Talking with Phillip Porth AKA Casus Belli

Blending classic literary iconography with modern horror sensibilities, Holmes: Undead reimagines Sherlock Holmes in a way few creators have attempted—by transforming the world’s greatest detective into an immortal creature of the night. The series is spearheaded by indie creator Phillip Porth, working under the creative banner Casus Belli, and features writing by Thomas Pugh with art by Virgilio Calgagno. For Fanboy Factor, Anthony Andujar Jr. sat down with Porth to discuss the project’s long development journey, its roots in Arthur Conan Doyle’s canon, the challenges of working with public-domain characters, and what the future holds for Holmes: Undead as its first story arc, A Study in Crimson, continues to unfold.

Interviewee: Phillip Porth

Interviewer: Anthony Andujar Jr

Q1. What inspired this different take on Sherlock Holmes? How long was this book in development?

PP: I was inspired partially by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and also by a TV-based app-style trivia game that I was playing with my daughter at the time, which sparked the idea of crossing Holmes with vampires- specifically by making HIM the vampire, instead of the obvious route of having him encounter or fight them, which had been done. I cannot remember the details of that particular piece of inspiration beyond that, but it all came quickly into focus at that time. 

Q2. Were there any particular Conan Doyle stories that informed your approach to the Sherlock Holmes mythos for Holmes: Undead? 

PP: The Final Problem first and foremost. That is where H:U kicks off. With the revelation that Moriarty is in fact a vampire, which Holmes fully “embraces” at that very moment, when it’s too late. What REALLY happened at the Reichenbach Falls? Even in the original material, Holmes flirted with the supernatural from time to time. But there was always a “rational” explanation. What happens when the explanation is actually supernatural? Will Holmes accept it? Or, avoiding his own logic, walks into a trap because he will not.

Q3. When assembling a creative team, what was the process like collaborating with editorial and the rest of the art team? 

PP: The process was synchronistic but also long. It started around 2017 when I found our writer, Thomas Pugh, through the community message boards at Digital Webbing. He sent me a story that convinced me he could write Sherlock Holmes, and I knew from his background that he was also knowledgeable about vampires and the supernatural. So he wrote an amazing script, and then I found an artist also through Digital Webbing. But the artist, while very talented, was not right for the project, and so it sat until 2024 while I pursued other interests- like becoming a professional wrestler. While out of the ring with an injury in 2024, I began working on Holmes: Undead again and found our current artist on Fiverr, and the rest is history. He WAS right for the project, and now we are in full production and moving forward every day.

Q4. The story of Holmes Undead centers on Gionne Watson, a descendant of Dr John H. Watson, Holmes’s right-hand man of investigation. How does the difference in worldviews of scientific methods and culture clash? 

PP: Gionne is definitely a modern woman. An accomplished scientist and martial artist. But for all her differences from her ancestor, she is equally similar, and THAT is exactly what will bring her close to Holmes.

Q5. Morriarti is a long-time nemesis of Holmes. For this series, what liberties did you take that make this iteration stand out compared to previous interpretations? 

PP: Moriarty is almost the star of H:U if he weren’t lurking so zoomed out. His role in our story is pivotal. There are no great villains anymore. But Moriarty is. By the time our story picks up in modern day. Moriarty’s control reaches across the globe and into world events. He IS the Illuminati. Before he encountered Holmes, he had already been a vampire for decades, if not centuries- maybe longer. He’s had nothing but time to build his criminal empire as an immortal vampire. So call them liberties, but we tried to create a Moriarty that has an explanation for how he could be in such a powerful position. 

Q6. What are the challenges with writing public domain characters? How do you tell the stories that you desire to write, while staying true to the core values of the character’s original incarnation? 

PP: We really wanted and want to be considerate of Doyle’s original work. We’ve tried to make H:U feel like the vampirism was simmering under the surface of his stories the whole time. By reframing certain things and adding a different perspective here and there, we think we’ve done that. And that IS a challenge. We could’ve just done whatever we wanted. But then it just wouldn’t be Holmes. 

Q7. Given that Holmes has an eternal tether to Professor Moriarty, what struggles does he face as an immortal? How does that impact Holmes’ psyche? Does it create more curiosity to see it all? Does that cause more melancholy? How does that affect his being and outlook on life? 

PP: Holmes would and will feel all those things. And we’ll see it over the course of our five-issue story called A Study In Crimson. Holmes is an emotional person. Believe it or not. He’s emotional like Spock is emotional- in extremes. Seeing how he’s dealt with everything that’s happened since his embrace is a major part of our story. And how Gionne puts a mirror in front of him. But bottom line- he’s still alive. He’s still after Moriarty. And the stakes have never been higher. 

Q8. Will there be additional installments for Holmes: Undead? Will there be crossovers with other public domain characters?

PP: I do not know if there will be crossovers with other public domain characters or with any other characters at all. Within the Doyle canon, there certainly will be. Outside of that, there certainly COULD be. Who would you suggest? Another Doyle character? Popeye? As of now, we are planning the first arc, as I mentioned, and two additional mini-series. The second series has been quite fleshed out, and all I’ll say now is “HELL-Hound Of The Baskerville”!

Q9. Are there additional projects that you have coming up that readers should keep an eye out for? 

PP: I’m currently working on two other projects called The Death Planner and The Gingerbread Man. The first is horror-noir, and the latter is straight gory horror. Look for those maybe next year,r as they are very early in development. I’m also promoting a book called Blowback by Mike Hall and JC Grande. JC did some amazing pinups for Holmes: Undead. Find out more about that on Facebook.

Q10.  Where can readers follow for more updates?

PP: Go to www.holmesundead.com, where you can buy issue number one on Zoop and TikTok, and you can link to all our socials to stay in the loop! Thanks again for this opportunity to get the word out about Holmes: Undead! It means a lot to me. I hope everyone will get in on the ground floor and support us and stick with us over the next several months as we continue to build H:U bigger and better every day!