One of the most beloved horror icons returns to comic form in 2008.

He has been called many things, The Boogeyman, The Shape, the grandfather of all slashers, he is Michael Myers. And in 2008 Michael Myers comes home.

We talked with writer, Stefan Hutchinson, about the Halloween comic book, published by Devil's Due.

The Big Bad Wolf: Stefan lets start with you. This isn't your first go at Michael Myers. You were the scribe on Halloween: One Good Scare. Like most Halloween issues, this book is pretty tough to find, more so being that this was a convention exclusive for the Halloween Returns To Haddonfield 25th Anniversary Convention in Pasadena, CA. For those of you that missed it, Lindsey Wallace (the little girl in the movie) grows up, still fearing the past. Michael pays her a visit and she is put to rest in a very, very Michaelesque way. Keeping with that, do you plan on having the dark feel in this series as you did in One Good Scare?

Stefan Hutchinson: Absolutely. When I first wrote 'One Good Scare', it was very much a response to 'Halloween Resurrection'. I felt that somewhere along the way, the idea of 'The Shape' had given way to Michael Myers, killer of his family, which was drastically removed from the original concept (or at least my perception of Carpenter's original concept). The original film gives you two interpretations of the character - a sociopath / serial killer who has a fixation on his original murder (that of his sister, Judith), and unstoppable, evil bogeyman. It's the strange gap between the two that the Shape seems to inhabit. You know, you can never quite get a handle on him...

After the original film, more and more plot elements were introduced that really locked the character down and removed the elements that were open to interpretation. Similarly, a lot of interesting characteristics faded away;the idea of the Shape as someone - something - who would toy with his victims and enjoy scaring them; the patient killer; the voyeur. As a result, he became the focus of the stories, and not really very scary at all, to the point where he had his testicles electrocuted in Halloween Resurrection. You watch the original film, then watch him having his nuts fried, and you have to ask - 'how the fuck did we get here???'

So, with that in mind, I set out to make him really dark and scary again, and in some way restore what made the character so terrifying and go back to atmospheric, character-based storytelling, rather than labyrinth plots and explanations.

The Big Bad Wolf: Is this Halloween Comic book from Devils Due set in present day or does it take place after a certain movie?

Stefan Hutchinson: The first series, 'Halloween: Nightdance' is set on and around October 31st, 2000. So it fits in-between 'Halloween: H20' and 'Halloween Resurrection'.

The Big Bad Wolf: Besides Michael, will any characters from the movies be appearing in the comic?

Stefan Hutchinson: In the first storyline, no. They didn't fit into this storyline and forcing them in there wouldn't have worked.

However, those characters - Sam Loomis in particular - are essential to the mythos, so after the first storyline, they will appear. Even though Donald Pleasence sadly passed on many years ago now, depriving the fans of his wonderful portrayal of Loomis, we can still use him in the books. Other characters who will appear are Laurie Strode and Sheriff Brackett and a couple of minor characters. I also see Haddonfield itself as a character. We'll be putting a lot of original material on the website soon - www.halloweencomics.com - which will be directly related to the characters and situations of the early films.

One thing to say here is that the different storylines will be from different time periods in the narrative - kinda like how Dave Lapham structures the amazing 'Stray Bullets'.

The Big Bad Wolf: Is this set to be a mini series or an ongoing?

Stefan Hutchinson: The first storyline is a 4-issue mini series. If it sells well, then there will indeed be more. I'm hoping it does, as there's several subsequent storylines worked out.

The Big Bad Wolf: Does Malek Akkad have any input on what happens in the comic book series?

Stefan Hutchinson: Yes - Malek reads and approves all of the storylines after I've drafted them up. We discuss where they fit into continuity etc. and take it from there. He's very much involved at every level. Malek doesn't see the comic books as 'non-canon'. These are stories that fit into the continuity very carefully and actually add to it without demystifying the villain. Even though the original 'Halloween' film series is now over, it is continuing in these books (in a similar way that 'Buffy' is continuing).

The Big Bad Wolf: Will we see plenty of blood and guts in this comic?

Stefan Hutchinson: There will be some blood in there, but it certainly isn't an overly gory book. The original 'Halloween' barely contains any blood at all. I'd say our book falls somewhere between 'Halloween' and 'Halloween II' in terms of blood. It's more about shadows in the night.

Besides, just because it isn't full of blood, doesn't mean it will be any less dark and disturbing. We're approaching this with the intention of making it a serious, scary story.

The Big Bad Wolf: How did you get involved in this project?

Stefan Hutchinson: I've been involved with the 'Halloween' series for a few years now - ever since 'One Good Scare'. The plan to do these books started then, and it's been a case of getting through the various hurdles involved in making it happen. In the meantime, I wrote and directed the 'Halloween' documentary - '25 Years Of Terror' and also the comic book that came with it - 'Halloween: Autopsis' - which I thought made a cool and unique extra for the package. In addition I also completed the short story 'Sam' which will soon be available as a download from www.halloweencomics.com

It's just good to finally get these stories out there in the world!

The Big Bad Wolf: There is another comic on the market, by series artist, Tim Seeley, that you may have heard of, Hack/Slash. Hack/Slash features two slasher-hunters, Vlad and Cassie. Could we possibly see them take on Michael Myers?

Stefan Hutchinson: Malek is against the idea of putting the Shape into a 'versus' storyline - after all, he was opposed to the proposed 'Myers Vs. Pinhead' storyline back in 2003. Similarly, given that we're trying to emulate the feel of the first film, I don't think the mood and fit would match. The original evocation of the Shape would never engage in any combat as such, and also the world we're building is a very realistic one that doesn't really incorporate other 'slashers' or their hunters. That's my take anyway.

The Big Bad Wolf: Can you tell us a bit about the first story arc?

Stefan Hutchinson: The first arc bears a lot of similarities with the original film. It's about a fifteen year-old girl, Lisa, who the Shape fixates upon. She's at the awkward age between being a girl and a woman, full of the confusing thoughts that come at that stage of adolescence, so she's full of self-doubt and insecurity - she doesn't know who she wants to be. She suffers from a chronic fear of darkness, due to an event in her past, and this is a metaphor for all of the problems she encounters. It's from this darkness that the Shape appears, with his very horrific intentions.

Also, the story is set in Russellville - one of Haddonfield's neighbouring towns. This is so that we can have a location with a genuine sense of innocence, that really has no idea of the monster that is drifting through their autumn suburbia.

The Big Bad Wolf: Finally, what can fans expect from this book?

Stefan Hutchinson: Hopefully, they'll get everything that has been missing from the films for the last few years. I'm very much a purist in that sense. New readers will also have plenty to sink their teeth into also. Both Tim and I have put insane levels of effort into this book, doing everything we can to get it just right. What we're doing here is treating the property with the reverence and care that it deserves - building on the established universe with simple storylines and characters that are not disposable. So, if you're looking for a scary and suspenseful book, if you're a long-term fan or new to 'Halloween', then this is the one for you!

The Big Bad Wolf: Thank you for your time! Best of luck with the book.

Talk about the Halloween Comic Book Interview.