Louis Bright-Raven: Well, Eric, judging from your biography at your website www.soulsorcerer.com, you have had a fair amount of professional success in the television industry as a Stage Manager and Production Assistant. Why the switch to comics?

Eric Dean Seaton: Creating! Plain and simple. I love to create. I get to do it every day on the set of the shows I work on, but comic books are a whole different ball game. As an Assistant Director on TV I'm confined by the position I have which also determines what I have to work with on any given day. Now make no mistake I get to do some pretty cool stuff, but at the end of the day it's not mine. I didn't start it. I'm hired because I'm good enough to make sure it comes out as it's supposed to.

In comics, the sky's the limit. I can create my own back story, give the characters true identity and a flair, and not only start it but finish it. Best of all, the only confinement I have is the number of pages I can do a month. The funny thing is doing comic books has made me that much more aggressive with my other goal, directing, because I want that same feeling I get from putting out a monthly book.

BR: Your first published comics work was a Spider-Man project. Tell is a little bit about that.

EDS: It was a great experience. I got to work with one of the best editors at Marvel at the time and I was writing lines for probably one of the most popular comic book characters in the history of the world. If there is a bad side to it, it is I never got to see the finished product. Marvel was going through their now famous bankruptcy case so my book got caught up in the political shuffle. I was at the Chicago Wizard World Convention last summer when someone told me they had a copy of the book. He said he would bring it by the next day because he was a local but never did. So if anyone reading this has it, let a brother know. (Smile)

BR: What prompted you to take the chance of creating a new comics company in today's less than solid market?

EDS: Bad drugs! (Laughing) I just never thought about going with a major company because if you look through three straight months of the Diamond Preview Catalogue, everyone that gets a book came from another book or major company. Also, I wanted to be the Master P of comics. Master P, if you don't know, is a rapper (musician) who owns all of his own stuff. He actually offered one of the largest record companies 20% to distribute his records. This man has made millions because he is control of his product.

I wanted that same control. Not to make millions, but to give the fans my exact vision, the way I want it to be. The funny thing I learned about today's market is it doesn't affect my book in story because I'm one of the only companies out there telling a story with multi cultural characters. Where I get beat up on is lack of knowledge of the book and the general consensus that independents are of lesser quality than the "big boys". Of course, I've managed to prove that we can deliver a book with quality that is just as high as the top books, so it's up to the stores to keep giving us a shot because fans are buying the books.

BR: How did you come up with the names Nighthawk Entertainment and Arcane Comics?

EDS: Nighthawk was one of those, "When I get my own company it's gonna be 'Nighthawk', and we're gonna do this and that" names. It all fit when the main character of SOUL SORCERER became Nighthawk because that wasn't his original name. Arcane was a name that Steve (Mundell- the original artist) and I came up with. I didn't have a name for the company and I had to send the solicitation off to Diamond Comics Distributions the next day. I didn't want to call it Nighthawk Comics because I felt I'd be listed too far in the back of the Diamond Catalogue. I knew I wanted something in the "A"s and Alpha was the logical choice. But that was taken. My first personal choice, Ascension, was already taken by Top Cow. I kept saying "A" this and "A" that, and then Steve said I have a universe named Arcane. And I said, "Steve, 'arcane' is an adjective. It would have to be Arcane Universe or Arcane Comics... oh, that's it! Arcane Comics."

BR: While SOUL SORCERER came out in May of 1999, you've been building this project for two years. What was the process of finding an art team like, and tell us how you discovered the current art team.

EDS: That was truly an adventure. Everyone who has worked on the book was either recommended or found over the internet, and I didn't meet any of the people in person before we started working together. Call it the magic of modern technology. Steve Mundell initially got the job because the first person I was working with want to do a contract before he did any sample work. They might have gotten away with it but they just kept dragging their feet and I'm very aggressive so eventually I wore them down and they passed me off to Steve.

Steve and I worked closely for about twelve months. I sent him all my years and years of notes on the characters and designs and he did a great job with the notes. It wasn't until we got to working on the book that things didn't work out. Doing a monthly book is a demanding job. My inker at the time, Andy Owens, who is now working for Marvel, recommended current penciler Patrick Blaine. And once I made the change, things really took off from there. I only wish I had gotten Pat earlier because I would have had him do the first issue over. That's why we did the trade paperback; because although book #1 got great reviews and people loved it, I never did. I was forced to publish it because I couldn't come out late with my first book. That would have been crazy.

So once Pat was down, people started seeing Andy Owens' inks of the covers and he started getting work from Top Cow. At that point, in the middle of book #2 being drawn, I had to switch inkers and go with Pierre-Andre Dery & Mark Stegbauer. Then no sooner than they got on board, original colorist Jimmy Yu got bogged down with Darkchylde deadlines, so enter Matt Broome. Broome was a real coup because he was recommended by a friend of his I met at the Oakland Comic Convention. So it wasn't until book #3 that we had the perfect team together and it's been clear sailing ever since.

I think this is very important for anyone starting a book because it lets them know it's truly a creative process, like building a sports team, where you have to be ready to make changes at any moment. The key is to be professional and nice to everyone and you can always find what you need.

BR: Tell us a little bit about your series PROPHECY OF THE SOUL SORCERER. Briefly, it's about a New York District Attorney, Elijah Alexander, who learns he is one of the few remaining members of a line of sorcerers who defend Earth against the Agents of Hell. But give us a bit more detail of what the miniseries and upcoming series will be about.

EDS: For people who've never heard of the book: The Prophecy says, "When the Army of Darkness shadows the Earth, the chosen one will cast our fate by facing the evil before him." Soul Sorcerers are mystical beings that have walked the planet since the beginning of time, protecting us from the Agents of Hell. The stories test the foundation of our belief in fath and mythology. Our world has become grounded in science. We are afraid of what we can't explain, yet our belief in God has never been stronger. The antagonists want to be god-like and quest for life supremacy, instead of monetary riches. The protagonist is the pawn in an age old quest for world dominance.

The Hero is an over achieving, flawed being. He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders. If he wanted, he could achieve the supremacy the antagonists crave, but instead chooses to use his gift for the good of all. The series has a lot of wild and exotic swords and weapons play, like other titles such as "Battle Chasers" or "Warlands", but the stories take place in the urban landscape of New York City, and not an imaginary world.

(In terms of the miniseries), it set up the regular series. It introduced the major players and the history behind the Soul Sorcerers. In the regular series we pick up where we the mini left off and continue to build on the strong characters. I can't say too much more without ruining the twists of the story, but I will say the prophecy itself is a play on words and becomes a plot twist. The characters are all flawed beings with noble souls fighting for their respective cause, be it good or evil. The first twelve issues complete the first arc. In those twelve issues some main characters will die, and three heroes will come together. The Second Arc runs from #13-#18, and twenty-five issues have already been written, so the book is set on twists and turns that have short and long-term effects.

The cool thing about being so far ahead is, when I come up with new story ideas, they can go in-between sections in the first 25 and really make things wild because at some point, I would have to write us back on course. The books, when placed together, will read like a great set of graphic novels. Everything else can be explained in our motto (for storytelling): Write yourself into a corner, then write your way out of it.

BR: I noticed when reading your series that the majority of the characters were of ethnic origin. Was that intentional? Were you trying to give ethnic groups a character (or characters) to look to as heroic figures, given the dominance of Caucasian characters in mainstream comics today?

EDS: In the world where I live and work, everyone is a different race, color, or creed. So when I envisioned the series it just came out as reflection of that world. I think most people create from a frame of reference. Most of the creators (in comics) are white so most books don't have characters of ethnicity because they just don't associate with people of other races. It's funny, because kids do, but as we get older we don't. As adults, life becomes about social circles and separation. I didn't create the characters to be black or Hispanic to say, "hey, look at this book". I did it because it's reality. Heroes come in all colors. So Nighthawk being African-American shouldn't matter.

BR: On your website and in the back of the original miniseries releases, you mention further titles under development in relation to the SOUL SORCERER series. Can you give us a little more information on these projects?

EDS: Definitely! We have many more stories to tell. The great thing about SOUL SORCERER is these beings have been on the Earth since the beginning of time, so I have a whole history of stories to create and tell. The first new title I want to launch is "Legends of the Soul Sorcerer". LEGENDS will deal with the race of super beings before and during Sirach's reign. (Note: Sirach is the main antagonist.) These stories will focus on Noah (Elijah's mentor), Sirach and many others. Different novelists and screen writers will write this line of books. I'd give a list of their names, but since the deals haven't been closed yet, I'd better not.

The second title is "Watch Guard". It follows the stories of Jack Durgan, the detective in SOUL SORCERER, and the people in his life. Jack Durgan wasn't always Mr. Mythology. At one time he was a decorated Special Agent. That was until he met his ex-wife, Merilee. Being married to a telepath, and a member of the group that guards the Book of Shadows, can change one's perspective on the world.

The last title is "Total Justice". This series tells the story of Chris Justice, an independent agent, forced to join her father's agency to save the world. It's "Danger Girl" with less breasts and a better shipping schedule. (Laughs) No release date has been set for these books as yet, but look for them sometime in 2000.

I'm also looking to do something different, and pick up books by other creators. I'm not looking for any money, but consolidation is strength. Other books would publish under Arcane, but pay for their own ads, etc. The advantage of this idea is cost and market share. Nothing attracts attention more than having a few pages of ads in the Diamond Previews magazine.

BR: Being the creator of a series is one thing, but you're also a publisher. How has your experience working in television helped you in terms of running the day to day operations at Arcane?

EDS: It's given me an advantage as far as publicity, dedication, and most of all (the drive to meet) deadlines. In TV we have to make our deadlines. In comics, people seem to let deadlines just go by. I can never understand that. You're paid to work... so WORK. Our books came out on time. How many other publishers can say that? Sadly, not many. TV also gives me the temperament for the comic book industry. My day is split between the two and I never get tired because I have something else to take care of.

BR: Given your background in television, has it been any easier for you to get your product out to the public or even to potential parties interested in licensing? Or is it a double edged sword?

EDS: It's a double-edged sword. The TV background gives me the knowledge to know what's a good deal and what's not, but it also scares a lot of people away because no matter who you are, people from the entertainment industry are gonna come at you wanting all the rights to your product. It's funny because they say things like, "we take it over but you get paid" or "we'll make sure your (the creator's) vision is the one we're doing". Please. Listen to the words in the sentence: "The one we're doing." Listen, folks- you created the project. YOU know the project. If you want to sell it, that's fine, but if you want to keep control to ensure it has the best vision then you have to be in for the long haul.

What most guys are doing is just making things to sell to Hollywood. I didn't do that- SOUL SORCERER is too close to my heart. And one last note on the subject: A lot of times you'll hear about TV or movie deals given to comic book creators. Those deals do not mean that the creators got a lot of money. It means that they MAY get money, if the project gets made (and is successful). They may have just gotten $5,000 up front for the deal, not $500,000.

BR: Whom do you respect in the comics industry today, and why?

EDS: You have to respect Todd McFarlane. He is what I call the best idea man in the business. Just look at his characters or even his toys. You have to understand he has a 70 million dollar empire built off ONE character! That alone is incredible. I've gotten to know Matt Hawkins from the convention circuit and his really on the ball in terms of promotion; look at Lady Pendragon- it's everywhere! He's the Man when it comes to marketing a product. I've tried some of the things he does but I don't have the deep pockets of a Top Cow or an Awesome to back me up so things move a lot slower. The Dreamwave guys have great production value. DC still has the best writers with the whole Vertigo line. And finally I have to give a lot of props to Matt Broome and his Digital Broome studio. I bet this si the first time anyone has put a colorist on their respect list but he's smart, professional, and he's gonna surprise a lot of people in 2000.

BR: What advice would you give to aspiring writers trying to break into comics?

EDS: Write, write, and write. Read, read, and read. Books on script writing and novel writing can be very helpful. Try to be different. I've found that if you are creative, it will stand out. Keep banging the pavement but you may have an advantage if you hook up with an up-and-coming artist because if the pictures look good, then people will always want to read the words. And as the writer, you've written what the artist is drawing, so that's a reflection of your work, too.

BR: Any final comments you'd like to make?

EDS: Yeah. Please, please judge a book by its content, not its logo. We honestly put out one of the best looking books in the business. Even Harlan Ellison called to tell me so. As long as we have your support we'll continue to put our book out on time. And for those of you that have been there from the beginning- thanks!!! We really appreciate it.

Thanks to Eric Dean Seaton for taking the time to talk with us. To learn more about Arcane Comics and PROPHECY OF THE SOUL SORCERER, check out their website at www.soulsorcerer.com.