Author Spotlight on Thomas E. Sniegoski

Thomas E. Sniegoski has my dream job. As a comic scribe, he’s worked for every major publisher and tackled all their heavy hitting characters… from Batman to Hellboy, Buffy to Wolverine. Tom carved out a niche for himself penning young adult series’ like Fallen (which made its way onto ABC Family as a kick ass mini-series), Owlboy, and The Brimstone Network. Now, having just released the second adult novel in his occult detective genre series that centers on the adventures of former Angel Remy Chandler, Tom looks to cement his place as one of the premiere authors in the field.

I was introduced to Tom via my Ghostwriters Society compatriot Jim Cobb and I took that opportunity to line him up for an interview, which I now share with you…

Bob: Thanks for joining us here at The Occult Detective, Tom. It’s an honor and a privilege to get a chance to talk with the creator of one of our favorite modern occult detectives, Remy Chandler. Remy’s quite dynamic, and I love the way you’ve added a depth to his character that truly makes him come alive on the page. This is something that I think sets you apart from a lot of writers in the urban fantasy genre.

What makes Remy tick for you? Did he come fully realized, or have you worked at chiseling out the character to fit a desired mold?

Tom: Hey Bob, first of all, thanks for the kind words about Remy. It’s really great that people seem to be responding to the character in such an awesome way.

Remy is sort of a combination of all the things I love about hard boiled fiction . . . a little of this, a little of that, a pinch of this . . . you know what I mean. I’ve loved the hard-boiled genre, as well as the horror genre, for so long that I wanted to create a character that stood out amongst so many other really cool characters. People also say that they see a lot of me in the character as well—which I find quite flattering. Remy is a pretty good guy. The emotional aspect of the character—him dealing with the loss of his wife, and trying to hold onto the humanity that he’s created for himself—I find this the real core of the character, and what makes him tick for me. This aspect of the books forces me to think about things other then what cool monster I can have in the next chapter, y’know? I tell people that Remy forced me to write big boy books, not the crazy, violent, action-packed stuff that I usually do.

Bob: It’s obvious that you have a fascination with angels, and I gather, with the Book of Enoch. How much research goes into the world building you’re undertaking in Chandler’s Universe?

Tom: Years and years of the stuff . . . only I really wasn’t doing it specifically for Remy. For years I’d been reading up on angel mythology, collecting all kinds of cool books and stuff, hoping for a project to come along where I could use the stuff. I used some of it in my early comic book work, and then I really got a chance to spread my wings (pardon the pun) on a YA series that I did for Simon & Schuster The Fallen. The Fallen was sort of my try out for the Remy books to follow a few years later.

I’m always browsing the books I’ve accumulated over the years, looking for bizarre little fact or piece of info that inspires a cool scene in an upcoming book, or even entire plots.

Bob: During Remy’s descent in Dancing on the Head of a Pin, he passes through other planes of existence. Was this a conscious addition on your part to broaden the character’s universe and lay the groundwork for future stories?

Tom: Wow, you’re the second interview I’ve done where somebody mentions this. I didn’t think anybody would notice. Yeah, that’s exactly why I put that there. I want to show that there are some really different, and dangerous things floating out there in the ether of Remy’s universe . . . that it’s not just angels that he’ll be dealing with in the future. Good eye, Bob!

Bob: Do you have any thoughts or insights into the current rebirth in the occult detective genre, especially in what’s called Urban Fantasy now? What brought you to the genre?

Tom: I love it. It’s great to see people embracing these kinds of stories… the more the merrier is what I say. I think this is what happens when people are looking for something new and different… it’s a genre they love (mysteries, horror, fantasy) but it’s been thrown into a big pot and mixed with other genres that they (the reader) might not be familiar with. It gives them a whole new ‘food’ to enjoy. I’m always pleased to hear people say to me “I’ve never read this weird stuff before, but I really enjoyed your book.” I think it’s great that readers are being exposed to different genres and giving them a try.

Bob: Let’s take a step back for a moment and look at what got you into writing in the first place. I know that you have a rich background in comics. As a kid, what comics caught your attention and fostered in you the drive to create your own works?

Tom: Oh jeez, I could probably go on with this topic forever. I was—and still am—a huge comic book geek. The stuff that inspired me, and still inspires me today, is anything by Jack Kirby. For anybody who isn’t familiar with the King of Comics, Jack was an amazing writer/artist responsible for helping to create (with Stan Lee) some of the most amazing comics and comic characters that are still around today . . . Fantastic Four, Captain America, The Hulk, Iron Man . . . the list goes on and on. Jack’s art is just inspiring to me . . .it just jazzes me up. I think he’s primarily to blame for what I do today.

Also, Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing, for DC Comics, did quite a bit to make me realize how important writing can be for comics. That stuff is still some of the best horror writing that I’ve ever read. Amazing stuff. (The art is pretty amazing as well!)

Bob: Are there any authors that you consider to have been particularly inspiring to you? Who do you read now?

Tom: As far as inspirational writers… Stephen King (of course) Hemingway, Capote, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Matheson, Bloch, Robert E Howard… lots of the pulp guys too. I love that stuff.

Now I read whatever catches my eye. I keep up with my buddy, and fabulous writer Christopher Golden. I’m currently reading Amber Benson’s Death’s Daughter, which is quite funny and charming. I LOVE Dennis Lehane, Joe Lansdale, George Chesbro. Man, I could go on and on.

Bob: What can we look forward to in the coming months from you?

Tom: I’m currently working on a top secret book series that I can’t talk about because it hasn’t officially been announced yet… hopefully by San Diego I’ll be able to talk about it. It’s comic related, but that fact that it’s being done this time in book form is pretty special.

My Lobster Johnson novel… The Satan Factory… hits stores in July. That was a blast to write. And I’ve got a new YA novel… Legacy… hitting stores in October. This one is pretty wild. It basically asks the question, what if the dead beat Dad, you never knew, comes into your life and tells you that he’s a superhero (on the level of say, a Batman) and that he wants you to carry on the family tradition because he’s dying. This one really let me play with all sorts of comic book hero concepts and stuff.

And within the next few weeks, I’ll be starting the new Remy Chandler novel for release in the Spring of 2010, Where Angels Fear to Tread.

Bob: Thanks so much Tom for taking time out from your busy schedule to talk with us. The Occult Detective is in your debt.

And you, my erstwhile readers, can visit Tom online at www.sniegoski.com.