’ve done. I’m incredibly proud of this series and the team working on it, so pick it up. Hail Satan.
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