Tim Seeley Looks For The Lost Boys

by Vince Brusio

If you grew up in the 80s, you remember the glut of 80s horror movie franchises which dominated the shelves at your local video store. Back then there was Halloween, Friday the 13^th, Child’s Play, and more which spawned sequel after sequel horror classics, and gore. Now that fever frenzy and fun with dead things is back, but not in theaters. No, the glory daze of cuts and guts is back in The Lost Boys #1 (AUG160349) from DC/Vertigo, with writer Tim Seeley and artist Scott Godlewski bringing the pain in a new six-issue series that hits comic shops in October. Read what Tim Seeley has to say about this new spin on 80s vampires in our PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview!

The Lost Boys #1 (AUG160349) is in comic shops October 12.

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PREVIEWSworld: So you're obviously a fan of the movie. But what made The Lost Boys stand out from other 80s vampire flicks like Fright Night or Vamp to the point where you felt it deserved a comic series?

Tim Seeley: Well, Fright Night was literally the first horror movie I ever saw, so it's probably hard to understate my affection for that flick! And, I mean those other 80s vampire flicks like Fright Night, Vamp (and I would include Near Dark in this list) totally rejuvenated and updated the classic monster. But I do think a couple of things set The Lost Boys apart. One is the soundtrack, which is one of the most memorable pop rock soundtracks of all time. And, I think the focus of The Lost Boys being on these young guys, and the parallels to be made between becoming a vampire and the horrors of becoming an adult, caused it to resonate with its audience on a deeper level.

PREVIEWSworld: Why do a comic book sequel to The Lost Boys? Do you feel there is so much untapped potential in, say, the Frog Brothers? Or was there more that you wanted to do with the premise of the story because you have firsthand knowledge of vampire clans in Santa Carla?

Tim Seeley: Ha, well, to me, I think the medium of comics allows us to do something that could never be done in film. It allows us to go back to 1987 and focus on the original characters, and pick up on threads left by the first movie. In comics we don't have to do a reboot or a prequel, and we don't have to set the sequel in the era the movie is released in. It doesn't matter that the cast has aged. And, we now have an unlimited budget!

PREVIEWSworld: What can you tell us about the new characters, the Blood Belles?

Tim Seeley: They're a gang of vampire women! What more do you need to know? But, part of our story is going to be explaining how completely different the girls are from Max and his gang, and what they want is going to be a nice, big, fat surprise.

PREVIEWSworld: How was Scott Godlewski brought on board for this project? What kind of back-and-forth did you two have during development of this six-issue series?

Tim Seeley: Scott had worked with Jamie on The Dark And Bloody for Vertigo, and Jamie knew he was adept at drawing teenagers and monsters. So far, it's my job to let him run wild, while I bury him with tons of 80s reference. Poor guy has had to endure me sending him tons of photos of 80s goth punk band members like Siouxsie Sioux and Patricia Morrison of Sisters of Mercy.

PREVIEWSworld: Let's go free-form on this last question. Let's make you the director for a trailer for this comic book. What visuals would you offer as your best teaser to show how this comic packs a punch?

Tim Seeley: The trailer opens on a scene of Santa Carla during the day ..."They thought it was over." We see people on the boardwalk. The Sax man playing on the beach. Sam working at the comic store. "They thought things were back to normal for Santa Carla." And then SMASH CUT to a burning building full of vampire hunters, a vampire woman with cat eyes, an underground city, the Frog Bros being attacked by aquatic children, and the Sax Man hitting a vampire with his sax. "They were wrong."