The holidays may be over, but the fun has only just begun at AfterShock Comics, who have announced “The Naughty List,” a gritty new take on the legend of Santa Claus. Written by Nick Santora, with art by Lee Ferguson (“Sympathy for No Devils”), colors by Pippa Bowland, and lettering by Simon Bowland, the book imagines Santa as Nicholas Sinterklass, a bitter immortal who was outlived his family for hundreds of years. When his Naughty List is stolen, Sinterklass must hunt down and retrieve it before it’s used for nefarious purposes.
The series marks the comic book debut of Nick Santora, the screenwriter, producer and novelist who created and developed Breakout Kings, Scorpion, and the upcoming Reacher TV series. He said the book was borne out of people complaining about “the Christmas season,” a month he has a strong affection for. “People complain about having to visit relatives or having relatives visit them,” he said. “They complain about the gifts they get and how it wasn’t what they wanted, and I just think it’s a great time of year and the inspiration was for Christmas to get tough and punch back. That’s what Christmas does in this book — it punches back at all the complaining and criticism.”
Despite co-writing Punisher: War Zone, Santora admits he’s “not really a comic book guy and have never done anything like this before, so making this book has been an exhilarating experience.” Regardless, he felt “the story was best told as a comic first,” and that “you have to tell an interesting story. Period. If it’s not interesting, no one will care about it or enjoy it.” He added “the biggest challenge for me was just learning the format of writing a comic. It’s very different from writing a screenplay, and I had to really learn how to do it properly because the truth is I was a complete neophyte.”
Head below for the full Q&A with Santora, as well as the incentive cover by Lee Ferguson, an uncolored preview, and the full synopsis (written in-character.) “The Naughty List” #1 goes on sale April 27, and will retail for $4.99.
I had a family once. A wife who loved me…a child we loved together. That’s all gone now, been gone for hundreds of years. All because of that damn star. My name? It depends on where you live. Some call me Kris Kringle, others Papa Noël, but my real name is Nicholas Sinterklass, and this is the story of what happens when you steal my Naughty List.
Up on the housetop CLICK, CLICK, CLICK! Down through the chimney with old Saint Nick!
From the mind of Nick Santora (Jack Reacher, The Sopranos, Law & Order, The Fugitive and Prison Break) and illustrated by Lee Ferguson (SYMPATHY FOR NO DEVILS, Sam and his Talking Gun) comes the Santa Claus origin story we’re sure you’ve never heard before.
NICK SANTORA ON WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT AND WHY HE’S EXCITED FOR IT TO COME OUT:
“THE NAUGHTY LIST is the story of Nicholas Sinterklass (aka Santa Claus) tracking down someone who has stolen his Naughty List and is using it for nefarious purposes. I’m excited for it to come out because I’m not really a comic book guy and have never done anything like this before, so making this book has been an exhilarating experience.”
NICK SANTORA ON WHY HE CHOSE TO DO THE NAUGHTY LIST AS A COMIC BOOK?
“Because the story was best told as a comic first.”
NICK SANTORA ON SOME OF THE INSPIRATIONS BEHIND CREATING THE BOOK:
“I love Christmas and the Christmas season, but I’m always perplexed when I hear people complain about Christmas and feel that the Christmas season has been getting a bad wrap lately. People complain about having to visit relatives or having relatives visit them. They complain about the gifts they get and how it wasn’t what they wanted, and I just think it’s a great time of year and the inspiration was for Christmas to get tough and punch back. That’s what Christmas does in this book — it punches back at all the complaining and criticism.”
NICK SANTORA ON (3) REASONS WHY COMIC BOOK READERS SHOULD PICK THIS TITLE UP:
- “Santa Claus is ripped
- Santa Claus is solving crimes
- Christmas Wins!”
NICK SANTORA ON SOME OF THE SIMILARITIES BEHIND WRITING A COMIC BOOK VS. A TV SHOW OR FILM, SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES, AND HOW HE OVERSOMES THEM:
“The similarities are simple — you have to tell an interesting story. Period. If it’s not interesting, no one will care about it or enjoy it. As for the challenges, the biggest challenge for me was just learning the format of writing a comic. It’s very different from writing a screenplay, and I had to really learn how to do it properly because the truth is I was a complete neophyte.”