• the217
• Blogs
• Capes & Cowls
• Soloman Kane, an interview

• RSS

Soloman Kane, an interview

posted by Matt Knicl at 3:14 pm.

• Bookmark & Share
• Comments (0)

Solomon Kane #1

While most people know of Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Cimmerian character, due to the movies, comics and recent video game, some of Howard’s other creations get left in the dark. Solomon Kane is one such character. Written in the pulp style Howard is known for, Solomon Kane’s stories were about the puritan warrior set to vanquish evil in all its demonic forms during the 1600s. And while Conan has a strong fan base, I find that the franchise has made itself into a cliché, and have always found Solomon Kane to be a more unique character.

Dark Horse comics, best known in Howard terms for its Conan series, will so release a miniseries written by editor Scott Allie. Mr. Allie was kind enough to speak to me again about this new series and his love for the character.

Matt Knicl: What do you like about Solomon Kane?

Scott Allie: The main thing that draws me to what Howard did is the solitary figure, in a real scary wilderness, going up against very old fashioned monsters. I love the drama and the darkness of it.

Matt: What are you hoping to do with the new miniseries?

Scott: The first thing is to establish him as a character for people who won’t know who he is, who’ll maybe have seen a picture, or maybe heard of the new movie. I want to show who he is and what he does in a big story that tests him.

Matt: Why do you think Howard’s characters have survived as long as they have?

Scott: He was a genius at creating icons, at refining older sorts of heroes and making something fresh for the 20th century. Conan was the most effective at connecting with a mass audience, and I don’t think that would surprise Howard.

Matt: To you, who is Solomon Kane?

Scott: He’s the ultimate extremist, he’s a guy living out past the edge of society, wanting a mission that’ll give his life meaning, that’ll give him somewhere to place all of his aggression and his anger. He’s a devoutly religious man who doesn’t think much about God, but he’s got a rigid morality that doesn’t leave room for doubt or even consideration.

Matt: Who do you prefer, Solomon Kane or Conan?

Scott: I prefer Kane. I would expect most people to prefer Conan, because he’s more the sort of character you might want to be. Kane is much less admirable, much less enviable, but something about him speaks to me more as a character. There’s something genuinely dark, something really flawed about him, and I like that in a hero.

images courtesy Dark Horse

Matt Knicl: My name is Matt Knicl. I'm a U of I alumn and one of those unemployed English majors Garrison Keillor likes to make fun of. I've been reading comics since high school and one day I would like to write them. My goal is to expose readers to what is out there in the world of comics and using my English powers, show what is worth reading or not. I can be reached at buzz.comics@gmail.com.