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If you’ve been on the site and been drawn to any of our coverage of Dark Horse comics’ series Ghost you know that I’m a big fan of this series. I was lucky enough to be able to interview the writers of Ghost, Kelly Sue DeConnick and Chris Sebela and they were kind enough to answer my weird questions about ghosts. I was very tempted to title this article Ghost Writers and then Photoshop DeConnick’s face onto Marvel’s Ghost Rider character and putting Sebela’s face on the dot of the 1990s educational kids show character, Ghost Writer. Perhaps it is for the best I did not do this.

What’s your favorite ghost story?

Kelly Sue DeConnick: I don’t really have one. There’s a painting that hangs in my office though, it’s a Rachel Stuart-Haas painting of a girl in a field of red surrounded by glowing orbs. It was inspired by a ghost story she heard and I’m quite fond of it, does that count.

Chris Sebela: When I was a kid I was in my bedroom and someone threw a Cubs hat at me, but no one was in the house, so I’m chalking that up to a ghost (also someone died in our apartment before we moved in, so I have correlation = causality on my side).

What would be your dream crossover with Ghost without any worries of licensing or sense?

KSD: Kitty Pryde.

CS:Jason Bourne.

Have you or would you ever go on a ghost hunt?

KSD: I have yes.

CS: I’m still jealous that Kelly Sue already has and I haven’t. I have watched every episode of GHOST ADVENTURES, though, so if I squint, it almost feels like I have.

Did you ever study or read about ghosts and other such things before?

KSD: No more than anyone else, no.

CS: Does reading every single “non-fiction” book in the Chicago Public Library system about the paranormal as a kid count? I was obsessed with ghosts and monsters and everything grisly, so I did a lot of time in the trenches researching ghosts, mostly until I was old enough to sneak into horror movies.

Since we just finished the holidays, could there ever be a Ghost Holiday Special and would it be Elsa taking on one of the Christmas Ghost roles?

KSD: No.

CS: Guess we’re late for this one, but I’d rather have Elisa fight Krampus demons.

Who do you most identify with of team Ghost?

KSD: Vaughn.

CS: Tommy, from an enthusiasm point of view. Vaughn from a weary point of view. Sloane from a work-all-the-time point of view and Ghost from a angry-fantasies-while-stuck-in-line point of view. So I identify most with Voltron.

If Ghost were to ever get an action figure, what features and accessories would she come with?

KSD: Two pistols and long memory.

CS: Kung fu internal organ grip, iphone, chip on shoulder.

Do you have any impact on what the demon designs look like or is that all Sook’s imagination let loose?

KSD: Chris did the bulk of the written demon designs — I clipped one or two inspirational images to the pinterest board, but the bulk of the credit there goes to Sook. He nailed it.

CS: Other than writing out some ugly stuff that popped into my head as suggestions, we left Sook to go nuts on the demons and he made those rough head scribbles into real living nightmares.

You’re off to save the day, what dinosaur would you ride in on?

KSD: My people don’t ride dinosaurs, we punch them.

CS: Whichever one comes with wifi and coffee. The brontosaurus, I think.

I want to thank Kelly Sue DeConnick, Chris Sebela, and Dark Horse comics for the opportunity to do this interview. I hope you all enjoyed this and look forward to the next issue as much as I do.

Dr. Alexander Bustos

drbustos@comicattack.net