We quiz 30 Days Of Night creator Steve Niles about Mulder and Scully's trip to Alaska in new crossover comic...
How did the crossover come about? Did someone else approach you with the idea of the crossover, or was it something you fancied yourself?
Ted Adams from IDW approached me with the idea. Usually I'm not to keen on crossovers, but this one seemed like a good match. I could immediately see the potential for the two universes intersecting.
What was it about this particular crossover that made it an attractive proposition?
I'd been offered crossovers in the past for 30 Days Of Night , but they just didn't really seem to match-up. In this case, 30 Days Of Night and X-Files both exist in universes that are based in some kind of reality. In X-Files this is obvious. In 30 Days , for those who might not know, besides the vampires being undead, blood-drinking creatures, there are very few of the supernatural trappings found in other vampire stories. They are killed by sunlight and beheading, sometimes fire, but things like crosses and holy water do not have any effect.
How did you come to write the comic with TOOL guitarist Adam Jones?
We met a few years back and became friends. We had been wanting to work of something together, so when this came up I asked Adam if he'd like to co-write it with me. He not only said yes, but came up with the main hook that really made it work for me. I've been a fan of TOOL for years and knew Adam was a creative guy, so this project has turned into a lot of fun for us. Getting to work with [artist] Tom Mandrake has been amazing as well. He always adds something and has a real instinct for horror.
Were the 30 Days Of Night and X-Files universes an easy fit for one another, or did you have to adapt one (or both) to fit with the other?
The case for this series is about a long history of Arctic disappearances dating back to the earliest explorers. It has a real factual feel to it and meshes very well with the investigative nature of X-Files . The real fun of it was that we didn't have to alter the mythology at all.
How does this fit into the respective 30 Days Of Night and X-Files chronologies?
Making the continuity work was crucial for us. We felt a real responsibility to fans of X-Files especially to make it fit. When the comic first appeared, X-Files still had two plus years left with Mulder and since this is a comic crossover, it works.
Do you use similar themes to 30 Days Of Night , with Mulder and Scully trapped in a small town when a month of night falls, or does this go off in a different direction ?
They are not trapped but they are called to the Arctic Circle as darkness falls. The darkness plays a part, but we are not just trying to jam Mulder and Scully into a 30 Days Of Night situation.
Have you tried to make the comic work like a traditional X-Files story – did you try to follow similar beats to a case on the show, for example?
The story is mainly told from the POV of Mulder and Scully. There are substantial parts from the POV of the vampires, but for this we all felt it worked best as an investigative story.
How did you find working in someone else's world? Liberating, restrictive or a bit of both?
Adam and I are both huge fans of the X-Files series and found it extremely fun and challenging at the same time. We took special care to make sure Mulder and Scully acted and sounded as they would in the show and react to the various situations as fans would expect.
Was it a challenge finding Mulder and Scully's respective voices?
That was the fun part. We were lucky enough to have some early approvals by the X-Files creators and if we ever got stuck Adam and I would watch some episodes to find the right voices.
The X-Files/30 Days Of Night crossover is published by IDW Comics and out now.
