The 28 DAYS LATER comic connects the film 28 DAYS LATER to its sequel 28 WEEKS LATER. It focuses on Selena, one of the three survivors of the first film, as she embarks on an epic journey of her return to Great Britain!.

We caught up with writer, Michael Alan Nelson, to talk about 28 DAYS LATER.

Dan Royer: Lets dive into 28 Days Later this time. So how big of a fan of the movies are you?

Michael Alan Nelson: It's hard to describe how powerful 28 Days Later impacted me as a horror fan. The film was able to weave this rich apocalyptic wasteland populated by even richer characters. It was a milestone in horror cinema.

Dan Royer: I love the idea of bridging the gap between the films. So how did this series come about?

Michael Alan Nelson: The property was one that BOOM! had on its radar for a while. So when we finally got the license, we sat down with the creators of the film to work out story ideas and concepts for the series. They already had a fantastic idea of where the series should be in means of tone and structure and a rough outline of events as well.

Dan Royer: How hard is it to bridge that gap? I imagine it can't be an easy task.

Michael Alan Nelson: Well, crafting any story is hard, but with the great support of the original creative team of the film and the wonderful editors at BOOM!, the process is about as painless as I could hope for.

Dan Royer: Do you feel that you have no constraints on how you get from A to B or are there certain stops along the path that have to be addressed?

Michael Alan Nelson: I pretty much have free reign to do what I want, as long as it's within the confines of the 28 Days Later universe and that I stay true to the characters. The creators of the film have veto power over anything I do, so I have to work hard to make sure that I stay true to their vision. Which is a good thing. I'm aware of how lucky I am to be a part of the world that they've created and I want to do that world justice.

Dan Royer: Why choose to bring back Selena and not Jim or Hannah?

Michael Alan Nelson: That was actually the film creators' idea and one I agree with. Jim's character was explored rather fully in the film, so it really makes sense to dive a little more deeply into who Selena was and how she became the machete-wielding bad-ass she is now. I really love her character and I'm having a blast telling her stories.

Dan Royer: How far can this series go issue wise, do you see an end in site?

Michael Alan Nelson: I have an idea of how I want to end it. But the series can go on almost indefinitely. It's a long way from Scotland to London if you're going on foot. Especially with Infected running unchecked through the country. There is room for just about anything to happen. It's such a rich sandbox that there will be no shortage of stories to tell.

Dan Royer: After your done with this series can we expect to get your telling of what happened after 28 Weeks Later?

Michael Alan Nelson: If that's something that the film's creators and BOOM! is interested in, then absolutely! Like I said before, I'm extremely lucky to be a part of this universe so I'll gladly keep playing as long as they'll let me.

Dan Royer: For those who don't know, can you explain the process of how you were able to work on a film franchise title? What kind of extra obstacles stood in the way?

Michael Alan Nelson: Well, as most of the people reading this probably know, I'm not exactly a household name (yet). So when BOOM! acquired the license, the film's creators were thinking that someone a little more high-profile should probably write the series. Even with the folks at BOOM! in my corner, I knew they couldn't just hand it to me, no matter how much they loved my work and knew what I could bring to the table. It was going to be a tough gig to get. So I wrote a small little 6 page story about Selena just to show them what I could do with the character and the world. They read it, loved it, and I got the job.

Dan Royer: How much fun are you having writing this story?

Michael Alan Nelson: It's a blast! Seriously, I get to tell how Selena got her machete. I mean, how much cooler can it get than that?

Dan Royer: Can we expect Declan to stay on for the full run? I know he wasn't the artist for issue #5.

Michael Alan Nelson: From my understanding, there will be the occasional pinch-hitter to give Declan a much needed break from time to time. But he's been doing such a spectacular job that I expect him to be the artist on the series for as long as he wants to be.

Dan Royer: Speaking of issue #5, why just one issue to show how Clint and Derrick got to Europe?

Michael Alan Nelson: We knew that Declan was going to take a one-issue break, so we thought it'd be fun to do a little one-off to show some back story for our other characters. I had a lot of fun with that issue. I wanted to explore the Infection from an outside perspective. What was it like for the rest of the world watching as England burned under the weight of the rage virus? That was something I wanted to see, so it made perfect sense.

Dan Royer: I ask that because I loved the fact that we got the take of how things went down in America. So can we expect to see how other nations reacted? Spin off maybe?

Michael Alan Nelson: Absolutely. Just because England was quarantined, doesn't mean the rest of the world goes on with life as if nothing happened. And the reaction in America is going to be different than the reaction in Israel, or Morocco, or Spain. There are endless perspectives to explore, which just lends to the idea of how rich this universe really is.

Dan Royer: One thing I think that can turn readers off is a $3.99 price tag. So what do you have to say to the fans who may be on the fence when it comes to grabbing this book?

Michael Alan Nelson: Believe me, I feel you. Although I have absolutely no say in how my books are priced, I can totally understand how $3.99 can be off-putting. All I can say is that I do my absolute best to make sure that the reader gets her money's worth. If a reader is going to fork over 4 bucks to read my book, I damn well better make sure it's worth the price of admission.

Dan Royer: How has your experience at BOOM! been so far?

Michael Alan Nelson: Wonderful. BOOM! really has a great group of people who love what they do and work terribly hard to make the best books that they can. Their passion not only shows in their work, but in the relationships they cultivate with the creators they work with. Good people doing good work to make good books. I'm happy to be a part of that process.

Dan Royer: Thank you for your time, Michael. Best of luck with 28 Days Later!

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