This year, a new book published by Image Comics and Skybound called GHOSTED hit the shelves. This well received book had a very exciting opening story arc that won over readers. The series, written by Josh Williamson and art from Goran Sudzuka, is a really interesting mixture of Ocean's Eleven and House on Haunted Hill (The Vincent Price one). Josh Williamson took some time to answer some questions about the series and the upcoming second arc, which starts with issue #6 on January 15th.
COMIC VINE: Congratulations on a very successful first arc! How does it feel to have that first arc under your belt?
JOSH WILLIAMSON: Uhhh, pretty great?! Ghosted was a book I started working on in the summer of 2011, so to now have the trade out is amazing. When issue five came out I was pretty nervous but glad to see that the wrap up left readers satisfied but also excited for more. The first arc really helped shaped the tone and direction of the book. Now that we’re past that we can just cut loose on some crime and horror fun.
The first arc was originally intended to just be a mini series but after the response was so great we moved it to the ongoing. One of the things I’m really happy about is that the first trade can stand alone, or be read as the start of a much bigger story.
CV: For those who haven't read the book, can you tell us what GHOSTED is about?
JW: Ghosted is about a master thief named Jackson Winters who is broken out of prison by a rich collector of the supernatural and tasked with one crazy task…
To steal a ghost from a haunted house.
Jackson takes on the job after promises of money and freedom, and then puts together a team of the best and most crooked paranormal experts in the world. They all enter a heinous haunted house that has been the sight of countless gruesome murders. They try to search the house, and eventually are confronted with the horrors that live there.
With his surviving members of his team, Jackson was able to steal that ghost, but not without a heavy cost.
CV: What will this next arc of GHOSTED deal with?
JW: After Jackson was able to steal the ghost, he retreated to a secluded island, hoping to live out his days in peace. BUT his past from before he went to prison has come back to haunt him. Some men who Jackson tried to steal from in the past find out that he is free and come and get him.
Instead of killing him Jackson is given a new task… to find a missing girl.
Seems simple right? Maybe too simple? You’ll have to read #6 to see that it’s a LOT more complicated than that.
This upcoming arcs has a crazy cult, witches, ninja assassins, ghost jungles, and bloody crow demons. But don’t worry we never get too far away from the tone that we’ve already established.
Issue Eight is one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. Issue six was fun, but issue eight gets pretty insane.
CV: What can you tell us about the Davide Gianfelice's art on this upcoming arc?
JW: When we knew that Goran wasn’t going to be able to do issues 6-11, our first choice was Davide… and for a minute there it wasn’t going to work out. We were all a bit bummed, but Davide, like a knight is shining armor came in and saved the day. We were able to make it work, and he’s been kick ass ever since.
Davide has been bringing the spooky and the crime aspect to the book that we need. His take on Jackson… the emotion of the story and the action has been strong.
CV: Will we see the return of Goran Sudzuka on art?
JW: Goran is back for sure with issue 11, which is a badass Anderson stand alone issue. Just imagine Anderson on a motorcycle against a gang of raging murderous bikers.
After that it’s really up to Goran’s schedule. I love and miss working with Goran, so I’m hoping he comes back full time in the future.
CV: Will this series explain why Jackson Winters keeps having to deal with the supernatural?
JW: You bet! There are clues in each arc… and the last page of issue 11 will be a BIG one. That’s the issue where we’ll really start to show what Jackson is all about and the future of the book.
Jackson is haunted, not just by his past, and all the bad things that he has done. But by much much more.
CV: Will we see his failed casino heist play out in full?
JW: That is part of issue 6-10. We see snippets of it. We see how it went down, and what went bad. How it cost him the lives of his entire team and landed him in jail for life.
It shows why Jackson feels so guilty about what happened and why he’s so messed up about it
CV: Issue 7 has Anderson, who died in the 5th issue, on the cover. Is this really her or is something else still inside of her?
JW: Ha. We released a teaser to go along with that Image. It’s her. She’s back and she is pissed. BUT why she is back and what she is up to is another thing. That will be a part of the book in this second arc and big part of the second arc.
CV: What famous American ghosts will be making an appearance in this series? Theodore Roosevelt? Enoch Thompson? Davey Crockett?
JW: ACTUALLY… There is a plan for something like that in later issues. BUT it will be people who are on the evil pissed off ghost side. Ghosts with an ax to grind with the world.
Honestly, my hope is to write Ghosted for a long time. Issue six is a bit of a big deal because it’s the first of new arc and the beginning of the bigger plan for the book.
Hopefully people dig it and really enjoy what we’ve got planned for the future.
Thanks a ton to Josh for answering our questions! GHOSTED #6 is in stores January 15th, so make sure to order it at your LCS right now! As a treat, here's a three page preview of GHOSTED #6!
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