Every month, Dark Horse Comics gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a comic or book in the Horsepower column which appears in each of our printed comics issues for the month. These articles can include the inspiration behind a specific title, what it’s like to work in the comics industry, or some other special feature on the highlighted title of the month. In this month’s Horsepower, Corinna Bechko describes working on her new graphic novel, Sister Imperator, with Tobias Forge:
As an only child, I couldn’t rely on older siblings for interesting music. Maybe that’s why, as an adult, I surround myself with people who are much cooler than I am. That way I can spend my time holed up at home, writing, secure in the knowledge that they will share the best things they find with me.
That’s exactly how I was introduced to Ghost, an innovative band with a loyal, almost cultish following. I gave it a listen, and a look, because if you aren’t watching them too you are missing out on at least half the fun. The music is fabulous, yes, but the stagecraft and ongoing storyline propelling their mythology is at least as captivating. I was hooked. Like many others, I developed theories about how Sister Imperator, the seeming power behind the Papas (the succession of personalities who front the band), was involved in their story. Little did I know that I’d not only discover the answer but even help to craft it within the year.
It’s not unusual for a comics writer to be a fan of the universe they work in. It’s much less common to work directly with the original creator of that universe. But when Dark Horse offered me the chance to write Sister Imperator, that’s what I got to do. After an initial Zoom meeting with Tobias Forge, the mastermind behind Ghost, and a close reading of Tobias’s outline for the story, I got started. Other meetings followed (as well as some back-and-forth facilitated by my brilliant editor Jenny Bingham- Blenk) as Sister’s dramatic, epic history was revealed. Still, the story didn’t quite click for me until I was invited to see the band play at the Forum in LA. Our seats were so good that even someone of my small stature could see everything on stage. The show was a revelation, the energy of the crowd infectious. Suddenly, I understood Sister on a deeper level. I was then prepared to write her in a way I never could have without seeing the band live.
Tobias’s vision for her journey spanned continents and decades, encompassed romance, violence (so much violence!), the sacrifices required by family (both living and dead), the loyalty owed to friends, and the ways in which we discover our hidden strengths when we least expect them. It’s a story of perseverance, true love, and revenge. His vision for the character was extraordinary. It was my job, together with the inimitable artist Puste, to make sure the story fit within the pages of a comic and felt right when translated from music to narrative art.
Tobias knew exactly what drove Sister. I added a snake, a lion, and some historical details as I crafted the script. Puste brought it all to gorgeous life and Thiago Rocha provided the beautiful colors. I feel we created something very special (and as a bonus my cool friends now think I’m cool). I hope fans of Ghost agree, because Sister Imperator deserves nothing less.
—Corinna Bechko
Sister Imperator by Tobias Forge, Corinna Bechko, Puste, Thiago Rocha, and Jimmy Betancourt, is now available wherever books are sold!