Mike Richardson, head of Dark Horse Comics, has recently resurrected The Gremlins, a children’s book published in 1943 that eventually became a Disney property. The first issue of the new series came out on this week, but preview art for the second issue is below, accompanied by a few choice words from Mr. Richardson himself.
Matthew McLean (MM): The Gremlins on the cover of the first issue look like something out of an old cartoon, very different than a lot of books out there. What is Return of the Gremlins all about?
Mike Richardson (MR): It is a comic book series aimed at kids…and those who would like seeing a forgotten Disney property brought back to life. The look is intentional.
MM: The main character’s grandfather bares a certain resemblance to the “The Gremlins” original author. Is this story a tribute to Ronald Dahl in any way?
MR: Accidental.
MM: What was it like working with a Disney property?
MR: Being a long time Disney fan, and recognizing the amazing history of the original book’s author, it was an irresistible opportunity.
MM: Some of your most recent credits include The Secret and Living with the Dead. Return of the Gremlins seems very different. Why the change of pace? How was writing Gremlins different for you?
MR: I’m interested in writing different kinds of stories and you are mentioning only my most recent work. If you look over the history of Dark Horse, you’ll see that I’ve written many “types” of comics over the years. I’m just looking to tell a good story. Sometimes I’m successful.
MM: Between running Dark Horse, the chain of comic shops and God knows what else, where do you find time to write?
MR: Simple . . . I don’t sleep.
