Raven Gregory is an executive editor and writer at Zenoscope Entertainment, where he recently completed work on the six-issue miniseries, Escape from Wonderland. Escape from Wonderland was actually the third and final miniseries in a trilogy that also included Return to Wonderland, and Beyond Wonderland. Known collectively as the Wonderland trilogy, the series was a spin-off title from Zenoscope’s popular Grimm Fairy Tales series, and focused on the characters of Alice Liddle, the heroine of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and her teenage daughter, Calie Liddle.

The series was a massive sales success for Zenoscope, even outselling the title which spawned it; and there is even talk of Zenoscope trying to get Return to Wonderland optioned as a movie.

For his next project, Raven Gregory has decided to try something completely different. The Waking is a four-issue crime/horror series about four police detectives who, while investigating two routine murders, discover that the victims of these crimes are coming back from the dead in search of those responsible for taking their lives. Now the detectives are in a race against time to find the source of the recent “awakenings” and will be torn between doing their jobs or allowing the victims to find their own justice. Meanwhile, a father with an incredible ability must choose between avenging his daughter’s death or losing her forever.

Recently, we spoke with Raven Gregory and found out more about this interesting new series, his thoughts on the end of the Wonderland trilogy, and what other projects he has in development.

• Thanks for Joining us today Raven, how would you describe The Waking series to potential fans?

RG: Think Dawn of the Dead meets CSI. Like a mystery and horror wrapped up in one. The story follows four detectives investigating two random murders as they begin to discover clues that the victims of these heinous crimes may actually be returning to avenge their own deaths. Now, in a race against time they must discover those responsible for the murders and uncover the supernatural source behind the “wakings.”

• What was the genesis of this project, and what was your inspiration?

RG: I always wanted to tell a story that danced between the two genres. Crime and Horror and see how a story like that would play out.

• The plot of the series is concerned with the phenomenon of the dead returning to life. Inevitably people will assume that this means zombies, but the undead characters here are somewhat different from the modern brain-eating variety. So what makes these undead creatures different?

RG: These aren’t your garden variety Resident Evil, Night of the Living Dead mindless zombies. These beings are intent on finding those who took their lives and taking their revenge of them. They share much more qualities with how zombies were potrayed in the past as creatures who came back from the dead intent on exacting revenge on those who wronged them. Like the kind of undead you found in tales like Frankenstein, The Monkey’s Paw, EC Comics, and Poe.

• The protagonists of this story are a four plain clothes detectives who stumble upon the mystery of the ‘wakening’ dead whilst they are investigating two routine homicides. What can you tell us about these four characters?

RG: Keith is our wise ass of the group. He’s always cracking jokes and the first to punch his time card at the end of the shift. He’s the first guy at the bar but when shit hits the fan he’s ready to do his job. His partner, Laurence, is the brains of the group. He’s the guy who’s going to figure stuff out. Vanessa hasn’t been on the force long. She’s still fresh and can look at the world with a naive eye. As the story progresses we’ll see how the events take her from one end of the spectrum to the next. And her partner, the narrator, he’s our every man. He’s close to calling it quits but isn’t so far gone that he’s ready to give up on the world. At least not yet.

Each of the characters is very unique. With their own quirks and mannerisms. From my time working with people, you learn about all these strange experiences that are people’s lives, that to us seems completely unreal yet what seems normal to us may seem crazy to them and vice versa. That was an element I really wanted to bring to the characters. Give them each a thing that defined and really brought them to life.

• Trying to remain spoiler free, Issue one opens on a scene of a elderly man sitting in front of a locked door and crying. In the room beyond the door is his daughter, who is screaming for him to let her out. What can you tell us about this scene, and the importance of these characters to the story?

RG: The man at the door is struggling both physical, mentally and emotionally with a choice. A decision that he has made, will make or will be forced to make. While they play a small role at first, as the story progresses you see how much of a bigger role they play in the story.

• Your artist on this series is Vic Drujiniu, who you previously worked with on Grimm Fairy Tales #30, and a couple of the Tales from Wonderland one-shots? How did you decide on Vic for this book, and what do you think he brought to the project?

RG: We work really well together. His art just elevates the story on another level.

• Who else do you have involved with the project? I understand you have some covers by big name artists.

RG: EBas, Dave Finch, J. Scott Campbell, Tyler Kirkham, Joe Benitez, Talent Caldwell, Ale Garza, Eric J, Adriana Melo have all been really cool in helping out with the covers. I couldn’t have asked for a better line up.

• What is the release schedule for the series, and what is the price point for the issues?

RG: Both issue one and two will be out in February for $3.99.

• Do you have any plans for the characters or the world of the story beyond this four issue mini series?

RG: The ending is pretty definitive so I’d have to say it’s unlikely.

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The End of the Wonderland Trilogy

• You just finished up work on the Escape from Wonderland series, being the third and final part of the Wonderland trilogy. How does it feel to be done with such a huge undertaking?

RG: Pretty wonderful. For a while there I froze up toward the end of the series and just couldn’t get it done and then one night it was all there. I’m really happy with how the script turned out and Leister and Ruffino have both been doing the most incredible work of their careers on the pages. It’s so exciting seeing the story come together. Every time I see an email from them my heart does a little dance.

• The Wonderland books, and their parent title, Grimm Fairy Tales, have been a huge sales success for Zenescope. Can you see yourself returning to tell more tales in this world in the future? Perhaps a new spin-off?

RG: Ask me again after you read Grimm Fairy Tales #50. Big announcement coming soon.

• Alice based books are pretty huge right now, in fact, I recently interviewed John Reppion and Leah Moore about their The Complete Alice project (Check the site on Monday!), and of course, there is a new Tim Burton movie coming up. Why do you think these stories have come back around again, and what do you think gives them their enduring attraction?

RG: Some tales are eternal. The story of Alice is one of them. There are so many layers to that story that people will be telling their takes on it until the end of time and it’s a testament to what an amazing thing Lewis Carroll created.

• I have to ask, have you heard much about Tim Burton’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie? Apparently, rather than being a straight adaptation, it’s a dark take on the story, with Alice returning to Wonderland many years later. How do you think this effects Zenescope’s attempts to get Return to Wonderland optioned as a movie?

RG: I think if it does well it can’t hurt and I don’t expect it to do badly so I think we’re good.

• Have Zenescope announced plans for the Escape from Wonderland TPB yet, and is there a plan to publish the entire trilogy and the one-shots into some sort of deluxe omnibus?

RG: The Escape hardcover will be out in March or April. As for some kind of maxi edition we’ll have to wait and see. But an oversized HC collecting the whole series would be really nice.

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Beyond The Waking

• Are you working on anything else right now, beyond The Waking?

RG: Stay tuned. I’ve begun work on a new project called FLY and I am working with an artist that I have always wanted to work with. He just started sending me character designs and layouts and I can already tell this is going to blow people away.

• Is these anything else you would like to mention to fans?

RG: Merry Christmas everyone. Be safe and thanks always for the support. We wouldn’t be here without you.

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Thanks for that Raven!

Remember to look out for The Waking in this month’s issue of Previews Catalog (December 2009), and make sure to check back next week, when I’ll be posting an advance review of The Waking #1.

Discuss this interview on Hypergeek’s forums!

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