So I was hoping this month we could talk a little about this mysterious society and how they’re woven into this world you’ve created with Brian Hurtt.
Cullen Bunn: Ah, yes! The good ol’ Knights of Solomon! They’ve actually been depicted in comic book form even before Drake Sinclair and Becky Montcrief! Before the first issue of the series launched, I wrote a short story called “Them What Ails Ya” set in the world of The Sixth Gun. We did a bookend comic for the short story, and the character in that bookend was a Knight of Solomon.
So, yes, let’s talk about this clandestine organization!
Not just clandestine, but also ancient. These guys have been around forever.
CB: They have, and (as we’ve seen in previous issues) they’ve used their time to collect powerful artifacts from all over the globe.
Yes. While the Six have been their main focus in the series, we seen them with other powerfully magic artifacts like the Hand of Glory, the Fool’s Lantern, the Tarot de Lamarliere, and in Days of the Dead they’re after an object in the possession of Yum Kimil. And in the Stronghold of the Knights of Solomon from A Town Called Penance we’ve seen glimpses of other curious objects too. They seem to have quite an arsenal, but the use of it has been very restrained for now. The might even have enough to challenge the Grey Witch to some extent.
The original idea for the Knights of Solomon was that they were an offshoot of the Knights Templar. This group had wormed its way into the ranks of the Pinkertons. So, most Pinkertons aren’t knowingly acting on behalf of the Knights, but key agents know what is really going on.
I think, though, when we introduce the King of Secrets, it becomes obvious that this group has some really strange and arcane roots. We start to get a sense of the ritual and custom of the organization.
It’s interesting that you mention the Knights worming their way into the ranks of the Pinkertons. It was something I’d wondered about, if they were an existing agency that had been infiltrated, or one that was created for the purposes of the Knights of Solomon. You confirmed my suspicions that not all Pinkertons know for whom they’re working.
CB: Right. There are “circles” of initiates, really, with only the inner circles knowing what is really going on. At the center of it all, of course, is the King of Secrets.
He’s been mentioned in the past before, but we finally got to meet him this month. Or rather, we met the person the King of Secrets works through. Given the chains and the fear in his eyes, it hardly seemed it was something he’d willing entered into.
CB: We may never reveal the true nature of the King of Secrets, but you raise some interesting points. I’ve always seen him as enslaved by the terrible knowledge he possesses. He’s very much a physical incarnation of the idea of looking too deeply at information that is forbidden.
CB: All credit to Brian on the design of the King. I think my initial description in the script was probably inspired by my interpretation of “The King in Yellow” but Brian really brought that guy to life.
He certainly did. That was something that jumped out at me while reading the latest issue, was how much of the story was told with the environments and costume, specifically during the reveal of the King of Secrets (though also in the temple where Screaming Crow, Drake, and Becky were). The embroidery on the King of Secrets’ robes bore the symbols of the Six, so we know there’s a connection there. The tapestries in the background showed the Great Wyrms, so clearly the Knights know about them. How involved are you when it comes to the design of environments for moments like these?
CB: Brian and I talk a lot about the way things will look. Even after the script is turned in, we talk on the phone and pass ideas back and forth. Even though I know we’re going to batter these concepts around, I still write full scripts and full descriptions. I always want to give enough information to get the wheels turning.
Of course, the really big questions are still yet to be explored. Drake Sinclair’s got a long history with the Knights of Solomon which includes betrayal in more than one version of the world. And then there’s Jesup and Abigail who were both members of the Knights of Solomon. And then there’s that little matter of Drake killing Abigail…
CB: Yes, there are definitely plenty of more mysteries to be solved. (Not that I plan on answering ALL of the questions we’ve posed. Where’s the fun in that?) But Drake’s connection to the Knights of Solomon, the truth behind his apparent murder of his friend Abigail Redmayne, and the reasons Jesup hates him so much will be explored in the Days of the Dead limited series. Drake’s not the star of the book. As awesome as he is, Jesup and Roberto and Abigail take center stage. But he has an important role to play in that tale.
The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead #2 will be on sale on the 17th of September with The Sixth Gun #43 on the 24th. And if you want to read Them’s What Ails Ya it can be found in The Sixth Gun – Volume 1 deluxe hardcover or online (Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4).
Catch us here at the end of next month for more Haunted Trails.
