a writer's notebook
I just got pointed at this tweet. Details are over at this link here.
Yes, there is an evil Batman who is also a T-Rex. This is a thing I discovered when I was asked to write a two-page short comic about an evil Batman who is also a T-Rex. This is out on August 25.
This is lockdown psychosis in full effect. “Hey, Warren, Scott Snyder invented an evil Batman who is also a T-Rex. Can you do me a two-page origin story of The Evil Batman Who Is Also A T-Rex?” And I say yes. Obviously.
One CommentSo here’s the thing. Our director, Sam Deats — who is running for cover right now and cursing my name — cried a lot during the end of Season 2. He cried at the script, he cried during the recording, he cried a lot. Sam’s a nice, human guy. He feels emotions.
Now, during Season 3, my scripts got looser and more conversational. I knew Sam and Adam and the team, I knew my actors, and sometimes the scripts became more like a letter, as we developed shorthands and became more comfortable with each other. And, by the end of season 3, I knew that, to obtain certain effects, all I had to do was ask for them. Or, well…. here’s a bit from the end of 310.
Yes, everyone on the show hates me. And quite rightly.
Comments closed
So, we had our Netflix call about the 28-day data on CASTLEVANIA Season 3 last week. And, because Netflix data is protected, I can’t actually tell you all the exact numbers. What I can say is that season 3’s popularity was an order of magnitude over that of season 2, and season 2 was popular enough to get us season 3. It turns out season 3 did, really, shockingly well. Shows tend to show a little attrition in the third season, and it was, quote, “unusual” to see the audience actually rise by a multiple factor.
Season three was in the Netflix Top 10 — not for animation, not for tv, but for all Netflix content — for a week or two in 40 countries. That was huge. Thanks to everyone in the world who posted screenshots of their local Top 10 banner, by the way — all of you joining in to share that made it pretty easy to calculate, and it was wondrous to see them all rolling in.
And I have to thank our partners at NX, and Brittany and Jeff at DKC, for helping us to get there.
So we’re on for season 4. We don’t expect too much of a covid-related delay, but if that one guy who keeps tagging me on IG to demand “season 4 NOW” could fuck off, I’d appreciate it.
Four seasons of an Anglophone adult drama animation about vampires, moral philosophy and toilet paper. Which is not a niche production, but something with an audience of (stops, sees Netflix sniper rifle dot)… many, many millions. Who saw that coming? If it turns out that this weird thing is what prised open the door on doing adult-oriented drama narrative in English language animation, I would be delighted. Because we just proved that the audience is there, in the same numbers that show up for live-action drama.
In conclusion: thanks very much, everybody.
Comments closedComments closedMP: What are the fun challenges that have come up while writing Castlevania?
WE: Mostly the challenge of Netflix saying “have a third season” after I killed Dracula…
From my newsletter, last weekend:
Because I need to move fast and because I can’t sit outside at bars with my notebook, I’m back to developing straight into Word. This has been my usual function for many years, using either just Word or Notepad .txt files and then into Word.
The trick is never to let yourself believe it is pouring fully formed from your fingers into a submittable file. It’s all roughs. It’s layering. It’s starting with the six lines you had, that you footlishly believe constitute “an idea,” and editing them and adding to them and sculpting them and building on them and then realising it’s shit and saving that version, renaming the file and starting again, going back to where you went wrong and rewriting, until you feel like you have the shape of something that might actually be useful.
On my way to bed Friday night, I stopped and scribbled six words in a notebook. I typed them into a Word file around 11am Saturday morning. It is, as I write this bit, 10.30pm Saturday night. I’ve got around a thousand words, including the precis of the story and the end of the story and six markers staking out everything in the story that happens before the end.
All this is not to say I’m a genius, and it’s possible none of those 1000 will survive the clear light of day tomorrow. It’s to say you can develop processes and functions that get you through a thing with efficiency and pleasure. Everyone develops different ones. For some people, this isn’t even the hard part. For others, having a development function gets them through the tougher part.
It’s all layers. Always rewriting over and through previous sentences and words. Just building it up, coat by coat, until it holds some weight.
You have permission to be complete shit in all but the last layer, and you get to decide which layer is the last.
The NX team made this asset for the announcement, and it cracks me up, even as I know it cements the understanding in the minds of the audience that everything continues to be my fault.
Too many people to thank, including Kevin Kolde, without whom this show wouldn’t even exist, and Larry Tanz at Netflix who has been staunch support throughout, and Sam Deats, who’s poured his life into this thing, and Meredith Layne who makes it sing, and… too many people. They know, I hope, that I admire and adore them all, actors and artists and all. Thank you all for making this happen,
So. Here we go again. The fourth season of an R-rated adult animation drama series. Who the hell thought that would happen?
Comments closedOut today in all good comics stores and bookshops, by myself and Jason Howard.
The last TREES project for the foreseeable future, as Jason is moving on to other things. I think we were both pleased with how this one turned out. He did a fantastic job. We hope you like it.
Comments closedINJECTION is delayed indefinitely while Declan Shalvey works on other projects. He is a Large Important Boy in the comics game now, and has no time for my whimsical yarns of haunted AI until year’s end. Please buy his new book BOG BODIES, it’s very good. Jordie Bellaire, who now writes comics better than I do, doesn’t even remember who I am.
TREES Book 3 is out on March 18. This is the last TREES book for the foreseeable future, as Jason Howard is working on other projects, the big one of which I expect to see announced over the summer. He wrote it himself and it’s also very good.
Another TREES point: There is no “rest of the story.” TREES was always intended to be an anthology-like series. There are lots of TREES and the intent was always to wander the world and drop in on places and stories. Although I have ideas for, say, Vince in New York, or Jo Creasy, or Zhen, Book 2 certainly stands as a conclusion to many people’s personal stories, and, if there’s ever a Book 4, it wouldn’t necessarily pick anyone back up again.
CASTLEVANIA Season 3 goes live March 5, only on Netflix. It will be several weeks before we even get a hint as to whether we’ll get to do a Season 4 — it’s not in our hands, it’s Netflix’ decision.
THE BATMAN’S GRAVE takes a skip month after issue 6 and then returns to complete the 12-issue run without further interruptions. As noted in that sentence, it is a twelve-episode story with no extension, continuation or sequel planned or discussed.
FINALITY: My friend and collaborator Colleen Doran got seriously ill and was out of commission for a long time. She tells me she thinks she can get back to it this year, so I’m going to resume writing soon. Right now she has a beautiful book out called THE CLOCK that you should look for.
WILDCATS: cancelled. The artist didn’t want to draw it after all and no replacement was found.
MORE COMICS: I have no more comics work scheduled at this time. All my potential collaborators are busy, writing for themselves or ignoring my increasingly desperate and tear-stained emails. I was out of comics so long that most people think I’m either dead or a mythical creature.
Let’s see if anyone reads this.
#FAQ
A couple of years back, I sold the adaptation rights for the graphic novel series FREAKANGELS by myself and Paul Duffield to Crunchyroll Originals.
This week, Crunchyroll officially announced the FREAKANGELS animated series.
FreakAngels – After civilization comes to a sudden and crashing end, twelve 23-year-old psychics living in the rubble of London must check their wild impulses and discover their better angels in order to rebuild society. A Crunchyroll Studios Production based on the graphic novels by Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield. Coming soon on Crunchyroll.
You can find the image below at the Crunchyroll Originals site:
Here’s the press release, detailing their entire slate and including the full trailer video for the slate.
I have no further details, and will not for some time, so follow Crunchyroll on the social medias if you’re interested and I’m sure more news will pop up there as soon as it’s available.
Comments closed