Lovecraft lives again! Cthulhu Tales is an anthology that features Lovecraftian-laden stories.

We caught up with writer, Michael Alan Nelson, to talk about CTHULHU TALES.

Dan Royer: Hey Michael Alan Nelson thanks for taking time to talk with me about CTHULHU TALES. First of all lets talk about you. Who are you and what do you do?

Michael Alan Nelson: Well, my name is Michael Alan Nelson and I'm a writer. I write primarily horror and dark fantasy and a few titles that have just a dash of humor. To get a good idea of everything that I've done, you can head over to the BOOM! website and just type in my name. I have to admit, there are a lot of titles there.

Dan Royer: How did you find yourself getting into making comics?

Michael Alan Nelson: I've been writing pretty much all of my life. Short stories, poetry, that sort of thing. But when I got to college I started writing an epic fantasy novel (because there aren't enough of those in the world). Eventually, the story got bogged down after 80 thousand words and a friend of mine suggested I work on something new. So several years ago, I wrote a novel called DINGO and published it online under a Creative Commons license. Ross Richie, the founder of BOOM!, had read the novel and really liked what I could do. So when he started BOOM! he asked me if I had ever considered trying my hand at writing comics. I had always written prose up to that point so I thought it would be a fun and interesting challenge. So I wrote the story, he liked it, and has been asking me to write for him ever since.

Dan Royer: So what can you tell me about Cthulhu Tales?

Michael Alan Nelson: Cthulhu Tales came about after the great success of Zombie Tales. We were wondering what other concept would work as an anthology. We did pirates (my first romance story), ninjas, and then we thought that Cthulhu was the next obvious choice. Turns out we were right.

Dan Royer: What's it all about?

Michael Alan Nelson: I actually have several stories in the Cthulhu Tales books. The first Cthulhu Tale I ever wrote was one called "The Beach." The idea for the story came from reading a news article about beached whales. Dozens of the poor creatures had beached themselves and the locals were desperately trying to save them. I remember thinking, "What if they beached themselves because they were trying to get away from something in the ocean."

My story "The Farm" is about a group of boys who sneak onto a body farm where forensic students study human bodies in various states of decay. That in and of itself is pretty creepy, but I decided to throw in a little Lovecraftian flavor to amp up the discomfort.

In "For You" I wanted to play off of the reader's perception of what was happening. The protagonist's husband keeps presenting her with gifts, saying, "They're for you." I won't spoil the ending, but his generosity is not at all what she thinks it is.

My favorite Cthulhu Tale I've written is one called "The Doorman." It's about a man who finds the doorways that all manner of horrors are trying to use to break into our world. I just loved the idea and had originally thought about pitching it as a series. But the truth of the matter is that a man standing in an open doorway worked for an 8 page short story, but not so much for a series. I am, however, still thinking of turning it into something in a longer form, but we'll see.

Dan Royer: If you were to give this book a movie style rating what would it get, and why would you say that?

Michael Alan Nelson: Definitely PG-13. Though there is really never any nudity or language, there is a lot of violence and disturbing situations. However, we always try to keep our books PG-13 because we want them to be accessible to more readers. I do always warn parents at conventions that are buying for younger readers of the riskier bits in my books so that they don't inadvertently give their 8-year-old a book that will give them nightmares. Their 16-year-old? That's fine.

Dan Royer: What are you hoping readers can take away from this story?

Michael Alan Nelson: I don't often have a moral or thematic through-line in my short stories. Most of them are just for the entertainment value. Not always, but my biggest hope is that readers feel they got their money's worth and that they like the way I tell stories. If they do, hopefully they'll come back to read more of my work.

Dan Royer: Is this a series that we can expect more from in the future?

Michael Alan Nelson: I don't know what the publishing schedule is looking like at the moment, but I can see Cthulhu Tales coming back sometime in 2010. Cthulhu and Lovecraftian horror is such a rich playground that there are countless stories out there yet to be told.

Dan Royer: Can we expect more from you horror comic wise in the future?

Michael Alan Nelson: Oh yes. Right now I'm currently writing the ongoing series 28 Days Later based on the movie of the same name.

Dan Royer: Can you talk a bit about your experiences so far with working in comics?

Michael Alan Nelson: It's been fantastic. At first, there was a bit of a learning curve in adjusting to, not only the process of creating a comic book, but also telling a story in that medium. With limited space, it really forces you to hone and shape your story down to the bare essentials. You have to figure out what's the most economical way to tell your story. But there's no feeling in the world like sending out a script and seeing the artist bring your words to life.

Dan Royer: Were you into any horror titles growing up that lead you to want to create a book like this?

Michael Alan Nelson: I've been a fan of horror all my life. My favorite book as a kid was something I always called the "Monster Book." It was an old history book of horror in cinema and all these great pictures of monsters and other gruesome things. I loved it. So I always had a fascination for horror growing up that's followed me until this day.

Dan Royer: What comics are you currently reading?

Michael Alan Nelson: Walking Dead, Fables, Irredeemable, and most definitely Scalped. Scalped is probably the best comic out there right now. It's absolutely brilliant. I am incredibly jealous of Jason Aaron's talent.

Dan Royer: So where can readers find out more about this book?

Michael Alan Nelson: I would recommend heading over to the BOOM! website and start browsing. They have some great samples from the book for readers to check out before buying. It's a great way to see what the book is all about.

Dan Royer: So in summary give me a quick recap on Cthulhu Tales and why fans should give it a try.

Michael Alan Nelson: If you're a fan of horror, especially Lovecraftian horror, then this book is a must read. It has a great mix of stories, all with different flavors and styles so there's plenty for everyone. Also, Cthulhu is watching. Always. What do you think will happen if you DON'T give the book a try? Do you really want to take that chance?

Dan Royer: Thank you for your time, Michael. Best of luck with Cthulhu Tales!

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