Spawn Executive Editor Thomas Healy Talks

A Hell Of A Universe

Contributing writer David Baillie spoke to Spawn executive editor Thomas Healy who is appearing at the Portsmouth Comic Con this May about what readers can expect form his appearance at the show and offers a few snippets about what’s next in the Spawn universe…

DAVID BAILLIE: This is your first UK convention appearance – what are you most excited about, and what can fans expect when they meet you at Portsmouth Comic Con next week?

THOMAS HEALY: Well, I am really excited to get back to the UK. I have had the opportunity to visit a few times, and I have loved it. I’m pretty excited to meet with some of the local creators at the show. I have been told it is a fantastic community down there, and hopefully, we can find some new talent for the Spawn Universe.

DB: The first issue of your new series set in the Spawn universe, Black Ritual: The Book of Nyx just came out. Can you tease a little about the story and how it fits into Spawn’s ever-growing mythology?

TH: Our goal with the book was to start to flesh out some new areas in the Spawn Universe. For a long time, the stories have been primarily focused on Al Simmons and the war between Heaven and Hell. What I want to explore is how MAGICK works in this Universe and who those people are that are utilising it. Nyx, a character known to the Spawn fans, has ended up back in New York City as an outcast from her coven and other practitioners. She is trying to earn her way back into the family, so to speak. Several young witches have gone missing, and it falls on her shoulders to deal with the problem.

DB: Yourself and artist Nat Jones make a great team – how has it been working with him?

TH: Nat is phenomenal to work with. The idea of a Nyx book was his from the start. He had drawn the character during his time on the main Spawn series and asked Todd about revisiting the character. After a few conversations, we came up with this idea about showing what she was up to during her “Lost Years”. We have a great system, and he seems to be able to draw what’s in my head effortlessly.

DB: Spawn’s world has always pushed boundaries. What new directions or themes are you hoping to explore with your Nyx tale?

TH: Yeah, Spawn has always pushed the boundaries for sure. Due to our own personal interests, Nat and I decided early on that we wanted to present magick and the occult in a more realistic way, compared to other comics. So many of the books you see, sigils used, and rituals portrayed are taken from real practices. There is still “comic book” set dressing for some of it, but we wanted to acknowledge and present some of these beliefs and practices in a respectful way.  We are also exploring Nyx as a character who has lost so much in her life, and what she is willing to do just to find the smallest sliver of peace and happiness again.

DB: And you have more writing work coming up soon – can you talk about that yet?

TH: Absolutely. I will be taking over the next arc of Sam and Twitch: Case Files later this year. I am working with an incredible artist in Von Randal. Sam and Twitch are two of my favorite characters in the Spawn Universe, so this is a dream come true for me. The story will focus on one of their first cases together. A case that, as far as they are concerned, was solved. But when one of their fellow officers retires, it starts a chain of events that leads them to believe that they were wrong.

DB: You’ll also be doing portfolio reviews at Portsmouth – can you give us an insight into what you look for in an artist, and maybe tell us about some of your best comic con talent finds?

TH: Meeting up-and-coming creators and talking about the shared love of comic books is one of the main reasons I love going to cons so much. What Todd and I are always looking for is something new and interesting. I’m not looking for someone who can just do a McFarlane or Capullo impression. I want to see something I haven’t seen before. That’s why, early on, Todd had people like Ashley Wood and Ben Templesmith on the books. They were different than what you typically saw. Sometimes it is also exciting to find someone who may not be ready yet, but with just a few conversations with Todd, they are going to get there. People like Jeff Monk and Jonathan Uribe are guys who showed up, took advice, kept coming back, improving, and finally, it was just right for what we were looking for.

DB: I know that every artist I’ve mentioned your name to in the last month has gleefully exclaimed that they’re about to work on a Spawn piece for their portfolio! Do you find that it’s pretty much every artist’s dream to draw Spawn?

TH: I have certainly found that, yes. Todd is a legend in the industry and has influenced countless artists. So when I am at a show and walking through the artist’s alley, I see a ton of young artists ready to make their mark on the Spawn Universe. But what surprised me was getting to meet big names in the comic world, people that I grew up reading and were fans of, and when we got to talking, they also always wanted to do a Spawn cover or some interior art. That’s why a few years ago, we did an artist spotlight series of covers with some pretty well-known and established artists that had always wanted to do some Spawn work. David Mack, Simone Bianchi, and Mike Deodato are just a few of the names, and the fans loved seeing some artwork from such incredible “non-typical” Spawn artists.

DB: What advice would you give aspiring creators coming to the show with their work—especially those hoping to break into darker, more stylized comics like Spawn?

TH: If you want to show me your artwork, whether it be for covers or interior pages, I really want to see your pencils and inks. Colored pages are great, but I want to see as much of the raw art as possible. If you want to do interior pages, showing me pin-ups and covers won’t be helpful. As far as the style of Spawn, what we are currently looking for is atmospheric art that is creepy. Not so much Spawn as a superhero, but more of him as a monster in the shadows.

DB: You’ve worked closely with Todd McFarlane – what’s one thing you’ve learned from him that’s helped shape your editorial approach?

TH: Working with Todd has been incredible. He looks at every aspect of comics as an art. Not just the art itself. Listening to him talk about lettering and balloon placement to logo color choice, the man has seen and done it all. For me personally, the way he, as a writer, works with his artists. Giving them enough plot to get the story going, but not overloading them with so many minute details that they don’t get to express themselves on the page. That’s what I have taken from him the most.

DB: Finally—any hints or surprises you might be bringing to the convention that fans should keep an eye out for?

TH: I’ll have some copies of various covers from issue #1 of Black Ritual: The Book of Nyx to sell and sign, and I will also be bringing a small batch of hand-numbered and signed prints of Jason Shawn Alexander’s cover for the second printing of issue #1 that is due out next month.

Thomas Healy is a writer and Exec Editor of the Spawn Universe of comics for Todd McFarlane Productions. David Baillie is a comics writer, co-creating Red Thorn with Meghan Hetrick for Vertigo, as well as other strips for 2000 AD, Heavy Metal, Valiant and others – and according to this wiki page he died of old age a few years ago: https://2000ad.fandom.com/wiki/David_Baillie

Thomas Healy and David Baillie will both at Portsmouth Comic Con, 3 and 4 May 2025  – www.portsmouthcomiccon.com