Interview: Jonathan Hedrick and Francesca Fantini Will Have You Asking, 'Can I Scream?'
May 20, 2024
Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
Described as a “love letter” to Stephen King’s Firestarter, "Can I Scream?," a new one-shot from Jonathan Hedrick and Francesca Fantini, will take you on a terrifying journey.
In the following interview, the creators of this upcoming one-shot introduce you to the characters, story, and inspiration behind their new supernatural thriller.
So what is CAN I SCREAM? As much as you can tell us without spoiling it.
We like to describe the story as a “love letter” to Stephen King’s Firestarter. Essentially, it’s about a single mother protecting her son who has a supernatural power that he can’t quite control.
Is this a mini-series? Ongoing?
It’s intended to be a one-shot with the possibility for future installments down the road. We both feel like this 32-page story has enough to chew on, but we’d love to revisit the characters again!
How did you both get involved with CAN I SCREAM? Did you both come up with the idea together or did one person approach the other?
I (Jonathan Hedrick) originally conceived it as a pitch that I sent to several indie publishers. After Francesca and I got married, we really wanted to do a project together but there were time restraints. So, I reworked the pitch into the story it is now so that we could at least have it as a single issue.
Tell us about Thomas. Why do we follow him through this story?
Thomas just wants to be a normal kid. Unfortunately for him, he has this power that he is still learning how to control. This causes him to live a more challenging life than most kids his age. He doesn’t stay at any school long enough to make friends and he’s always the new kid. As an only child for the first 11 years of my life, and living with a single mother, I put a lot of my experience into Thomas’s story.
Francesca, you draw CAN I SCREAM? What is your process for building character?
I always ask the writer if they already have an idea of their vision for the characters. And in 99% of cases, they already know. Same with Jonathan. He knew how he wanted Thomas and Anne. Usually, I try to make suggestions where I think it’s necessary.
Then, reading the story and starting to draw quick layouts is like my imagination creating a film. Being also a very empathetic person, it comes naturally for me to “feel through the words” of a writer. For example, the various emotions that the characters convey.
I do my best to represent them and make them almost alive in the eyes of the reader. Many times, I take the emotions to extremes like in the instance when Thomas screams and becomes deadly through his representation with a skull.
This story involves abilities and government secrets. Would you consider this a superhero book?
It’s less of a superhero book and more of a supernatural thriller. No one is going to get a costume and fly around the city in this comic book.
Looking forward, what can readers expect from CAN I SCREAM?
Readers should anticipate a killer story that will make them want to instantly reread it once they get to the final page. We wanted this book to be packed with excitement for those who actually see what’s inside. Hopefully the suspense moves the readers.
In terms of audience, who is the book for?
If you like fast paced storytelling that has a farfetched element but a grounded theme and stunning artwork, then you’ll want to check this book out!
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Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. His work includes MF DOOM: All Caps, Public Enemy's Apocalypse '91, Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Awards-nominated Magic Bullet.
