This week I talked to actor and comic book writer, David Dastmalchian to discuss his hit Dark Horse Comics release “Count Crowley: Amateur Midnight Monster Hunter” and dig into what he has coming up on the big and small screens. Ever since hitting the film scene in 2008’s The Dark Knight, Dastmalchian has had over 80 roles in film and television, as well as acting on stage. In 2019, he started his own comic book with Dark Horse Comics, “Count Crowley,” a horror comedy with real terror and heart throughout. Now with the recent release of the second volume’s trade paperback I had the opportunity to discuss the series and geek out over his acting career.
In 2019 comic book readers were introduced to “Count Crowley” and it has been a total blast reading through every issue since then. Congratulations on another hit with volume 2, “Amateur Midnight Monster Hunter” and the recent release of the collected trade paperback. Both arcs have been quite a success amongst horror and comic book fans. How has it been seeing people connect with your work through something other than television and film?
David Dastmalchian: Seeing and hearing people’s reactions to “Count Crowley” has been one of the greatest gifts of my storytelling journey. I always dreamed of this moment, but it’s even better than I had ever imagined. It also means so much to me when someone will reach out or post about how much the story has meant to them personally. There are so many different reasons people have expressed their love of Jerri and her adventures. Some react to her journey as an alcoholic and recognize something in her that they know about their own anxiety or depression. Others are monster kids who love seeing the creature feature brought to this new life. And some are connecting to this powerful woman who is rising above severe obstacles to battle the monstrous demons fighting her – both outside of herself and within.
Even with two volumes on the shelf, does it still surprise you that “Count Crowley” is as much of a hit as it has become? Starting out, were you confident, or at least hopeful, that it would grow beyond the initial four issues? Or was that not something that crossed your mind until “Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter” was a success?
DD: I was never confident that this was going to be a hit. I looked at the first assembly of Issue 1 back in Volume 1 and I cried tears of joy. I was holding in my hands the comic I’d always dreamed of making, of reading and seeing. The art exceeded my wildest dreams. I just had no idea if anyone ELSE was going to feel the same way. I knew that even if the world didn’t love this book, I was proud of it and I loved it. And that was the only thing I could count on.
Through your writing and illustrations, you and Lukas Ketner are paying homage to midnight movie screenings, late night movie hosts, and all things horror – ranging through various sub-genres and all levels of quality. There is clearly a lot of love that has gone into this comic. So, is horror, and all of those fun and spooky aspects that come with it, something that has always been a part of your life, or something that you became a fan of at a later point? Just based on interview and your Instagram/Twitter posts, it seems like this is a huge part of what makes you, you.
DD: I grew up in Kansas City in a very conservative and religious environment where things like horror movies and rock & roll music were considered conduits of the devil. So, it’s no small surprise that I was drawn to them! I would sneak downstairs late on Friday nights and watch The Creature Feature hosted by Crematia Mortem, and she introduced me to all of my early favorites: Dracula, The Wolfman, Frankenstein’s Monsters – you name it. I was hooked.
There isn’t a single panel of this comic that doesn’t feel completely personal, so removing yourself from the fandom and the positive reviews of “Count Crowley,” what has creating a character like Jerri and the world she inhabits meant to you?
Continued belowDD: Seeing Jerri in beautiful technicolor glory on the pages of this book is one of my proudest accomplishments. She is complex and complicated, riddled with insecurity and inner pain while still being brave, bawdy, and badass! This is what I always wanted to accomplish in my “Count Crowley” hero, but I never knew if I’d be able to pull it off. With the help of the brilliant Lukas (art), Lauren [Affe] (colors), Frank [Cvetkovic] (letters), and Megan [Walker] (editor), I have a perfect team surrounding me to bring Jerri to life!
Dark Horse Comics has had quite a few successful stories make it to both the big and small screens, do you foresee “Count Crowley” getting a movie like “Hellboy”, or perhaps a series like “The Umbrella Academy”? Is that something you would want to happen, or are you happy with it strictly on the page?
DD: I dream of this every night and every day. Every time there’s a full moon I make a werewolf’s wish upon that moon and pray that we can be on set some day, seeing the world of Jerri Bartman brought to cinematic life and I hope that all of our monsters and creature effects are done practically! I would love to see Count Crowley as a streaming series that people can tune in and watch in the dark. I believe we will make this happen.
Although the main focus of your career is acting, do you have plans to dive into more writing ventures, either other comics or prose storytelling? I’m sure either a “Suicide Squad,” “The Avengers” comic, or another original title with your name on it would do quite well, but I understand wanting to stick to something personal you are so passionate about, like “Count Crowley.”
DD: I am currently developing three separate comic book ideas in a addition to my work on “Count Crowley.” Comics have been a life-long obsession for me and I believe in the power of the medium. I think that it’s an evolving medium and we are in a time of great development as amazing writers and artists continue to push comics forward.
Speaking of acting, ever since your small, but stand-out role in The Dark Knight in 2008, you have had quite the prolific career, and while you have been a part of many kinds of productions – horror, sci-fi, and fantasy make up the majority of your resume. Has that been more personal preference or simply what roles tend to come your way? Either way, you are always top-notch and I have not seen a role, no matter the genre, in which you have been miscast. However, I would have loved to have had more time with you in your last two Villeneuve outings, especially as Piter in Dune.
DD: Thank you. You are very kind. In the beginning of my career, I was merely taking every job I could possibly find because I just wanted – even needed – to be on set or stage. I needed the experience. I wanted to learn everything I could learn and gain the credits so I could build a career. I didn’t get to start being really selective until much later, as I could finally start deciding on roles and projects I wanted to put my energy behind. Anymore, my most important consideration is WHO is involved… Life is short. I want to surround myself with people who elevate me and make me a better actor, person, storyteller. I want to be around the kind of artists who care about their collaborators.
You have a distinct look, and as a fan-favorite “that guy,” you are recognized in most of, if not all of your roles, but you never play something the same way twice. For many years, actors who are/were known for their supporting roles, or regularly cast as part of an ensemble, tended to bring a lot of the same characteristics or mannerisms to multiple roles, but you don’t do that. Is it easy for you to disappear into a character simply based on how they’re written or do you see it as a challenge to bring something wholly new to each person you bring to life, whether or not it’s clear on the page?
Continued belowDD: The script is my road map. I always look to the page first and take it as a very big responsibility to commit to every line, every word that the writer has given me to bring to life. Then I have to listen to my director and find out how he or she needs me to communicate these ideas. Once I feel like I’ve gotten a sense of these things, it’s my job to go off and make the choices and do the work that will shape how I can be present and reactive in the moment of performance. Whatever comes from this will hopefully be a creation that’s authentic, captivating, and serves the vision of my director.
This year, you have returned to Ant-Man and the Wasp, not as Kurt this time around, but as yet another scene stealing character, Veb. You seemed to be having a lot of fun with the role, but was it strictly voicing this audience favorite goo-man or were you on set doing motion capture along with the other actors?
DD: Thank you! I love Veb adn I loved getting to perform this role. It was important for me to be present on set and actually perform my scenes as Veb with the rest of the cast, so I went to London and shot on those amazing stages out at Pinewood! It was some of the most joyful times I’ve ever had as an actor. We laughed so hard and worked so hard. I love being in Peyton [Reed]’s films. He’s amazing. Paul [Rudd] is such a blast and an inspiration. Kathryn [Newton] was incredible, as were the rest of the refugees led by Katy [M. O’Brian] and Will [Jackson Harper], etc. What a great experience.
If I can geek out for just a moment, you have an incredible 2023 ahead of you, and I am excited for every current and upcoming project you have. I promise this will end with a question. You’re the titular baddie in Hulu’s Boston Strangler as real-life monster Albert DeSalvo, you’ve teamed up again with Christopher Nolan for one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, Oppenheimer, the much buzzed about Dracula spin-off – Last Voyage of the Demeter from the always fascinating Andre Ovredal, the animated adaptation of the beloved DC Comics’s Elseworld tale, Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham, and last, but certainly not least, Rob Savage’s adaptation of Stephen King’s classic short story The Boogeyman. At the risk of sounding like I’m making you choose favorites, what are you most excited for audiences to see, either for your part in it, or the film(s) as a whole? (Also, Late Night with the Devil sounds incredible and I can’t wait to see a release date pop up for that.)
DD: I am so lucky to be a part of so many incredible works of cinema in 2023. They cover a wide range of genres, styles, and sizes of film. I will say that I’m the most excited for people to see LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL because it’s exactly the kind of film that I love watching. It’s so outside of the box of what we’re used to seeing and I love how it creates something shocking and mind-bending within the genre lens. But you name it…every one of the projects that I’m a part of this year is epic. Oppenheimer is going to be a cinematic experience the likes of which we’ve never seen. The Boogeyman is going to scare the SHIT out of you. [Last Voyage of the] Demeter is going to transport you to another time and place with horrors as yet unseen. Be prepared.
As a Stephen King ‘Constant Reader,’ I simply can’t wait to see what Rob Savage has done with The Boogeyman, and having you play one of the main characters is a huge bonus. It’s been a favorite of mine since I read it at age 11. Are you a King fan, or did this just happen to be a part that you wanted to take on?
DD: Big fan! I love many of King’s stories, but I’d say my favorites are “Cujo,” “The Shining,” “Christine,” and Stand By Me.
Continued belowIf you can give any details, without getting in trouble, what is next for “Count Crowley” and when do you think we will see it return?
DD: I’m so proud of our new trade paperback for Volume 2. It’s in stores NOW and once you read it, you’ll see a very exciting teaser for what is to come. I am deep in the writing as we speak, and let’s just say that there are monsters coming to Beloit who will have you spooked and in stitches…literally.
I don’t want to sound greedy, because you have so much releasing just within the first half of this year, but what is next for David Dastmalchian? Again, no details necessary, but is there a role you’re really excited about that the public, or whoever updates IMDb, doesn’t know about yet? A new writing project? Or maybe even a day off sometime this year?
DD: I am so proud to announce the launch of my company, Good Fiend Films. We have many exciting projects in the works. My first co-production credit for Good Fiend Films will accompany Late Night with the Devil and we will be going into production shortly on the feature Hide Your Eyes, which I co-wrote with Erica Scoggins. She is directing the film and it is going to leave your jaw on the floor and your eyes hanging out of your head in shock and awe! How’s that?
As a fan, it was difficult not to ask you 100 questions. Thank you again, David.
DD: THANK YOU!!!
