Tuesday 7 April 2015

FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS at London Super Comic Con

Fearless Vampire Killers have their fingers in many pies; and great pies they are too. With a new novel just released and  comic book on the horizon we headed down to London’s Super Comic Con at the Excel Centre to have a chat with the guys. 
Click below for an exclusive interview and VLOG…




So Comic Con just opened a matter of hours ago and it’s super busy already; are you enjoying it so far?
KIER- It’s always one of those things that you have to just take in an absorb the atmosphere
LAWRENCE- It’s not like being at a show or whatever. The thing is at gigs we don’t cover our merch desk, so it’s very strange selling stuff to our fans; it feels very odd. You get to spend more time with people than usual.

Have you guys been to anything like this before, as fans of Comics?
K- We have done another comic con before which was cool and that was our first experience of anything like this. We have more stuff planned; today is only the start.

So you have the novel here today; Militia of The Lost which is the story behind the first album…
L- I’ve been writing it for about 4/5 years. We released the first book, Rupert and Evelyn and this is the second one. It just took a long time to get out so it’s really cool.


And you have a comic on the way- The Vigilante…
RYAN [Radley, illustrator]- Yeah, I’m in the process of drawing that at the moment.
L- So yeah, Ryan was a fan of the band and I saw loads of their artwork on Tumblr and thought it was really cool. So we found out who it was and it just worked.
K- Ryan has a knowledge of the back story that not many people could really have, so it’s perfect.

Your live shows as a band are so theatrical, but is it nice coming here where everyone is theatrical and dressed up?
K- Yeah it is, apart from now I feel underdressed. Usually it’s us that are the weird ones. Comic Con is very free and eryveryone is so accepting and friendly.


You guys are touring so much; is it hard for you to fit in events and things like these?
K- We just tour as much as we can but if we’re not then we do as much other stuff as we can. And it’s really fun; our guys geek out. Drew is in his element meeting authors and artists and it’s great. We will do these things for as long as we can.

So after this you’re on the road with Black Veil Brides who you’ve toured with before. People compare you to them, is it nice to get back out with them?
L- Yeah definitely. We’re doing a warm up show with them at London’s Electric Ballroom so that’ll be a nice way to get into the tour.
K- They warmed a lot to us on the last tour we did with them; we got on really well. They must like us because they keep taking us out with them [laughing].


Do you find it hard to be on the road doing the music stuff and trying to write the books as well?
L- Yeah, it’s so hard to write on the road. I had to write the last stories when were on tour with Black Veil Brides.  I would be in the dressing room and we would have two hours between soundcheck and going on stage and I would just be writing. It was such a horrible experience and I hope that I never have to write like that again.

Do you need to have the opposite of that to get your writing done?
L- Yep, literally the opposite; I need to be in a silent room, locked away.

In terms of planning the writing and books; do you have that set plan or do you find it’s more free flowing?
L- It’s not free flowing, at all [laughing]. About six years ago I wrote a thousand years of history
K- As you do! [laughing]
L- That is the problem that I have; I can’t deviate from the history. It’s like it’s real to me and I can’t change stuff so I have to stick to the plan.

Do the other members of the band read over it before it’s done?
K- No; a lot of it I’ve never read. There’s a lot of it so I’ve probably read about half. I can’t even start to comprehend that. My role in the band is more of the business side of things. For me to understand even half of what is going on in his head would be a big task. It makes Lord of The Rings look like some fanzine
L- No way! [laughing]. But yeah, my books aren’t kids’ books at all; some of it is pretty sinister place. My head is sinister; but I’m a nice guy normally.


In terms of how you two work together (Ryan and Lawrence) with you doing the illustrations Ryan, how do the two fit together?
L- Drew is adapting the story into a script and so the three of us liaise about stuff but Ryan has such a grasp of what it is I don’t really need to change much.
R- Guns aren’t my forte, so I usually have to make them bigger I always bare that in mind now.
K- Size is everything [laughing]
L- We work so well though and Ryan doesn’t; have an ultimatum at all. When you would with someone who loves what you create then it makes it so much easier. The story can’t be changed; the world I want to create is a horrible place to be.
R- It’s not sugar coated; it’s not a nice place
L- There will be novels set before that which aren’t like this but this world has get to a peak of enlightenment where everyone is equal and it is ruled by this beautiful, brilliant leaders but then it all comes down. That is what this book’s about; it’s reality on fantasy.

And back to the music; after Black Veil Brides tour you are heading out on your biggest headline tour to date. Are you looking forward to that?
K- We had a little taster at Takedown Festival so that really god us in the mood

L- There is nothing like your own audience; our fans are Takedown were just going insane, it was amazing and chaotic. I want to be in people’ faces and up close. Can’t wait for the tour. 

Buy Militia of the Lost HERE

http://fearlessvampirekillers.com/