Super Creepshow is back for its fourth issue, and so too are we with our series of interviews with the masterminds behind these creepy tales of superpowers and super-terrors. In this article, we interview writer Sam Humphries (Green Lantern), who penned a brilliant tale about a retired super criminal whose past isn’t quite done with him.
Creepshow spinoff series Super Creepshow takes everything we love about the original series and weaves together new standalone stories, told from a superhero genre viewpoint. So far we’ve seen excellent tales from a number of top tier writers, from comics legend Marv Wolfman to esteemed creators Ryan North and Kieron Gillen.
In issue #4, creators Sam Humphries and Jackson Lanzing/Collin Kelly deliver tales of a superhero with the ability to grant life (which naturally doesn’t end well) and a retired super criminal whose past isn’t quite done with him. In this interview, we chat with Sam Humphries about his tale, titled The New Life.
The New Life by Sam Humphries
When you first found out about Super Creepshow, what made you want to come aboard? What about the Creepshow umbrella do you find most appealing?
The first time I watched the film, I was way too young. Thanks to that experience, I can’t hold down a job, I can’t sleep without a nightlight, and I scream every time I see Leslie Nielsen’s face. My psychoanalyst arranged for me to write this story as a form of trauma exposure to try to have a normal life.
In your own words, tell us about your story? What’s it about?
It’s about a former villain who hung up his bad guy gauntlets, and is now leading a perfect life. But he’s done a lot of terrible things in the past, and he becomes paranoid that one of them has come back to haunt him.
Already, The New Life is one of my favourites. It’s driven heavily by emotion — what made you want to explore horror through a psychological lens? And also, what drew you to the concept of a retired villain as your protagonist?
Most superhero stories are supposed to end with the villain getting served their just deserts, or redeeming themselves into a good guy. We like to see the heroes win. However, in horror, you can tell the story of a villain who got away with it.
A bastard in our midst, secretly sneering at society. But can you ever truly get away with anything? And will the impulses that drove you to become a villain end up destroying your life?
We’ve already seen Super Creepshow stories take big inspiration from existing superhero tales, such as Spider-Man and The Flash. For your Super Creepshow tale, were there any specific superhero stories or tropes that you wanted to play on?
Yes, absolutely, and we weren’t subtle about it. We took massive inspiration from the early 90s wave of Image comics, particularly Wildstorm, Extreme Studios, and Freak Force. I have big, big love for those characters, concepts, art styles, stories, chromium covers, Levi’s 501 commercials, everything.
I think a new wave embodying that kind of superhero storytelling is due for a big comeback, don’t you?!
What about Sean Izaakse’s artwork made him the perfect artist for this story? And what did that collaboration look like?
Well, right off the top, he’s a true fan of those influences, just like I am. He’s also got the chops to swing between a 90s style and his own amazing, dynamic style. Most importantly, when it came to the HORROR of it — I mean, this is CREEPSHOW right?? — he had the guts to go BIG. He didn’t just dive into the blood and gore, but he really dug deep into the psychological doom and despair. Sean and I have been friends for years, and we’ve been trying to find an opportunity to collaborate. This was the perfect project — and hopefully, not the last.
Super Creepshow #4 is out now from Image Comics/Skybound.
Disclaimer: Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
