Roman Dirge Interview at SDCC: The Time War & the Future of Lenore

 

 

David: I really enjoyed meeting Lenore in your new book.

Roman: Thank you.

David: Since Lenore died as a young girl, do you see her as not developing the ability to focus for long lengths of time?

Roman: Yes. Also, she has worms in her head. I think she's given them names at some point in this series. I've been doing this thing for 30 years, so a lot of it blurs together for me. Yeah, she basically has ADHD on crack. She can't keep her thoughts or attention on anything for long.

David: So, she hasn’t developed the ability to empathize and understand the effects of what she does on other people?

Roman: No, Lenore doesn't understand death at all because she doesn't know that she’s dead. Like, her character is so full of life she can't die. It doesn't mean anything. Her mom died and she just thinks her mom is coming home someday and that's the problem there.

David: She’ll do mean things to people, but she doesn't realize what pain is until someone says something about her mom. Then that brings up her abandonment issues.

Roman: Yeah, that's pretty accurate. She’s not a mean person or a villainous character at all. She just wants to be a little girl who would like to have sleepovers with her friends. In the world she inhabits she's probably a catalyst for chaos. She's just unaware of it.

 

Lenore catching up with Pooty

 

 

David: So, while she has attention deficit, she's all, What's this? What's that? Then she goes to this celestial place before time where she seems to be in harmony, and for six years she finds peace.

Roman: That was always more just like a lazy joke on my part. I couldn't figure out what these characters had been doing for the last seven years that I didn't do a book. So, in her case, I had her literally just going “Oon Takka Caca” for six years straight. I thought it was funny. 

 

 

 

David: It was!

Roman: Sometimes the easy way out is the funniest.

David: So, it was seven years since you did the last series. Was this Time War always like a big thing that you wanted to do but wondered, “Can I pull that off? Or were you just super busy with other things?

 

 

 

Roman: I probably planned this story out roughly about a decade ago. I did the first of the four issues in the new collection seven years ago, where I was starting to set up the building blocks to go into it. Then I took what was supposed to be a one-time gig doing animation design. I think it was HBO. Then I just fell into getting one job after another job after another job. I love comics but it doesn’t pay great whereas animation pays great. So that's why I started going down that road. Plus, I just love animation. That said, I love comics.

David: Absolutely!

Roman: Hey, there’s a great quote: I hate comics!

David: It seems like Lenore and Pooty have a strong bond but maybe Ragamuffin is a step down in the friendship. 

Roman: It's the other way around. Ragamuffin is more like an official sidekick. Pooty was supposed to be more of the third character in that. But now it's more like Ragamuffin and Pooty have become equals. I've put all three together all the time. I love their dynamic, the way they all get along. Each one has their own unique way of speaking. That makes me happy.

David: In the Time War, they're going to different places and times with Taxidermy. Were those special eras you’ve always been interested in?

 

 

Roman: I went with what I thought would be most visually appealing and really convey such a span of time. You know, so like Japanese temples and World War II. Everyone knows that stuff. I've always had a fascination with Egypt and their gods. That's why I really got to play with that in this collection. This is my favorite collection by far.

David: Is there a Doctor Who influence with the Time War?

Roman: The only Doctor Who reference is her house. In my past issues, I got tired of keeping track of what rooms looked like when I drew the inside of her house. So, I just made it that every time they're in the house I can draw a completely new unique room because the interior of the house is like a TARDIS. It's another cheat that I got away with.

David: Were the time goats a play off the Internet acronym Greatest Of All Time? You know, like, “You’re the goat!” “No, you’re the goat!”

Roman: No, I can't take credit for that. That works great though. I didn’t plan that at all. I just like goats! I love the sounds they make. They jump funny. It seemed like the perfect animal to put in charge. I was thinking about Planet of the Apes, but with goats. 

 

 

 

David: Titan publishes Doctor Who comics. I was wondering how the Time Goats would fare against the Daleks.

Roman: Ooh. Now, I would love to draw that! I would like to write a battle with the Daleks! Do the Daleks have time travel? I had to stop watching it a while back. Things were a bit crazy for me, and I couldn't keep up with it anymore.

David: Yeah, they had a Time War which occurs between the classic series and the new series starting in 2005. 

 

 

Roman: I should probably watch that then. Time wars have been done by people forever. There used to be a book series called The Time War. Or “The Time War” something. I can't remember who wrote it, but I know it was an ongoing series. I loved that series. I think each book had a different name depending on whatever battle was happening. That was the first time I saw where a time machine was invented, and the bad guy goes back and starts messing things up. Then an agency was formed to go back and try to fix everything that the guy messes up. Now, everyone does Time Wars in TV shows. 

 

  

David: You have Pooty in the Roman arena facing off against gladiators. As Titan publishes Conan comics, how would Conan fare against Pooty?

Roman: Pooty would win. Pooty has demon weapons and demon armor. He would definitely win. Nothing against Conan. I don't want to get emails or a hate forum! I'm just saying in the real world, Pooty would win.

David: So, Pooty is better than Conan but we're not sure about the time goats and the Daleks.

Roman: I'd say ultimately whoever is better at time travel would win. But how do you beat the time travel problem? Either side can always go back and undo the other’s actions. They're going to know every move the other side made. 

 

Heat Seeker: Exposed #2 Cover D

 

David: In Titan’s Heat Seeker comics, Dahlia Racers does these extreme makeovers. She makes people resemble other people with Mission Impossible-style masks. You have the pickle hat going all psycho and trying to kill Lenore. Would it have been fooled by one of Dahlia’s extreme makeovers? Or would it have sensed Lenore beneath the mask? 

 

 

Roman: That’s a great question! When I woke up today, I did not know I would get a question like that! I'll say the Pickle Hat probably has a great sense of smell. It would know wherever Lenore was. I pictured it more like in the movie “It follows” where the Pickle Hat always knows where she is and is always trying to get to her no matter where she's at.

David: Some things shouldn't have consciousness.

Roman: Yes.

David: It seems like Lenore likes the Pickle Hat.

Roman: Yeah, she loves it. There's no rhyme or reason to her though. She just loves it, so therefore she loves it. She doesn't have to give her reason or anything. They starve in that house for like seven years because she doesn’t want Pooty to kill it. All those characters are so much fun. I want to find a way to keep using them.

David: “I am Thoth!”

Roman: Yes. That character specifically. He's so innocent. But if you push him far enough, he'll talk shit back. They [Thoth and Lenore] have a battle in the collection. It’s a classic roast battle!

 

Thoth hovering above Ragamuffin and beside Pooty's pitchfork

 

 

David: Do you have any plans for another comic series after this?

Roman: I'm doing Lenore full time right now. Every three months I've been putting out a new issue, which is pretty good since I used to put out one once a year. So, we're going to try and see what happens. I've brought the next issue in my pocket on a flash drive. I feel like I'm ahead of the game.

David: Were you involved with the Lenore TV series?

Roman: Sony made a series a long time ago. It was flash animated. That's the only thing I think that has ever made it to air. I’ve been trying to get another TV show done like forever, but something goes wrong. Every time I think we're about to have it with the best talent you could imagine attached to it. Then at the last possible second something happens. The last time, it looked like they were about to sign a deal to make a movie until Covid happened. That keeps happening, some version of that. We'll see what happens next time. Maybe it'll be an earthquake or meteor! Whatever happens, we’ll do our best! 

 

 

David: Sounds great! Thanks so much for this interview!

Roman: You’re welcome!