From Aaron Mahnke, creator of the Lore podcast comes an amazing new supernatural thriller in IDW’s WELLINGTON, a five-issue comic book series diving even deeper into Lore’s dark blend of history and horror. And putting an icon of British history in a new role as monster hunter… which isn’t as large a leap as the world might think.

The series from Mahnke and writer Delilah S. Dawson (Star Wars) follows the Duke of Wellington, one of England’s most decorated military heroes… until the sun sets, and he takes on his secret role as the country’s most daring monster hunter. Screen Rant had the chance to speak with Mahnke and Dawson about this “secret history of the Duke of Wellington,” as well as share a few pages highlighting artists Piotr Kowalski (The Dark Tower) and Brad Simpson (The Witcher) taking this twisted tale from pencils to inks and colors. Readers can find the full interview and artwork below.

Can you give some insight into how the Lore podcast ended up leading to this comic book adaptation? That’s obviously a detailed process, but was there a key element or idea that went from ’this could spark a graphic novel’ and ’this is definitely a story that needs to be told'?

The star of the story is, as fans would expect, a real historical figure: the first Duke of Wellington. But more importantly, he’s a creature-hunting, monster investigator. What can fans look forward to from a hero who fits that (admittedly intriguing) description?

Aaron Mahnke: Well, I view the comic book less as an adaptation of the podcast and more of byproduct of it. I’ve spent nearly five years researching and writing stories about some very unusual moments, characters, and places in history, and this comic book allows me and Delilah the space to tell a new, fictional story that draws upon all that. If there was a spark moment, though, it was the tale of Spring-heeled Jack. Learning that this very real panic gripped London and that the Duke of Wellington actually tried to solve the mystery helped jumpstart the idea that we push forward in the comic book.

I obviously also have to ask about Joseph Drew, ‘The Journalist,’ who is somewhat of an audience surrogate. At least as he’s stepping into the world of Wellington and learning the truth right along with the readers.

AM: It’s important to remember that Wellington was a military hero and a revered general. This was the man who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, so it’s easy to picture him bringing that same tenacity and bravery to our fictional battles. I think readers are going to love his combination of proper gentleman and dauntless soldier.

Delilah S. Dawson: We’ve also taken some liberties in crafting Wellington’s voice and emotional journey as he’s–awakened? Activated?–as a monster hunter. I see him as very practical but restless, a man who’s always got to be hunting something, and as he gets older, that feeling doesn’t go away. Fighting monsters is almost a welcome thrill compared to the calm, boring life he’s lead at home after so many years throwing himself at war. But he has to make that jump–has to be convinced that the supernatural is real.

Can you both speak to the process of collaborating on a story like this? It seems writers from different backgrounds or perspectives always find their own rhythm and alchemy with a graphic novel format, so what was the experience like bringing the spirit of Lore to Wellington?

AM: Absolutely. He’s a creation of Delilah’s, and serves to ground the story in a moment in time. And yes, he allows us to explain everything to the reader in a clever way.

DD: I wouldn’t say he’s my creation–more an adaptation. Joseph Drew was indeed a journalist and fiction writer, and he wrote a biography of Wellington in 1851. I was deep in Wikipedia looking for interesting tidbits on Wellington and saw Drew’s photo and read his story and imagined Wellington recounting his story to this sprightly journalist by the fire. As a fan of Lore, I like the storytelling aspect of the comic, that feeling that someone is sitting you down to tell you something terrifying and wondrous.

The first pages deliver some pure Gothic ambiance – with some eerie creatures playing in the shadows – so what can readers expect from your artists Piotr and Brad? From the sound of the story, these may be some of the tamest we can look forward to.

AM: You know, this was a great first comic team for me. Delilah is so very amazing at climbing inside an existing IP and writing new things. She’s done that with Star Wars for years. But this was also a bit different, too, because history isn’t necessarily an “IP”. It’s also not as flexible as a fictional show bible. Wellington was a real person, so we had to stay rooted in real things while adding our own decoration. But it’s been an incredibly fun process.

DD: It helps that Aaron and I were friends first and have great respect for each other’s work. The process has been such fun, pinging ideas back and forth. I always enjoy when he sends links to random strange stories from the past–it’s like peeking into the back window of Lore, which is one of my favorite podcasts.

For fans of Lore, and the TV adaptation, how does this new series fit alongside? Is this a comic aimed at feeding that same craving for folklore and mystery?

AM: Piotr really brings the darkness to life in this series. He’s been fabulous and attentive through the whole process. And when Brad gets ahold of Piotr’s artwork, he breathes fire and shadows all over it. Honestly, when I closed my eyes a year ago and imagined these pages, I couldn’t have envisioned a better final result. And yes, it gets dark.

DD: When writing a comic, a beautiful alchemy happens as the writer and artists grow to trust each other. After seeing the first pages, I began to write scripts with Piotr’s style in mind, giving him meaty descriptions to bring to life in his own way. To then see the depth and emotion Brad’s colors add–it’s magical and dark and twisted. And I adore what our artists have done with the page turn surprises…

  • WELLINGTON #1 Written by: Aaron Mahnke, Delilah S. Dawson Art by: Piotr Kowalski, Brad Simpson Cover Art by: Piotr Kowalski From Aaron Mahnke, the creator of the Lore podcast, comes an amazing new supernatural thriller that shines a light on the mysteries and monsters lurking in the shadows. Meet the Duke of Wellington—one of England’s most decorated military heroes and, unknown to most, her most daring monster hunter. The secret history of the Duke of Wellington begins here!

Wellington #1 is available now in your local comic book shop. The Collected Edition arrives in August 2020, but is available for pre-order now wherever books are sold.

AM: Again, not an adaptation so much as a byproduct. What better way to use all of these folktales and legends that my team and I have been digging up for years than to cast them in a new, fictional adventure that will let them stretch their wings and take flight!

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