Richard: What is the basic story outline of Starkweather?

David Rodriguez: Everyone has heard of the Grail and the Spear of Destiny. They were normal objects that became artifacts of incredible power just because they came in contact with the blood of Christ. So if these items can become so powerful just by touching the blood…what did it do to the twelve men who actually drank it?

Starkweather puts forth the idea that Christ gifted each of the Apostles with a portion of this power and in doing so creates the Divine Blood. They and their descendants were charged with going out into the world and continuing HIS mission of spreading peace and light and doing miracles and such. To assist them in this role, the Knights Templar were assigned to protect the Blood from harm.

Years later, the Templars rebel and the Divine Blood are cast down as “witches.” The witches are hunted mercilessly and in the present they teeter on the brink of extinction and their best chance at survival—a five-year-old boy with enough power to topple mountains—disappeared fifteen years ago.

That boy has grown into a man who doesn’t remember what he was. The spell that was woven to hide him from the world has left him a professional slacker—a directionless disappointment who wants nothing more than to spend his life in wonderful obscurity. That boy is obviously Alex Starkweather…and our story picks up with him just on the edge of beginning to learn what he really is.

Richard: Have you read the Piers Anthony story this comic is based on?

David: Actually, Piers Anthony wrote this original short story based on the characters and events from the original Starkweather series and did it exclusively for this book. The only place you can read this original story is in this book. And if I may say so, Mr. Anthony has been both generous and incredible to work with through this whole thing. It’s completely surreal for me. The first fantasy books I graduated to were Piers Anthony novels…and years later to have Piers f*#$!#% Anthony write a story about MY characters and then to get to adapt that story into a comic book script…I mean…seriously had a geekgasm-coronary. I had to be treated at the immediate care facility. They still don’t know what to write on my Aflac sheet.

Richard: Who is Cartaphilus?

David: Cartaphilus is a character that was introduced in the first Starkweather series. He is an amalgam of the legend of the “Wandering Jew” and the Roman soldier that pierced Christ’s side with his spear (creating that whole Spear of Destiny thing).

Cartaphilus was then condemned to walk the earth until Christ’s return. No matter what happens to him…he cannot die and after two thousand years it has driven him to the edge of sanity. Starkweather: Immortal #0 tells his story and also shows how he came to be aligned with the witches.

Richard: Is myth and religion featured here?

David: Starkweather draws on numerous myths and religions to flesh out the details of the world and to serve as the backdrop for the events that unfold. But that is pretty much all that they are used for. The focus of the books is always on the people involved and how they react to this secret world.

Richard: Why are the witches and the Templars at war?

David: The Templars were originally created to “protect” the Divine Blood on their travels. We revealed in the original Starkweather series that a life of servitude eventually caused the Templars to forsake their charge. They then took advantage of the chaos of the Dark Ages to twist the source of the Divine Blood’s power, labeling them as witches and leading the charge to wipe them out. The witches, understandably, do not want to be wiped out and it has led to a prolonged war that has been happening under our radar for hundreds of years.

Richard: Why is this comic for Mature Readers?

David: The tone for the new series was set by the story written by Piers Anthony. He doesn’t shy away from sexuality and violence in his stories and Starkweather: Immortal doesn’t either. That being said, they are there only when the story requires them and we’re not just throwing in gratuitous “anything” for shock value. I try to only use it when it’s meaningful. Mostly.

Richard: Will this comic be character driven?

David: Definitely. My first goal is to try and make interesting characters that people can understand and hopefully find someone they can relate to. Big explosive events are not as important or as meaningful to me without sympathetic characters experiencing them. At least…that’s what I believe.

Richard: Would you like to write another Starkweather story after this one?

David: I would love to keep writing Starkweather stories. I think he has a lot of things to accomplish I can’t cover it all in four issues. I can see there being a point where he’s achieved his goal and there is a definite ending. But I think I’m a long way from that. And as long as Patrick [McEvoy] wants to keep drawing the book I’m on board.

Richard: Why the move from Arcana to Archaia?

David: This new series is a bit of a change of direction from the first. The characters are the same, but it really is aimed at an older audience and deals with some very adult themes. I sat down with Sean O’Reilly, owner of Arcana, and discussed my ideas with him for the future of the series. We came to the conclusion that Starkweather didn’t exactly fit in with the rest of the Arcana lineup anymore and that maybe Archaia would be a better fit. After that I met Mark Smylie and the three of us worked out a plan to get Starkweather over to Archaia and it’s been a very smooth transition. I’m very excited.

Richard: What video games have you designed?

David: I’ve worked on, Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy, the Hunter: The Reckoning series, 50 Cent: Bulletproof, and I’ve got a new game coming out this summer. I wish I could tell you more, but we have ninjas in our ceiling at work that wait for us to break our non-disclosure and then they descend upon us with a great fury. They aren’t f*#$!#% around here.

Richard: What are you looking forward to in the immediate future?

David: I am bouncing off the walls about going to San Diego this year for the release of Starkweather. Aside from the new series kick-off it’s also the first time I get to meet Patrick, our awesome artist, in person. We’ve spoken on the phone but SDCC will be the first time we get to hang out. He will most likely regret it, but it’s too late now!

Richard: What comic books did you read as a child and do you read now?

David: As a kid I would read almost anything with superheroes. But my favorites were always Captain America, Batman, and the Justice League. I grew up watching the Superfriends, Spiderman and his Amazing Friends and the Batman TV show. When I was in my teens I started following writers like Peter David, Mark Waid, and Ron Marz. Guys who I felt made the heroes human without taking away what made them heroes. These days, I still love superheroes but there aren’t many places I can still read about them. Thankfully those guys are still around, and then there are guys like Geoff Johns and Will Pfeiffer who seem to be carrying on that tradition.

Books I like right now are Green Lantern, Runaways, Fables, 100 Bullets, Ex Machina, Spiderman Loves Mary Jane (seriously), Justice League Unlimited (with my son), and Astonishing X-Men. There are other books but I mostly get them in trades now. Don’t have the room I used to for the monthly titles. (Who knew such a small person would require so much space?)

Richard: What one super power would you like to have and why?

David: Eidetic Memory. I’m the worst rememberer ever. I have the attention span of a ferret on meth. It’s not a very exciting superpower but I’m sure my wife would appreciate it.

Richard: How can someone contact you?

David: Probably the best way to contact me is through the message boards at Archaia (http://www.archaiasp.com/). You can also read about the other nifty titles that Archaia offers while you’re there. There’s this one called Mouse Guard…perhaps you’ve heard of it.

Richard: Any final words of wisdom?

David: “Before you criticize a man…you should walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you’re a mile away…and you have his shoes.”

Thank you!