HUSTON TALKS MOON KNIGHT

[MattBrady]

For a character who first appeared as a B-lister in Werewolf by Night in 1975, Moon Knight is doing pretty good for himself.

Sure, he hasn’t had a regular series since 1994 (though there were two miniseries, two specials, and a host of appearances in West Coast Avengers and most recently, Marvel Knights), but the character still can boast undeniable popularity, if unceasing questions about Marvel’s plans for Moon Knight to Joe Quesada at every convention appearance are any indication.

As a touch of a basic primer, Moon Knight is Marc Spector, a former mercenary who, after an attack of conscience, and refusal to kill innocents, was beaten and left for dead in the desert. More dead than alive, Spector found an ancient temple of the moon god, Konshu. In it, he was healed, and returned to the world as a fighter for justice.

From there, things got interesting, as he created two new identities for himself, Wall-street wiz Steven Grant, and Jake Lockley, a cabbie with connections on the street.

Over the years, Moon Knight has flirted with the more mainstream “super hero” identity, but, more often than not, has run afoul of other heroes who don’t approve of his methods (think Batman on a really bad day). Likewise, writers have flirted with his connections to the Egyptian deities as well, at times playing up his role of an instrument of “divine justice.”

Of course, there have also been hints that “Konshu” was merely Spector’s personal near-death experience, and any voices he hears coming from the deity are in fact, coming from his own head.

It’s a real piece of work novelist Charlie (Caught Stealing, Six Bad Things) Huston and artist David Finch have been handed to work on in Moon Knight: The Bottom, a six-issue miniseries debuting in February of 2006.

We caught up with Huston to talk about the character, the story, and the mess that can exist inside Moon Knight’s head.

Newsarama: First off, how familiar were you with the character prior to landing the gig? When did you first encounter him?

Charlie Huston: I’d been a Moon Knight reader from back in the eighties with Doug Moench’s original run. My first taste of super hero comics came when I was in junior high and a buddy turned me onto Daredevil and X-Men. I came back for more and he hit me with Moon Knight. I read all his back issues and started buying with issue #22. I’d say that short of a true fanboy, I was about as well versed in Moon Knight lore as you can get.

NRAMA: Backing up a little then, – how did you get connected with Marvel anyway? Did you come knocking, or did they come to you?

CH: Ruwan Jayatilleke, Marvel’s Director of Development, Publishing, was looking for writers outside the comic book world and stumbled across me. I’d just started reading comics again in the past year so the timing was dead on. I had a touch of the fever. Ruwan read a couple of my books and pushed me to Marvel’s editorial staff.

NRAMA: Was Moon Knight something you suggested, or was it tossed to you by Marvel?

CH: They came back with a couple characters they thought might be a good fit, but really, once Moon Knight came up, it was all over. I made a point of being unenthusiastic about the other characters Ruwan mentioned. I knew Moon Knight would be a good fit with the noir style I’ve been working in. I also knew that there was limited continuity to catch up on between the stuff I had read as kid and where the character is today. Frankly, that was a big deal for me. Trying to digest twenty years of story lines on one of the major titles or spin-offs would have killed me. With Moon Knight, I was able to hit eBay and go after the Marc Spector Moon Knight and West Coast Avengers stuff and have a pretty good handle on where the guy was in the Marvel Universe.

NRAMA: Let’s hit the character side of things, then - throughout his years, Moon Knight has had some pretty interesting interpretations…how do you see him in regards to his motivations? Why does Marc do what he does? Take us inside his head a little…

CH: I’m going to be purposely vague on some of this stuff as it tends to go very much to the heart of the story we’re telling. But, Moench painted a very clear picture of a man who was trying to redeem himself. The irony being that he was trying to redeem a violent past through acts of violence. I think you’d have to be a very bad writer not to see the drama inherent in that conflict, and I’m not one to look a gift horse like that in the mouth.

NRAMA: That said, the mystical side of Moon Knight was played up very heavily in Moench’s run – will those be a part of your interpretation? And along those lines – is Konshu, in fact, real, or is he a piece of Marc’s imagination that motivates and justifies his actions?

CH: Once again, I’m gonna dodge the specifics of this bullet. Also once again, gonna reference Moon Knight’s creator. Moench was very consistent in keeping Spector’s relationship to Khonshu ambiguous. There was a constant tug-o-war within Spector regarding his belief in Khonshu. I think a writer could choose to stay that course or take either one of the turns off the road and have a great story to tell. As long as the belief, lack of belief or ambiguity remains key to the character. Faith is just too strong of a storytelling card to be ignored. And I’m not ignoring it. Khonshu will be a factor. Real or not.

NRAMA: At his Cup ‘o Joe panel in San Diego, Joe Quesada said that you’d read all the previous issues, and that your version won’t be contradicting any of what’s come before, but will be building and moving forward. Can you elaborate on that a little?

CH: The continuity for this story is coming most strongly out of Moench’s run. I’ve tried to touch on bits and pieces of lore from Marc Spector Moon Knight, WCA, and the minis that Moench did just a couple years ago. There’s tons of stuff I’d like to bring in, but there’s only so much room. I do think all the major pieces of the cannon are addressed. As for moving forward, the mandate was to end the series with a Moon Knight who is ready to be a player in the Marvel Universe, and he will be. But he’s got his own way of doing things and it still doesn’t match up too well with most of the tights crowd. Don’t expect him to be hanging with the FF anytime soon.

NRAMA: Obviously, from your comments so far, you’ve been heavily influenced on the character by Doug Moench. What was it about his interpretation that hooked you?

CH: No one else came close to nailing Moon Knight. So many other writers tried to twist him out of his original shape, and it never played. It was like they didn’t know what to do with this gloriously strange back-story, so they tried to pretend it wasn’t there. Part of what made the character pop in Moench’s hands was that he took him so seriously. The Egyptian thing wasn’t just random weirdness; it tied directly to Spector’s past as a mercenary. There was a great deal of mercenary activity in the Sudan at that time. Why wouldn’t Spector be there? Moench was always doing that, working current event and social concerns into his stories. His books were always about something more than BIFF and POW. He was, taking on drugs, child abuse, political corruption, Vietnam, and the abuse of power on all social levels. And none of this was done in a cheap or preachy fashion. These weren’t axes he was grinding, they were aspects of stories he was telling. And there was Moon Knight in the middle, trying to figure out what he stood for and what side he should be fighting on. No one, no one ever came close to handling Moon Knight like Moench. Period.

NRAMA: So – getting up to speed here, where is Marc as things begin in The Bottom? Where’s Marc in his life and what’s going on with his career as a hero?

CH: More vagueness on the way here. The title of the mini is The Bottom. That should give you a pretty clear picture of where Moon Knight is. To be just a little more specific, I wanted to work with a Moon Knight who is getting on a bit. I liked the idea of a guy who’s in the superhero racket, but is leaving his prime years behind. I felt Spector had been in the Marvel Universe long enough that we could deal with him as a man in his late thirties without it abusing the continuity. Part of the pitch was to think of him physically as an aging pro athlete who’s lost his career and wants to get it back. As of issue one, you’ll see a guy who’s dumped himself down a hole and alienated anyone who would have ever wanted to help him out. But he wants out of that hole. Badly. Safe bet that he’s gonna have to fight his way out.

NRAMA: So the title is foreshadowing…or his current address?

CH: First, this is not an “The End” story. As I said before, this is a Moon Knight tale meant to bring Spector back into the MU. Second, you bet your ass it’s foreshadowing. This is a dark character with a dark past and I just want to paint it black. Remember, this is a dude who burned his Avengers membership card largely because they were questioning his use of extreme violence.

NRAMA: And you’ll be addressing the fact that he has been out fo the game for a while, rather than active but unseen for the past few years?

CH: I’m absolutely addressing the fact that he’s been out of the game. The continuity won’t match up perfectly with his last appearance in Marvel Knights where he got beat all to hell and Spector Corp was blown up, but the effect will be the same.

NRAMA: What about his identities? Are we going to see the multiple names/lives Marc created for himself?

CH: The identities will be addressed. That’s as specific as I want to get right now. As to why Spector has so many identities? The guy is crazy as a ^&%*house rat! He’s so guilt ridden over his past, one identity isn’t enough to help him cope. He needs the guilt spread out over Steve Grant, Jake Lockley and Moon Knight. Hell, in the original run, he didn’t even acknowledge Mark Spector. He considered him dead, and his darkest moments were when someone rose up and made him face that part of his past. Nutso. Pure nutso. That’s why he needs three fake identities.

NRAMA: Back to the storyline, where do things pick up in this miniseries? Is he fighting against any particular enemy, or is his largest enemy himself?

CH: There will be a few villains to choose from here. There’re some folks from very far back in his past. There’s a Marvel Universe classic who he’s never faced before to my knowledge. And there’s one brand new villain. But, yeah, the main reason a guy like this needs enemies is so he has someone to fight other than himself.

NRAMA: After coming from the novel world, how are you taking to the different style of writing and pacing?

CH: Well, it ain’t easy. I like to plot on the fly with my novels, let the characters lead the way as much as possible. That’s a much tougher nut when you’re locked into six twenty-two page issues. Each issue is harder than the one before. On page one, issue one you have nothing but possibilities, but each panel you describe paints you further and further into a corner. I’d say my first drafts have averaged about twenty-five pages each. Cutting those down to twenty-two without starting to crowd the panels is tricky. The hardest part is learning when to lean on the pictures. One panel can contain a ton of story, and I’m starting to trust that fact. Of course, it helps knowing that David Finch has my back. If I drop the ball at any point and let the story sag, Finch is going to be giving the readers something badass to look at. That’s a pretty cool insurance policy.

NRAMA: Finally, you’ve got six issues of Moon Knight, and…what’s next? Are you and Marvel talking yet?

CH: Right now, I’m carrying a pretty heavy load. I’ve been writing two novels a year and that schedule doesn’t look to be letting up. That said, this has been a pretty cool experience so far, and I’ve started building some good relationships with Ruwan, Axel, Joe, and Dave. I’d like to see those relationships go somewhere, and if we can work together some more, that would be a great way to start.

For more on Huston and his work, visit: www.pulpnoir.com

[brokencowboy]

I'm excited for this mini though.

[david r]

I patiently await the Dan Slott series.

Make Mine Moon Knight!

[render man]

Umm couldnt they have come up with a better title than MOON Knight: The BOTTOM? I mean its funny, not as funny as Giant Sized Man-Thing, but still I cant be the only one who finds the title of this mini funny, am I?

[VinnyPic]

MooN KNiGHT owns. that is all.

[Jack Burton]

Hey I know Moon Knight had a series in the 90's. It crossed over with Infinity War and he wore adamantium armor for a while.

[fistofkhonshu]

As to why Spector has so many identities? The guy is crazy as a ^&%*house rat!

Hell yeah, Huston gets the character alright. The first issue I ever got was the one where he's drunk on the beach babbling at head of the Khonshu statue.

Moon Knight: The Bottom isn't as funny as if it were called

Moon Knight's Bottom

[BlueThunderArmy]

This guy sounds like he knows what he's doing. This could be an interesting story.

[fistofkhonshu]

Come on Finch gives us a pinup!!

[palefire]

I can not wait for this one. I wonder where Marvel intends to take the character after "the bottom".

[vicvondoom]

Originally posted by BlueThunderArmy
This guy sounds like he knows what he's doing. This could be an interesting story.

Yes, agreed. We must all buy Moon Knight. If he's using Moench's stuff as inspiration, I am so in... Always a little worried when a T.V./movie guy, or novelist switches to write some of my favorite characters. Sometimes there's chemistry, sometimes there ain't. Huston seems to really know the character. Looks like it might be good...


--- the drunken despot ---

[Agent69]

To the top?

[jasinmartin]

Ahhhh.... Moon Knight.... one of my first loves...

(little hearts and flowers dance around my head, and "Memories" starts playing on my internal radio)

The Sienkiewicz run on this was my fave, part of the small lineup of books the went "direct only" back in the early 80's...

Looking forward to this!

[MarkG72]

I am SO getting this... waited for a long time for Marvel to make a serious attempt to get this character established. Sounds like if the mini is successful (storyline and sales wise) an ongoing is not out of the question. YEAAAAAHHHH!!!!

[Posco]

Hopefully Marvel will use this as an opportunity for an Essential Moon Knight book collecting the original series.

[The Shadow]

Originally posted by Posco
Hopefully Marvel will use this as an opportunity for an Essential Moon Knight book collecting the original series.

Why would you want giant colouring books when Hoiuston gave you the place to grab the actual issues? EBAY my friend! It's a good thing! You also get to see the issues IN COLOUR as they were intended and not as giant colouring books.

Can't wait for the series!!!

[CATMAN3]

I always wanted to see a Moon Knight/ Batman team up.

[Wild Irish]

Anybody remember when Stephen Platt started on Moon Knight #55? Wizard made it their comic of the month and the value shot up to like $40. I remember thinking, "WTF? it's friggin' Moon Knight!?" But the cover is pretty baddass.

[BaronSamedi]

Sheeeeesh.

First we got "The Fist of Khonshu", now we get "Moon Knight: The Bottom"...

Heh heh heh.

I don't even know where to start.

[MarcSpector]

Can't wait for this myself.As you can tell by the name :-P

Slowly but surely he's been getting back into the Marvel U.Apperance in Captain America here appearances in GLA and Marvel Team Up there.
I hope this series establishes him as the kickass character I know he can be after reading the Moench stuff.

[Punchy]

Sounds cool, I've never read any Moon Knight before, but the Finch art had me interested, and this guy's story sounds good, I'll check this out.

[ramberk]

Great interview, albeit vague but I'm glad he's vague. I did get a feeling at what angle Huston is going for and that's got me interested. Can't wait! (I never was a big Moon Knight fan, his popularity was already gone by the time I came into comics). Here's hoping that Marvel can solidify another one of their b-list heroes into a-list status.

[fistofkhonshu]

Originally posted by The Shadow
Why would you want giant colouring books when Houston gave you the place to grab the actual issues? EBAY my friend! It's a good thing! You also get to see the issues IN COLOUR as they were intended and not as giant colouring books.

Can't wait for the series!!!

Ditto ditto and ditto

I got the whole series from Ebay a few years ago and barely paid more than cover price. I hate those Essentials, I want the Tomb of Dracula in color dammit!

[fistofkhonshu]

Just for the folks who don't realize it Moon Knight was a trouble Dark Knight before there was a troubled Dark Knight. I know its been said before but those stories stand the test of time.

The guy is crazy as a ^&%*house rat!

Indeed!

[MarcSpector]

Agreed! The early Moench stories are awesome stuff.