Kot Kills It on Titan's Bloodborne

In anticipation for the release of Titan Comics’ recently announced Bloodborne comic series, Titan got to chat to superstar writer and Bloodborne fan Ales Kot about his love of the game, his excitement about writing the series and why this will be a series everyone should pick up at the comic shop!

Bloodborne #1 (DEC171820) is available for preorder in the December PREVIEWS catalog.

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Titan Comics: As a massive fan of the game, how easy was the transition from player to writer?

Ales Kot: It was like slipping back into my weekly blood bath. Warm, restful, rejuvenating. I've played the game so thoroughly over the past two years, researched the Lore, and enjoyed it so much, that the only challenge was and continues to be adhering to the same high standard I feel from the game itself, from Miyazaki-san, and from From Software. I'm committed to creating something that fits into the world seamlessly and furthers it while being fully aligned with the story, ideas, aesthetics, and characters of the game. So it's a lot of work, a lot of thinking that doesn't necessarily go on the page -- but it's work I do with joy, because I Love writing Bloodborne very, very  much.

Titan Comics: Bloodborne (and Hidetaka Miyazaki directed games in general) are notorious for their open-ended lore and hidden plot points. Did you find this a challenge when tackling the comic?

Ales Kot: Not at all. I love experiencing and telling stories that are simultaneously dense and obscure, with a story that can be followed directly while allowing for getting lost in a variety of its threads. I'm into narrative ambiguity, and much of the art that affects me the most is more interested with asking questions than giving answers. The key is striking a balance between both: take you on a journey one can get lost in.

Titan Comics: Apart from the game itself, were there any other sources (film, art, music) that inspired your writing on the series?

Ales Kot: So much, but mostly works that are already present in Bloodborne's DNA. Paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, Francis Bacon and Zdzislaw Beksinski. Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, H.P. Lovecraft's work . Manga Like Berserk. Music from the game, but also the new albums by Chelsea Wolfe, Zola Jesus, lots of dark ambient/drone. Laird Barron's writing and Alphonso Cuaron's Children of Men.

Titan Comics: You're working with artist Piotr Kowalski on this series. What makes him the best collaborator for a title like Bloodborne?

Ales Kot: Piotr's an artist who can draw pretty much anything, but much of his work is rooted in the gothic, in horror, decay, the weird and the eerie. At the same time, he can create very dynamic pages, he plays around with architecture, and is very open to feedback and very committed to creating his best work to date. So I'm very happy with him, as I am with Brad Simpson, our resident colorist, who is furthering our work in ways both beautiful and horrifying.

Titan Comics: How would you encourage fans of the game to approach the new comic series? How will it fit into the Bloodborne mythos for you?

Ales Kot:  Come see the Old Yharnam burn. Come see the child. Come see the moon hang Lower, meet losefka and Djura one more time. Return to the fishing village. Retrace your steps in time. Discover another Hunter, one who tries to get away.

Titan Comics: What about people unfamiliar with the games? Why should they pick up this comic?

Ales Kot:  Do you love horror? Do you love weird fiction? Do you love dark fantasy? Do you love inventive, fast-paced action? Do you love dense, intense ideas? Are you interested in theories of perception? Do you like blood? Are the Old Ones telling you to buy this comic now? If the answer to at least one of these is a positive one, I suggest you jump in for a ride that blends all of those, all already mentioned in the other answers, and much more. There is no world like the world of Bloodborne, and the Old Ones require fresh substrate . I mean, uh, readers.