The Dark Tower Comics Series - General Discussion

[jhanic]

I don't have to call my guy--he save three copies for me automatically.

John

[gsvec]

Mine saves copies for me, too, but sometimes he forgets the ones not actually IN the arcs!

[jhanic]

If it says Stephen King on it, my guy saves it for me. I get the posters, bookmarks, promos, etc.

John

[turtlex]

I have this guy that goes out hunting for 9.8 cgc's and submits them for me. The price is okay, but best of all - I'm pretty much gauranteed a 9.8 cgc of all the DT comics. It's rare that he can't find one in 9.8 condition. My collection of DT cgc's continues to grow!

[MonteGss]

I just started having my comic shop save me Joe Hill and King comics. I went in last week to pick up my helds (first time) and they had forgotten.
I still got them but hopefully they get it figured out for next month and for this handbook.

[turtlex]

MonteGss - there are a ton of Joe Hill available at eBay, all CGC'd. Actually, Joe Hill has more 10 and 9.9 graded CGC's than any comic I've ever seen.

Just as an FYI : grading wise - I'd say about 90% of comics that sell at stores would grade at a 9.2, at best. So finding one that grades at a 9.8 takes a real eye for details.

I get my "reading" comics from a subscription service. So I can get multiple copies - for me, my girl and a friend of mine at work.

[Sai Farson]

OK, I recognize all of the other references, but who are the "Kuvian Night Soldiers?" Which book were they mentioned in?

[Brainslinger]

OK, I recognize all of the other references, but who are the "Kuvian Night Soldiers?" Which book were they mentioned in?

I don't know, but for some reason 'Kuvian Night Soldiers' is familiar.

[Daghain]

I'll try and remember to check the Concordance tonight when I get home. Maybe there's something in there.

[Silvermoth]

I wonder if all of these guides will eventually be made into a trade paperback. If so, I want it badly!

[Bev Vincent]

The Kuvian night-soldier was a brief mention in the original version of The Gunslinger, but deleted in the revised version.

"I’m going to tell your future, Roland. Seven cards must be turned, one at a time, and placed in conjunction with the others. I’ve not done this for over three hundred years. And I suspect I’ve never read one quite like yours." The mocking note was creeping in again, like a Kuvian night-soldier with a killing knife gripped in one hand.

[Daghain]

Thanks Bev!

[MonteGss]

MonteGss - there are a ton of Joe Hill available at eBay, all CGC'd. Actually, Joe Hill has more 10 and 9.9 graded CGC's than any comic I've ever seen.

Just as an FYI : grading wise - I'd say about 90% of comics that sell at stores would grade at a 9.2, at best. So finding one that grades at a 9.8 takes a real eye for details.

I get my "reading" comics from a subscription service. So I can get multiple copies - for me, my girl and a friend of mine at work.

Thanks, but I have all of Joe Hill's comics already. I was referring to his future issues.

[jhanic]

According to Bev Vincent, the Guide to Gilead is due out February, 2009.

John

[Sai Farson]

According to Bev Vincent, the Guide to Gilead is due out February, 2009.

John

The Marvel Comics site now says February 11, 2009.

http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?id=11058

[Bluenose]

There were variant covers included with both Gunslinger Born and The Long Road Home, but wether it was ALL of them, I dont know. Also some really cool pencil sketch to final picture stuff. Just finished The Long Road Home a few days ago, cant wait for Treachery!

[Matt]

It was very cool to see all those in one place though. I would still like the back stories.

[Bluenose]

It was! Both Gunslinger Born and The Long Road Home, two beautifully put togehter books.

[Brainslinger]

Just finished The Long Road Home a few days ago, cant wait for Treachery!

Treachery is shaping up to be a good un so far!

[Empath of the White]

Indeed it is. I'm glad to see we're getting away from the Crimson King for a while at least. Didn't care for him in The Long Road Home. When I think of the King, I prefer to think of Whelan's artwork in DT7, not a bloated gray guy with manboobs.

For those that have the HC graphic novel of The Long Road Home, is any of the supplemental backstory there, or was it ommited again?

[sarah]

I'm so excited about this.

*puts the date on the calendar*

[Wuducynn]

I'm happy with the physical depiction of the CK (yes gut and all). I just think they're not using that much imagination in his portrayal, and have been making him too much of a cliched archvillain. There were a few other things in The Long Road Home in how he was depicted that I didn't like. Also, they needed to combine imagery of him as he was in DT7 too.

Spoiler:

As in the long hair white hair and crimson eyes.

[Wuducynn]

Dark Tower: Talking with Robin Furth Pt. 1

One of the architects of DARK TOWER: TREACHERY speaks out in the first installment of an in-depth interview

By Neil Kleid

Robin Furth has seen the world end.

Desperately riding from a murderous posse, numb from a senseless death and headed towards treacherous waters, Robin bears an advantage her fellowship lacks: she knows how it all turns out. She has to—her first job before taking a single step inside the Dark Tower comic book universe was to co-plot Roland Deschain's early adventures from proud beginning to sorrowful finale at Jericho Hill.

Under the watchful eye of novelist and "Dark Tower" creator Stephen King, Furth has unquestionably become the best source of Dark Tower legend and lore. Now, alongside Peter David, Jae Lee and Richard Isanove, she uses that knowledge to explore and expand Roland's unwritten back-story, bringing to life stories and folklore only hinted at throughout King's best-selling novels.

To celebrate the release of THE DARK TOWER: TREACHERY this week, Robin kindly granted Marvel.com this in-depth interview, answering questions about her time in Mid-World and the long road still to come.

THE DARK
TOWER: THE
GUNSLINGER
BORN

Marvel.com: "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." That opening line—the beginning of Roland's journey—unlocks the door to "The Dark Tower" and a limitless wealth of story. How did Robin Furth's journey to the Dark Tower begin?

Robin Furth: The man in black fled across the desert…what a great line! Anyway, my own journey with Roland across Mid-World's deserts began about eight years ago—back in December of 2000. At the time I was a graduate student in the English Department at the University of Maine. Burt Hatlen, who was one of my advisors, had also been Stephen King's professor while Steve was an undergrad, and the two of them had remained friends. Hence when Steve contacted Burt and told him that he needed a temporary research assistant and wanted to give a helping hand to a graduate student, Burt thought of me. Burt knew that I loved horror and supernatural fiction—in fact, that's what my thesis was about!—and that I was a fan of Steve's. He also knew that I was a published writer, and so—lucky me!—he put my name down for the job.

My first task was to help sort through the thousands of stories that came into the [Bangor, Maine] office in response to Steve's "On Writing" contest. That was really interesting, since it meant I had the chance to read lots of great fan writing. But after a couple of months, that job came to a close, and I went to the office to pick up my final paycheck and to chat with Marsha DiFilippo, Steve's personal assistant. For the rest of my life I'll remember that day. It was the winter solstice, Maine had just suffered one of the worst ice storms in its history, and I hadn't had power for a week. I'd had the occasional bath at a friend's house, but really was reduced to washing my face and hands with cold water pulled up in a bucket from my grandparent's hand dug well. Needless to say, I felt both grimy and smelly. But who should be there in the office when I arrived but Steve himself, whom I'd never met in the flesh before! Boy was I embarrassed. But when he asked if I'd like to take on more work—he wanted to finish up the Dark Tower series and needed someone to make lists of characters and places found in the first four books, along with any page references they appeared on so that he could check for continuity—I took the job in a heartbeat.

I started right away and by the end of January I had a fat black-bound book to hand in to Steve. At the front I'd drawn a magical door with a sigul for "The Writer" on it, so Steve could re-enter Mid-World. Then I taped a key to the front so that he could open the door. I think the book was a lot bigger and a lot more detailed than Steve expected, and I guess he liked it a lot. Anyway, he asked me if I wanted to stay on. He would hand me the manuscripts of the next three books in installments and I would continue keeping track of all characters, places, languages, etc. Quite amazing, when you think about it!

THE DARK
TOWER: THE
LONG ROAD
HOME

Marvel.com: Ka, or destiny, guides Roland along his life's path—do you feel ka guided you to yours? Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Robin Furth: Yes on both accounts! Weird as it may sound, I do believe that ka--or fate/karma/destiny as it is known in our world—has an effect upon all of our lives. I think that we still have free will and can decide how to react to the events that take place in our lives, but some of those events seem to be just waiting for us, like signposts in the middle of the road.

For several months before Steve asked me to work on the Dark Tower project, I kept having these really weird dreams about Towers and red, demon-faced moons. Though I was a fan of Steve's other work I hadn't read the Dark Tower novels yet so I began to wonder whether I was going crackers! I had this one dream which was especially vivid. I was climbing up the stairwell of this haunted, soot-colored Tower which was full of doors that would open and close by themselves, though I could never see inside any of them. But then all of a sudden I was crouched on the top of the tower, and its insides had disappeared. All I could see was this swirling, hungry vortex. The winds whipped around me and storm clouds flew over my head, and I was certain I was going to fall into that vortex and be swallowed by it! It was both a terrifying and an awe-inspiring sight, like the vortex of eternity! No wonder it was so scary…

The other uncanny event was that I started to have, well, a ghostly visitor. My husband and I were living in a trailer at the time. You know the kind—a kitchen, a living room, and two bedrooms, one at either end of the house, though Mark and I had transformed the second bedroom into a writing room.

Anyway, I started to sense someone pacing at the writing room door. Whenever I sat in the living room reading, with the door to my right, out of the corner of my eye I saw this tall, thin, shadow-man pacing back and forth, as if he really wanted to break through into our world but for some reason couldn't. I could even feel his impatience. I sensed he was a character, not a ghost, but I also knew he was not my character! Then one day the door—or should I say the portal that shared space with my writing room door—opened. I felt the character give a great sigh of relief and step through into our world. Not long after that, I started working for Steve. To this day, I swear that visitor was Roland.

And in answer to the second part of the question—yes, I've always wanted to be a writer! By the time I met Steve I'd already published quite a bit of poetry in U.S. journals. However, ["The Dark Tower: A Complete Concordance"] was my first published prose.

THE DARK
TOWER:
TREACHERY #1
cover by Jae Lee
& Richard
Isanove

Marvel.com: Which bring us to your first Dark Tower work, the Concordance, which compiles all things Dark Tower into a reference guide and no doubt, an adapter's dream. What were the triumphs and challenges you faced while assembling it?

Robin Furth: I suppose the greatest triumph was actually having the opportunity to write the book, and to have Steve's support for the project. Besides being a writer, my other ambition has always been to become a folklorist. Hence, having the chance to become Mid-World's folklorist was like a dream come true.

The challenges were many! As you know, the Dark Tower novels—taken together—are vast. In order to write the Concordance I had to go through the novels page by page, often many times, documenting each time a character was mentioned, a place was mentioned, or when a new Mid-World term appeared. I created a giant index for Steve, and then had to redo the index when the book was accepted by Scribner. Most of my page references actually referred to Steve's manuscripts, which wouldn't have done readers any good! Then, when the book was accepted by Hodder in the [United Kingdom], I re-indexed the whole thing again! As you can imagine, I started to have nightmares about page references and would wake up in the night crying out things like, "Page 347!"

My biggest fear was accuracy. Dark Tower fans really know their stuff, so I didn't want to disappoint anybody, especially Steve! Because of this, I checked and rechecked all of my entries and facts. By the end of it all, the Dark Tower novels really lived inside of my brain, which isn't surprising! When I'm looking for a quote, I can usually still find the page without checking the Concordance. Strange, huh?

Marvel.com: Strange indeed! Now, as a writer who has adapted literature, I know what it's like to handle an author's precious work with kid gloves. Are there rules for working on "The Dark Tower," or any other King novel and have they changed over the years?

Robin Furth: I guess the most important thing is to show respect for the author and his work, and to try to remain true to the original story and vision. While writing THE GUNSLINGER BORN, which was an adaptation of "Wizard and Glass," this was my top priority. It was also the top priority of everybody working on the project.

Transforming a story from words to images is never easy. Hence, there were times when I had to take scenes from other Dark Tower novels and place them in the "Wizard and Glass" storyline in order to maintain the continuity of the tale. But whenever I did this I made sure that the addition would help new readers really grasp the Dark Tower universe. In this way I tried to fill in a lot of the background info that readers of the novels get while reading the larger text.

THE DARK
TOWER:
TREACHERY #2
cover by Jae Lee
& Richard
Isanove

When it was time to move from "Wizard and Glass" into the less charted regions of LONG ROAD HOME, I was really determined to remain true to Steve's world and characters. However, I also had to fall back upon my own imagination in order to flesh out the tales. Steve provided all the story-seeds in his novel, but I had to really let my mind dwell on these seeds in order to let them sprout. That's been both a challenge and a pleasure!

Marvel.com: Do you find yourself falling into the unique language and vocabulary of the series throughout the day? You must have had to adopt an entirely new dictionary.

Robin Furth: I do when I'm talking to Dark Tower fans or when I'm working on the Dark Tower project. Peter and I do a lot of writing back and forth in Mid-World speak, which isn't surprising! I also fall into it if I send an e-mail to Steve about the project. It's kind of catchy!

Marvel.com: "The Dark Tower" and Marvel Comics. Honestly—before the big meeting, before Joe Quesada and the amazing sample pages—what was your first reaction? Were you a Marvel fan before this?

Robin Furth: I read a lot of comics when I was younger—like most girls I had a big crush on Spider-Man—but by the time I was in high school and college I felt a tremendous pressure to leave all that behind me. But the love of illustration and illustrated stories never died. In fact, to this day I consider the Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin to be one of my most important creative influences.

Though I tried to keep my Spider-Man crush a secret—me and spiders…go figure!—when I reached college my roommate really liked the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. My husband—who I met the year after I graduated—also loved Fat Freddy's Cat as well as Robert Crumb and Steve Bell's work, so I spent a lot of time enjoying those. My brother-in-law collected the early Viz, which I also loved. Yes, I have to admit it. I think the old Topless Skateboard Nun is a hoot. I've also always loved fantasy and sci-fi art of all kinds, and there's a big crossover between that kind of illustration and comic book art. In my 20s I discovered anime and became a big fan of Vampire Hunter D, and started to collect some vampire-related comics. Can't help it, I have a thing about blood-suckers…

THE DARK
TOWER:
TREACHERY #3
cover by Jae Lee
& Richard
Isanove

So anyway, when I found out that Dark Tower was going to move into comics, I thought it was pretty spectacular, but I was also really scared about doing a good-enough job. I'll tell you it's been quite a learning curve—at times like climbing up a skyscraper—but I've loved it. I've been incredibly lucky that the editors at Marvel have been so helpful and supportive. It has been great! The hard work has been worth it, and I keep realizing how much there is still to learn! But I guess that's the way of it, isn't it?

[Wuducynn]

Dark Tower: Talking with Robin Furth Pt. 2

The TREACHERY scribe continues to educate us on the Dark Tower and bringing Stephen King's masterpiece to comics

Before taking a single step inside Marvel Comics' Dark Tower comic book universe, Robin Furth had to document Roland Deschain's early journey from its proud beginning to its eventual, sorrowful finale at Jericho Hill.

Under the watchful eye of novelist and creator Stephen King, Robin Furth has become a walking encyclopedia of Dark Tower legend and lore, and alongside Peter David, Jae Lee and Richard Isanove, she uses that knowledge to present Roland's unwritten back story in Marvel's DARK TOWER series, bringing to life stories and folklore only hinted at throughout King's best-selling novels.

In the second of our three-part, in-depth interview celebrating DARK TOWER: TREACHERY, the third limited series from Marvel series—the first part of which is still available—Robin discusses the creative process, triumphs and tribulations and how to condense 700 pages into seven 22-page issues.

DARK TOWER:
TREACHERY #2
cover by Jae Lee
& Richard
Isanove

Marvel.com: Once the hands were shaken and the contracts signed, how did the process of creating the DARK TOWER comics get started? What's the typical writing process and does it change much with each consecutive series?

Robin Furth: We were incredibly lucky in that we had about a year or so between the contracts being signed and the first issue of the first comic book being due for delivery. That was great for me, since it gave me plenty of time to work with the editors on the project—Ralph Macchio, John Barber, and Nicole Boose. They were great! My job was to plot out the tale from the time when Roland left Gilead for Hambry—the events recounted in "Wizard and Glass"—right through to the gunslingers' final stand at Jericho Hill. In other words, I had to cover the ground from Roland, age 14, to Roland, age 22. I also had to describe the huge transformations and upheavals that happen within Mid-World during that time span.

I really worked hard, and with lots of feedback from the editors I created a rough outline that covered the whole period. The plan was for me to create five story arcs of approximately six issues each, but as soon as I looked at the amount of ground we had to cover in order to retell the story of "Wizard and Glass," I knew we were going to have some problems.

As longtime Dark Tower fans know, "Wizard and Glass" is almost 700 pages long and absolutely packed with events. Because of this—and because I wanted to do justice to the novel—my first scene-by-scene outline was eight issues long. I managed to cut it down to seven, but when I tried to cut down to six, so much of the action had been axed that we all decided to go with seven issues for GUNSLINGER BORN and five for LONG ROA HOME. This felt right to me since the time period covered by LONG ROAD HOME was actually much briefer than the time period covered by GUNSLINGER BORN.

DARK TOWER:
TREACHERY #2
variant cover by
Jim Cheung

After finishing GUNSLINGER BORN, I moved on to expand the outline for LONG ROAD HOME and TREACHERY. I did these in fairly rapid succession since the juices were flowing and I wanted Jae, Richard, and Peter to have the extra info to turn to while they were working. My outlines then went to Jae, who broke my scene-by-scene story into a panel-by-panel, page-by-page comic book. At this point in the project, we started some round table discussions about what would work best on the page. This was great and I learned a lot, since Jae, Peter, and Richard have a tremendous amount of experience and skill. These days discussion about the story and the art is still a big part of the process. We've worked together for such a long time now that we all feel more comfortable. There is also a tremendous amount of mutual respect. I really have to stress how lucky I feel, having the chance to work on DARK TOWER. How many newcomers to comics have a chance to work with such talented and accomplished folks?

Marvel.com: Not many! While the talented and accomplished creative team adapted GUNSLINGER BORN from the fourth novel, "Wizard and Glass" as you mentioned, the rest of the comics venture into new territory with new material. What are the hard and fast rules of crafting never before seen Dark Tower stories?

Robin Furth:</B> I think the most important part is to remain true to the story and to the tale that Stephen King tells in the Dark Tower novels. Throughout the books, Roland Deschain tells us bits and pieces about his personal history and about the trials he faced both after leaving Hambry and during the difficult period that led to the Battle of Jericho Hill. It was these tales that I wove together to create the plots of LONG ROAD HOME and TREACHERY. My aim has always been to flesh out the tales in a way that is true to both the characters and the world they come from. So far Steve King has been pleased, and so as long as he gives his stamp of approval, I'm happy!

DARK TOWER:
TREACHERY #3
cover by Jae Lee
& Richard
Isanove

Marvel.com: How much of the story has already been plotted?

Robin Furth: As I said, we have a general outline that goes all the way to the Battle of Jericho Hill, but the more detailed outlines only go up to TREACHERY. I have a lot of exciting work ahead of me!

Marvel.com: Of course the stories you, Stephen and Peter create end up beautifully illustrated by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove. What's the collaborative process like between DARK TOWER writers and artists? Are you big on detailed panel descriptions or do you place faith in Jae and Richard's skill and experience?

Robin Furth: In my outlines, I try to tell the tale with enough visual detail to get Jae and Richard's imaginations going. My aim is really to get across Steve's vision, as well as the world and the characters as they appear in his novels. From there, Jae and Richard create something unique, beautiful, and utterly awe-inspiring. The same goes for Peter's scripts. They bring the tale to life, which is very moving for me, since as I said I've been living in Mid-World for a very long time. All of these separate parts of the process—outlines, art, and script—go through Steve as well, which is as it should be! He has final say on everything.

Marvel.com: What's been the biggest triumph thus far in writing the DARK TOWER comics? Which moment can you point to proudly and say, "that one's mine"?

Robin Furth: To tell the truth, for me the biggest triumph has been the comics themselves! I've never had the chance to take part in this kind of collaboration before, and I think it's amazing to watch this comic book come into being that is so much bigger than any single person. I mean, every one of us has put our whole

DARK TOWER:
TREACHERY #4
cover by Jae Lee
& Richard
Isanove

heart into this. I've brought my knowledge of the original tales and of Mid-World and its people. Jae and Richard have fleshed out the landscape and the people with their fantastic art, and they have given the stories an incredible dynamism. Peter has given the characters voices by creating superb dialogue, and has maintained a terrific narrator's voice, which holds the tale together. What a treat! It makes me think that if only we human beings could learn to work together like this in other aspects of life, the world really would become a much better, more peaceful place.

Marvel.com: Besides co-writing the main stories, you're also providing back matter for the books in the form of articles, maps and biographies. How much of the material comes from the "Concordance" and how much is brand new?

Robin Furth: I'm really glad you asked this question because I think it's something that many readers want to know more about. Every article and every biography is based in Mid-World history and Mid-World folklore, but I've also had to do a lot of imagining and expanding. Often I try to bring many different bits of history together, and by so doing give readers a deeper insight into what it means to live in Mid-World. I definitely see these tales and articles as a continuation of the "Concordance," but they are simultaneously something new. Each article or tale is designed to work with the issue in which it appears. For example, in TREACHERY, we meet a new character named Aileen Ritter. She's Cort's niece and she wants more than anything to train as a gunslinger. Problem is, girls aren't allowed to be gunslingers. Hence the article accompanying that particular issue is about a woman's place in Mid-World, and about how girls like Aileen would like to see it change…

[Wuducynn]

Dark Tower: Talking with Robin Furth Pt. 3

In the final part of our chat with the TREACHERY writer, she discusses her love of maps and the future of the Tower

By Neil Kleid

Roland Deschain falls into the possessive grasp of Maerlyn's Grapefruit as the players of DARK TOWER: TREACHERY—Marvel Comics' third comic book series based on the novels by Stephen King—plot and scheme about him. Above them all, holding the puppet-strings alongside Peter David, Jae Lee and Richard Isanove: Robin Furth. Long before she took Roland's strings in hand, Robin documented his early adventures under the watchful eye of King.

A walking encyclopedia of Dark Tower legend and lore, Robin uses that knowledge to co-create Roland's back-story, bringing to life unwritten tales only hinted at throughout King's best-selling novels.

In the last of a three-part, in-depth interview celebrating TREACHERY—parts one and two still available—Robin expresses her love for maps and folklore, how her life has been changed by comic books, and the bonds that tie her firmly to Mid-World.

Preview art by
Jae Lee &
Richard Isanove

Marvel.com: Maps, of course, are fairly important to Roland's quest. I understand you originally sketched many of the maps painstakingly recreated by Jim Calafiore. Is cartography a secret passion?

Robin Furth: Actually, it is! When I was a child, my grandparents had an old map of the Maine coast on the wall. In one of the map's corners there were some drawings of sea monsters, so for years I actually thought that there was a grotto of sea monsters living somewhere off the Maine coast! This thought scared me, but it also set my imagination on fire. When I got a little older, I became fascinated by the maps that appeared in fantasy novels. I would spend hours studying them and dreamt of writing novels that contained maps like those!

Marvel.com: The short folk tales you've written for the comics, fleshing out the lore and myth of the All-World, help establish a rich history that adds to the reader's enjoyment. As a writer, have you always wanted to try your hand at world building?

Robin Furth: Yes, world-building has always been an obsession of mine. Don't worry—I don't have a God complex or anything—I'm just fascinated by folklore! I spent much of my childhood reading fairytales, folktales, and any kind of mythology I could get my hands on. Later, in college, I also gobbled up a lot of anthropology texts as well as any sci-fi, fantasy, or magical realism I could find. Studying the history of English literature was also really helpful, since I realized that the world as we know it—and the cultural practices we take for granted—are far from

Preview art by
Jae Lee &
Richard Isanove

assured. Over time, all cultures change. I've always been fascinated by the Arthurian legends and by the troubadours and the courtly love tradition, so I've tried to build some of that into the stories I tell. As readers know, those things play a large part in the Dark Tower novels, so it makes perfect sense.

Marvel.com: If you had your way, which would you choose to write in: script or prose?

Robin Furth: Both! I really do enjoy both and have been lucky enough to do both. I'd also have to throw poetry into the mix, since that feeds a different part of the soul.

Marvel.com: You've been living in Roland's world for almost 10 years now—which of his fellows or foes do you closely identify with?

Robin Furth: Wow—that's a tough one. I definitely feel haunted by Roland. Whenever I'm working really hard on Dark Tower stuff I feel this shadow hovering nearby. Sometimes I even look up, certain someone has walked into the room! I've had some pretty terrifying nightmares about the Crimson King as well, always in his spider form. And I've had some pretty scary run-ins with spiders while working on the comics. Once, while I was lying in bed trying to puzzle out a scene about the nasty red king, I opened my eyes to see this huge spider dangling over my face! Yikes! It was kind of like the Crimson King was having a laugh at my expense).

Preview art by
Jae Lee &
Richard Isanove

Otherwise, I have to say I have a really strong affection for Cuthbert, Alain, and Susan Delgado. That was why I was so pleased that Marvel wanted to start with "Wizard and Glass"—it meant that I was able to spend time with those particular old friends, who I really felt deserved more attention. When Susan died at the end of GUNSLINGER BORN, I cried, despite the fact that I knew what was coming!

Marvel.com: Aside from the Dark Tower books, you've worked on a LEGION OF MONSTERS comic and are now adapting the "Lords of Avalon" novels. Which other Marvel comics would you like to try your hand on?

Robin Furth: I'd love to do more with Satana and with her brother Daimon Hellstrom. I'd also love to work with Morbius, or with some of the characters who aren't as well-known, like Spellbinder—Erica Fortune. I think everybody dreams of doing things like Spider-Man or the X-Men or Fantastic Four, but there are so many great writers out there who have a lot more experience in those corners of the Marvel Universe so I think I'll continue to be an enthusiastic reader of those series! I'm a big fan of the adaptations of "Anita Blake." Those are a lot of fun! Most of all though, I'd like to be able to adapt fantasy and sci-fi novels to comic book form. I'd especially love to help bring some of the old horror and supernatural classics to life again!

Preview art by
Jae Lee &
Richard Isanove

Marvel.com: It's been a long road—paved with interviews, conventions and signings—since Joe Quesada proudly announced the Dark Tower comics. How does it feel, being in the spotlight and signing at conventions?

Robin Furth: By nature I'm a fairly quiet person, so getting up in front of people is always a major event for me! As far as the success of the Dark Tower comics goes, I'm amazed and incredibly grateful that fans have enjoyed it. It's like a dream come true.

Marvel.com: Ka is like a wheel, it always comes around—do you see your life firmly entrenched in Roland's—and, by extension, Stephen's? Though you may move on to other worlds and projects, will the Dark Tower always bring you back?

Robin Furth:</B> Mid-World definitely has a hold on me! Whenever I think that I'm moving out of Roland's domain, something happens and I find myself back in the middle of Mid-World again. I'm in the process of finishing up a novel of my own and hope to work on many more comics, but Mid-World has become one of my homes. If I left for too long, I guess I'd get homesick!