In the last few years, writer Steve Niles has played a significant role in raising the profile of horror comics, both within the comic book world and in the eyes of outsiders. His 30 Days Of Night, created with artist Ben Templesmith, was optioned by Hollywood before the first issue arrived. The mini-series was a huge hit, followed by multiple printings of a trade paperback, a deluxe hardcover, and numerous follow-ups.

Novels such as Dial M for Monster, comics such as Wake The Dead, and numerous screen projects followed. Coming up there's Marvel Monsters: Monsters On The Prowl, his first work for Marvel Comics, and Bad Planet (created with Punisher star Thomas Jane) coming out from Image Comics. And that's not even half of it.

In simple terms, the 30 Days Of Night made Niles an overnight sensation.

Except for the fact that it wasn't anywhere close to overnight. Niles toiled in the trenches for years, working at Eclipse, where he adapted Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, and at Todd McFarlane Productions (Hellspawn) long before smashing threw into the proverbial big time on the power of 30 Days and a lot of effort.

"30 Days Of Night was a phenomenon," said Ross Richie, Publisher of Boom! Studios, home of Niles' new project, Giant Monster. "It's amazing to me, even people who don't know comics, don't know comic book creators, recognize that series. In one fell swoop, Steve re-ignited interest in the genre and brought in a whole lot of people who previously weren't checking the stuff out. It was really ground-breaking."

Like 30 Days, Giant Monster is a rather straight forward plot, relying on the talents of Niles and artist Nat Jones (30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales) to execute it in gripping fashion. In the two-issue mini-series, the year is 2013 and astronaut Don Maggert has completed his first solo manned space flight. Descending from the JFK International Space Station, Maggert disappears in the grip of an intergalactic horror before fading from NASA's Mission Control cameras. When Maggert does return to earth, he's been transformed into something utterly terrifying, and the earth itself is in peril!

When Niles showed Richie the proposal, he was hooked right away.

"What a cover!" Richie said. He was also quick to point out that Niles managed tap into his own pop culture roots as well.

"Frankenstein Conquers The World from Toho (the studio that created Godzilla) really screwed with my head as a kid. Look it up at wikipedia. It's considered one of the worst films of all time," he said. "It's about a Japanese kid who eats the radioactive heart of Frankenstein's monster, and mutates and grows into a Giant Monster. When Steve tossed me the art and proposal, I knew this was the kind of project that was stitched into my DNA. I loved it."

Thus far Boom! Studios has announced two additional projects with Niles, In The Blood, a werewolf story, and Gutwrencher, a slasher story with Keith Giffen, but there are hints of more to come.

"Working with Steve has been nothing short of a blast. He's such a pro, he works so hard, and I've learned a great deal about the craft of writing from working with him," Richie said. "He deserves all the lavish praise he's been getting."

Scoop talked with Steve Niles about Giant Monster and his other work.

Scoop: This is your first project with Boom! Studios. How's it going so far?
Steve Niles: Aside from the child Ross and I are having, yes. So far things are going great. Ross is a straight-shooter and a great guy, plus he has really good taste! Seriously, I love working with Boom!, and after seeing how cool Zombie Tales looks I'm really glad we decided to work together. Expect a lot from us in the future.

Scoop: While it's not been single-handedly, you've played a major role in putting horror comics back on the map. How much fun are you having?
SN: More fun than a barrel of mutated monkeys. It's really funny, I hear that all the time and I was just doing what I love to do. I had no intention of putting anything back on the map, I was just doing what I love, but I'm really happy that horror is back in comics and seems to have a healthy readership.

Scoop: Many of your properties have been optioned by Hollywood. Are any of them going to happen (or happen soon)?
SN: 30 Days of Night will probably be the first. I've had updates recently and it sounds like Raimi and Mandate Films are powering right along. Criminal Macabre is still moving forward last I heard from Mike Richardson and we are working hard on getting something going with Freaks of the Heartland. Both Mike and I just want to make sure it's done right. Thomas Jane and I will be making a big announcement in San Diego about some films and it will connect directly with what I'm doing at Boom!

Scoop: When you come up with a story, do you tailor it toward the artist you're going to be working with or just write it?
SN: It's almost impossible not too. I always like to try to play to the artist's strengths. Like when I worked with Ben Templesmith I tried to avoid large sprawling spreads because that's not his thing, instead I'd write closed areas for mood and claustrophobia because that's what he does best. With Kelley Jones, I try to put in as much weird stuff as possible because nobody draws twisted freaks like Kelley! So, uh, the answer is yes.

Scoop: Take Giant Monster for example. Did you pick Nat Jones and find the project, or have the project and find the artist?
SN: I had the project and then I thought of Nat. He did that cover image with the footprint and I was like, "Hired!"

Scoop: How did you come up with this particular plot?
SN: I really love giant monster movies and I grew up on Ultraman and Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot as well as films like King Kong, War of the Gargantuas, Gorgo and The Amazing Colossal Man, so I wanted to write my own giant monster story. Really, it's that simple.

Scoop: How would you describe it to someone new to comics?
SN: I show them the cover and then I say it's about an astronaut having problems back home who is attacked by a mysterious space parasite and turns into a giant monster that has a huge appetite.

Scoop: It's coming out in two 48-page issues. Do you like that idea (and why)?
SN: It's all Ross's idea. I was hesitant at first, but I like the idea of more story for the readers buck and also, in this age of a zillion books a month, getting the story out and in the hands of the readers faster. I hear too many fans say they'll wait for the trade. This way, they don't have to wait and if they do, it'll be a much short wait. I'm very curios to see if Ross's mad plan will work.

Scoop: Looking at your work over the course of a several different mini-series and trade paperbacks, it seems like it would be far too simplistic to say "horror." Are you influenced by a lot of the different sub-genres?
SN: Definitely. While I'm a huge horror fan, there's a lot of it I don't like, the senseless violence and torture films leave me cold. I'm a huge Noir fan. I mostly read mystery and hardboiled stuff and I love classic film. As far as comics, I grew up a total Marvel boy with the exception of Batman.

Scoop: You're someone that many people think of as an overnight sensation. How long did "overnight" take in your case?
SN: What time is it now? Let me see... something like 20 years. I've been in comics for a long time. I started my own company way back when and then worked for everybody from Eclipse to McFarlane.

Scoop: What else do you have coming up?
SN: Aside from the onslaught Boom! and I have planned, I also have Batman: Gotham County Line with Scott Hampton coming soon. I have a couple Marvel books planned that I am sworn to secrecy on. I have a series starting with Dark Horse as well as a couple things. I have two books planned with Desperado; a children-like-book called The Lonely Tombstone with artist Ben Roman and co-written by my wife and a maxi-series with Nat Jones called Earth vs. Monsters. I also have Bad Planet with Thomas Jane coming out through Image. Tom and I have a huge film announcement coming as well. Somewhere in there I plan on having a massive heart-attack so I can get some rest.

Scoop: Anything else you'd like to add?
SN: Just a big thank you for this chance to babble about what I've been up to. Much appreciated.

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