Posted in: Comics, NYCC | Tagged: 2016, comic con, Comics, entertainment, new york, new york comic con, NYCC, nycc 2016

Talking Godzilla: Rage Across Time With Kahil Schweitzer

By Octavio Karbank

Ever since I was a child, I've had a fascination with giant monsters and giant monster movies. With so many made, there's sure to be something for every Kaiju-lover. For me, it was Godzilla. That's why I was ecstatic when IDW started putting out Godzilla-themed comics. From Godzilla: Rulers of Earth to Godzilla in Hell, they've done a pretty great job with the King of All Monsters. Their latest series, Godzilla: Rage Across Time is already two issues in and certainly worth checking out. At least if you find the premise of Godzilla appearing at various point in history and mixing it up with everyone from samurai to Zeus.

That brings us to Mr. Kahil Schweitzer and his first writing credit in comics. Lucky enough to pen the second issue of Godzilla: Rage Across Time, Mr. Schweitzer's tale features the monster kind fighting the Greek gods! Tell me that doesn't get your blood pumping? And so I was able to briefly talk to this up-and-coming writer about Godzilla!

OK: All right then, how'd you get on the book?

Kahil Schweitzer: One of my co-workers at IDW, Chris Mowry, came to me about the book and I pitched some goofy ideas and he jumped right on them! It fell into my lap and I couldn't pass it up! I started in IDW four years ago as an intern and I wanted to get into Editorial, because I wanted to write comics.

OK: What about the weight of writing Godzilla?

KS: There's definitely a terror that comes with writing a licensed book. Having Chris with me, who knows more about Godzilla than anyone I've met, gave me all the confidence I needed.

OK: Did you have to do any research for this issue?

KS: I actually grew up as a huge Greek mythology nerd, so when he started telling me about this, I went back to my 10-year old self and dug out all the old mythology books I had. We basically sat down for one day, looked through all these books, and read up on all these different gods.

OK: Why should folks pick up your book?

KS: Well, it's part of a 5-part series, each issue is by a different writer, and each issue is fantastic. I think Godzilla In Hell, the series before, caught people off-guard, because it takes Godzilla out of his element but you still get down to the meat and bones of what makes Godzilla so appealing. The thing about this one is that everyone is throwing everything against the wall.

OK: Following that up, what do you think makes Godzilla so appealing?

KS: That's a funny question. I grew up aware of Godzilla, but I wasn't a devotee in that sense. I came from an outside lens, but after diving into it, I saw just how fun this character is. There's so much you can do with it, that I want to see done…it boils down to the fact that it's this big, bombastic blockbuster. It always has been. At least that's what it is for me.

OK: Without spoiling anything, what are you most excited for people to read in this issue?

KS: Chris and I were talking about the Pantheon up in Mount Olympus and I said, "Why don't we have Poseidon sitting in a bathtub?" It's just a fun, little goofy thing that we threw in there!

OK: On a technical level, what was the most challenging part of this project?

KS: It was actually a breeze! I wish I had some profound statement about the writer's struggle, but writing this with Chris pretty much involved just sitting by the pool and drinking a couple of beers!

OK: Sounds good! I think I'll wrap this up with one of my favorite questions to ask writers: what does the craft of writing mean to you?

KS: To me, the craft of writing is something sacred. I grew up with my dad who was a published writer in medical journals and stuff like that. For me, writing was always the best way to reboot and center myself. Even in high school and college when I had to write papers about things I didn't want to talk about, there's a catharsis in it that I feel it's hard to emulate in other things. In writing, I think you can find that at any time through any subject.

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