TRICK 'R TREAT: DAYS OF THE DEAD - A Sitdown with Todd Casey and Zach Shields
I recently had the chance to sit down with two of the talented writers (director Michael Dougherty was also a writer on the film) behind the upcoming film Krampus, Todd Casey and Zach Shields. Along with Dougherty they are also part of the team responsible for the four part collection of short stories set in the Trick 'r Treat universe, titled Days Of The Dead. While the original film has an extensive cult following, Days Of The Dead also serves as a little taste of what could possibly be a full-fledged film return to Sam's spooky little world.
GT's Matt Mueller: One of the most noticeable things about all four stories is that at their core is an unexpected sentimentality. It is something I didn’t necessarily expect, but ultimately was a pleasant surprise. There is a lot of heartbreak and pain in these stories, but also a rather big splash of hope, in the form of Halloween magic. How was the process of coming up with the stories that ultimately made the cut here, and what was the theme that you ultimately went with? Hope... revenge... karma comes back around? Or something different altogether?
Todd Casey: We love magic, and, in a way, we were acknowledging how lucky we are to not get burned alive for it. Each story features people who are persecuted for who they are or what they believe, beginning with pagans in Celtic Ireland where Samhain originated. The horror story there isn't the existence of witches, it's the people who burn them alive. Halloween, in this story, was started by people who know what it is to be oppressed and that gives them a kingship with all those who suffer similarly after them. There is a suggestion that the spirits (and monsters) beyond the veil are sympathetic towards the misunderstood, the exploited, and the persecuted. Those spirits allow for the hope as dole out (often-lethal) karma.
MM: Just like the original movie, I love how the stories somehow link together, whether it be just through Sam, or (don’t want to spoil) how certain characters are worked into later stories. Were you excited to get to work in this universe after coming off of Krampus? What did you enjoy the most about working with Sam and the lore established in this universe?
TC: I first met Mike when I was working at Cartoon Network. We brought him in for a general meeting based off his animated short "Season's Greetings," which was the first appearance of Sam and my first insight into how Mike's mind works. I'd never imagined I'd participate in expanding that mythology, but ten-ish years later, here we are. There's a sense of balance and supernatural lawfulness in the TrT universe that I loved exploring. Sam lives by a code, and I like that about him. There's something classically mythological about one's ability to bargain with their potential executioner.
MM: He is so adorable yet so lethal. Also, just curious, but does Krampus occupy the same universe as Sam? Never really thought about it until now.
Zach Shields: Maybe.
MM: That would definitely be an interesting party to be at with those two at the punchbowl.
"Seed" is a hell of a way to start the book off. Within several pages I was already invested in Thomas and Brigid. A Lot of great moments in this story, and probably my favorite story overall, including the lovely artwork by Fiona Staples. A wonderful tale of someone’s perspective being changed by someone willing to tell them how things really are. What was the inspiration behind "Seed"?
TC: We kicked around the idea of doing a story during the Salem witch trials, but decided to roll our timeline back even further to 17th century Ireland and the origins of Halloween itself. A romance between the misunderstood and the misled emerged as we concocted the story. The seed itself became symbolic of the immortality of an idea - which in this case, is a belief system that cannot be stamped out. Pumpkins rise from the dead through their seeds, which is emblematic of Halloween's promise that there is life beyond death. It's like one of those, metaphor-type things...
MM: Part of what makes the stories in this volume (including "Seed") so effective is the fantastic art on display. Every style fits the story being told so perfectly, especially Stuart Sayger’s art on "Echoes." Did you get to work with the art team a great deal in putting this together?
TC: I did not, but I enjoyed the hell of out seeing those pages come to life.
ZS: We picked the artists involved because we are fans of theirs, so we wanted to give them the creative space to interpret the scripts as they saw them. Basically, we gave them scripts, they gave us art, and then we all got happy. It wasn’t too involved beyond that.
MM: Hey, sometimes it really just doesn't need to be that complicated, haha.
"Corn Maiden" was another hard hitting story, and yet another poignant tale of people fearing what they don’t relate to, and ultimately horrible things have happened in this world as a result of that type of rush to judgement. You touched on this earlier a bit, but is that something the team was attempting to get across here as well, or did I just board the “read way too much into that” express, haha?
TC: No, that's definitely on purpose. And there's hope in the idea that there are forces out there who will balance the scales. The persecuted can find allies in some pretty dark places.
Also it should be said just how fantastic Stephen Byrne’s art is here. Everything is so vibrant, especially when the focus is on the tribe.
TC: He draws so beautifully, which somehow makes the scenes of violence so much more shocking. You really don't see it coming, which is a fun trick.
MM: The tale does take a much darker turn than expected, and you are right, the art is phenomenal, and the warmth in the pencils and colors makes what happens hit even harder.
"Echoes" is probably the trippiest story out of all four, and Sayger’s art is a big part of that. Even without that, though, you are still unsure of what he is actually seeing and what is in his mind. It isn’t 'til towards the end that you are for sure or not in that regard. Did you go into this project knowing you wanted to tell a noir private eye type story? Are you fans of the genre?
TC: Yes and yes. Some of us live in Echo Park, which has played host to scenes in Chinatown and LA Confidential, so when we decided on noir, it made sense as both homage and hometown pride. Echo Park also worked as a location because it was once a haven for Hollywood socialists, which earned it the nickname "Red Hill." That allowed us to do a noir story, but to also keep our theme of fear mongering/persecution through the Red Scare, which is going on in the background of all this.
MM: The final story, "Monster Mash," has such a bold look, and is a bit more lighthearted (until towards the end that is) than the rest. This is probably due to the artwork, but I got a very Where The Wild Things Are vibe. The monsters are all frightening in their own ways, but somehow you don’t see them as threatening necessarily. That probably has to do with the two boys' attitudes toward the whole ordeal. Why did you ultimately choose this as your final story?
TC: Chronology is the short answer. We checked in with Halloween during all these different eras and wanted to end on the era where we — children of the 80s — grew to love it. We thought it would be fun to show what Halloween is like from the POV of the monsters hitting the streets to mess with people. "Fun" being the key word because it could easily turn into a grisly evening spent watching some kind of ape-goblin skin people. There's definitely an audience for that, but it felt incongruous with the other stories, and it made sense to see these two kids get wrapped up in the bacchanalia. Their motivations are more innocent, so the ways they take advantage of the situation are more tempered (until the end that is).
MM: Well guys, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me, truly appreciate it!
Hope you enjoyed our chat, and you can catch a synopsis of Trick 'r Treat: Days of the Dead below. I will also have a review of the volume soon.
Thanks to Legendary for the chance to have a great discussion. Trick 'r Treat: Days of the Dead is in stores now.
Coming Soon
Trick 'r Treat Days of the Dead
From the twisted imagination of Trick ‘r Treat creator Michael Dougherty (director of the upcoming Krampus and Trick ‘r Treat 2 and screenwriter of X-Men 2 and Superman Returns) alongside a top-notch team of creators including writers Todd Casey and Zach Shields (Krampus), Marc Andreyko (Batwoman) and artists Fiona Staples (Saga), Stephen Byrne (Buffy/Angel), Stuart Sayger (Bram Stoker’s Death Ship) and Zid (Son of Merlin) comes this 4-part collection that paves the way for the Trick ‘r Treat film sequel.
Days of the Dead takes readers on a journey through Halloween history with 4 chilling new Trick ‘r Treat tales. Discover old-world lovers whose romance takes a chilling turn and Western pioneers who discover the dark side of the frontier. Travel to 1950s Los Angeles for a tale of pure horror noir and into the heart of small-town America to see some pranksters taught a lesson they'll never forget.
Across centuries of Halloween horror, wherever fear lies, Sam will be waiting…