Interview of Aaron Williams, author of The Sword of Justice
How did you come to work on this project? What were your strengths ?
I was fortunate enough to be working with an editor at WildStorm/DC named Scott Peterson before this was offered to me. He’d helped shepherd a comic concept I came up with called “North 40”
through its first six issues, and he asked if I’d be interested in a project involving Diablo. I believe he was able to finish asking the question before I said “yes.” ;)
As for my strengths, I’ve written and cartooned in the realm of fantasy for years, though mostly on the humorous side of the spectrum. Scott thought my talents in character development and
dialog would be perfect for this project, not to mention the fact that I’ve had fantasy gaming as a hobby long enough that the staples have completely rusted away on my first D&D Basic Set.
Since I’d mostly self-published before Mr. Peterson gave me the chance to work with DC, he had to occasionally prod me to let the odd full-page happen, to allow the artist a chance to go nuts.
In my own self-published work, I figured my script is what sold the story, since I’m nowhere near being a threat to Jim Lee. ;) Anyway, it took some getting used to that I could write something
with a sweeping vista containing lots of characters, lots of action, lots of special effects, and it would look awesome. We’ll see a lot of that in Sword of Justice, to be sure.
How can you create a comic in 5 parts with a character like Tyrael without taking the risk to reveal too much about the story of Diablo III as you know that it won’t be on sale when the first
issue will be released ?
I have lots of help from Blizzard in that respect; they made very sure that I wasn’t pulling back too many curtains. ;) And Tyrael’s presence is very subtle in this story. We have his sword,
to be sure, but it doesn’t communicate directly with Jacob. Whether it or Tyrael can’t plainly speak to him or won’t do so remains to be seen.
The world of Diablo is wide. Why did you choose specifically the Sword of Justice and Tyrael for this comic ?
When I came to this project, those elements had already been decided upon by Blizzard and another writer. I think it was a good way to tie in the ending of Diablo II and one of the most
memorable scenes in the game, refreshing the memory for veteran players and letting new ones get a crash course in Diablo lore.
We know that Blizzard created their universes with a great precision. They know exactly where they want to go in their games or novels. What was your flexibility to create a story with
existing characters in an existing world ?
I thought I had a lot of freedom, once the characters and other elements were outlined to everyone’s satisfaction. It made it a lot easier, having them so well-defined, as their abilities
and personas helped drive the story along. The times I ran into things that had to be drastically changed were usually when I used a location or reference to a previous game. I can’t give
away any details, but quite a few places players have been to in the first two games are going to be “active” in the third instalment.
Could you tell us about the places that Jacob encounters in his adventures ? As Jacob, will the player visit these places ?
Jacob goes to Lut Gholein, and he visits an area within about an 18-hour walk (in real time), but I’m not certain that’ll be in the game. He visits the ruins around the Forgotten Tower, and,
of course, his home city of Staalbreak. There are a few locations out in the Dreadlands themselves, which are new to Diablo lore. I can’t go into them too much, as they’d be pretty big spoilers
for the comic. I don’t have confirmation (yet) that they’ll be in Diablo III, but my instincts tell me they’ll be at least mentioned, if not playable.
Interview of Jospeh Lacroix, illustrator on The Sword of Justice
How did you come to work on this project? What were your strengths ?
Blizzard got in touch with me last spring, then all was set pretty fast. I did some sample drawings, and then started designs for main characters. I think Blizzard got interested in my art
through the black-and-white epilogue of Pythons where skeletons were fiercely fighting with great sword slashes. I’m a fan of comic books -- it was when I discovered the art of Mike Mignola,
Bernie Wrightson, and Alex Toth that I realized I really wanted to work as a comic book writer and artist. American comic books are the roots of my enthusiasm, so I understand and share their
wants and tastes regarding comics. It was really an ideal opportunity for me: working for the U.S. in a genre I adore -- dark fantasy. I said ‘YES!’ immediately!
Can you describe us the way of you worked with the team of Blizzard ?
Blizzard is involved all the time and at each level. On the script, the story board, the colors.... My first requirement has to be Blizzard’s vision. Diablo is the baby of many talented
artists and developers. They want rightly that we take good care of their child. For example, on the cover of the first issue, they wanted Jacob, Tyrael and the Sword of Justice. I proposed
about ten roughs of different compositions and in the end we chose a mix of two of them, with a final result that gives the impression that Tyrael is offering the sword to Jacob.
What were the guidelines given to create the graphic world of this comic ?
I’ve been mainly asked to give life to the world of Sanctuary. It exists in the game and in cinematics, and I am bringing that same world to comics. It has to be dark, accurate to the game,
and dynamic. When I did tests and design research, Blizzard was waiting to see my vision of Sanctuary. This is what really interests me in this project. I can propose new characters, places,
and sets and really get involved in the creation of this story. Blizzard’s publishing team is always available to supply me with all the documentation and all the visual references I need. As
soon as I ask them for information on an existing character, I receive all they’ve got: screenshots, 3D character designs, drawings, and illustrations.
How did you bring your style in this project compared to the visual requirements given by Blizzard ?
In relation to what I did before, working on Diablo demands more precision in the line, more dynamism in the direction, and a darker approach when inking. More precise because some elements
directly come from the game and need to maintain a consistent look: sets, characters, armor, accessories. More dynamic because narration in comics is different from French traditional comic
books. American comics have a smaller size with fewer panels, and everything has to link fast: fights, sets, and time changes etc. Darker because Sanctuary is a universe made of dust and ruins,
where the existence of men is perpetually threatened. The sun does not shine often and when it does, it burns. It is the realm of fear and darkness.
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