When you think of modern comic books, “western” probably isn’t a genre that comes to mind right away. Books from the House of Ideas and the Distinguished Competition are more likely to feature their sizable stables of superheroes, especially if their next major motion picture or streaming series is preparing to be released. However, despite their popularity slightly decreasing since the early 20th century, several comic creators are still championing the wild, wild west at your local comic shop. This includes Warwick Johnson and Dan Hale, creators of the independent comic series The Empty Grave.
Launched in 2014, Hale and Johnson’s book tells the story of Annabelle Cutter. Trained by her father in 1880, New Mexico, she grew to be the most skilled bounty hunter in the territory. But when the vicious family of one of her bounties comes after her, Annabelle meets the wrong end of a gun. Still filled with rage, she remains on Earth as a Revenant to get revenge on the outlaws that wronged her and her family. Except when she finally kills her killer, then she effectively kills herself too.
As they prepare to release the final chapter of their epic tale, Geek Anything sat down with series writer Warwick Johnson to get the low down on The Empty Grave. From the story’s theatrical beginnings to the exciting finale and everything in between, you’ll be ready to grab a cowboy hat, saddle up, and head to Haven Springs yourself after this.
GeekAnything: While there are some notable exceptions, not many people are creating westerns anymore. What inspired you to write The Empty Grave as a western?
Warwick Johnson: I’ve always loved Westerns, pretty much my entire life. My brother and I would watch the Man With No Name Trilogy, Rio Bravo, and a few others when we were kids. I just think that Westerns, like superhero stories, work really well as morality tales that can examine things about life through the lens of a classic Western tale. The Empty Grave was always a Western since its inception because the story that I wanted to tell about life, death, revenge, and forgiveness (or lack thereof) fit perfectly in the world of the Old West.
GA: At this point, you’ve been telling Annabelle’s story for the better part of a decade. Over the course of that time, you’ve surely evolved as a person and as an artist. Have you altered your original plans for The Empty Grave over the years or are we seeing the story that you planned to tell from the beginning?
WJ: Everything from the original plans are the same, but with one major exception: The ending. The ending is completely different from the original play as The Empty Grave was originally written in 2011 to be a stage play with The Chicago Mammals. A lot of the reason why is because of what you said. I have grown and changed as an artist and as a person and that’s informed what I think happens in it. I’ve been through a lot since I wrote the first issue and my perspective on life is a little bit different. In what way? Well… I think people will need to buy the final issue or the trade in order to find out for themselves!
GA: Unfortunately, your collaborator Dan Hale had to sit out for issue three due to scheduling conflicts. However, he’ll be returning for the grand finale. What does it mean to you to have Dan back to finish what you started together?
WJ: It means so much to me that Dan is back for the final issue, and straight up, he is doing the absolute best work of his entire career on this book. Dan was still involved in three, but with his moving across the country and starting his work as a storyboard artist, he couldn’t do the artwork for it. This is our book, we created this together and he did all of the designs for the characters, so it really means the world to me to have Dan back.
GA: Your Kickstarter for the complete collection was recently fully funded and now you’re building towards some awesome stretch goals before the campaign ends this week. As an independent comics creator, how does it feel to get that kind of support from your audience? Do you find it easier now to find that audience versus when you first started out in the industry?
WJ: It means the world to me. All independent artists rely so much on their fans and it’s nice to have that support and enthusiasm for the book. We strive to put the best book out that we can, and I honestly think that once people can see the book and read it that our fans will continue to grow because it really is incredible. The artwork, the story, the quality of the printing from PrintNinja: This trade is going to be something really special.
GA: As we’ve seen on your Instagram, you have a lot of fun stuff going into the last issue, like Doc Brown and Marty McFly. Sources tell me that you’re a wrestling fan, so is there a chance that we’ll see some AEW-branded #CowboyShit in issue 4 as well?
WJ: If only! I wish that I had thrown in a fun Hangman Adam Page cameo in the final issue. Maybe if Dan and I return to tell more stories about Annabelle Cutter we can feature some good old-fashioned Cowboy Shit.
GA: Chapter 4 of The Empty Grave has been touted as the final chapter of your story. But it seems like you’ve built a world with some rich history. Is there a chance that you may revisit this series somewhere down the line? Or are you more focused on your other projects like your upcoming novel, ‘Midnight City’?
WJ: Never say never, right? There’s a lot of the world of The Empty Grave that can still be explored. Whether it’s a prequel about Granny and the foundation of Haven Springs, the outlaw town filled with murderers and criminals that’s the site of the final confrontation, or if it’s a story set in the world of Empty Grave following the events of the book. That’s something that I definitely want to do more of at some point, but for right now my focus is indeed on my novel and a new superhero adventure story that I am working on. Those will be forthcoming in 2022, and I’m currently in Grad School at DePaul so that’s taking a big chunk of my time and energy as well.
GA: As we’ve established, there aren’t many westerns out there these days. But Empty Grave has proven that there’s still an audience out there for them. What would you say to the readers out there who are on the fence about heading back to the old west to entice them to take the trip?
WJ: The Empty Grave has all the best parts of Westerns with gunfights, outlaws, horses, and everything in between. There are some supernatural elements as well, which is to be expected in a story about a woman who comes back from the dead to gain revenge on the man that killed her. It’s an adventure story that has a lot of heart and some romance, with some rumination on the twisted path that revenge can take someone.
Clearly, The Empty Grave has something for everyone, so be sure to support independent comic creators and pick up the book this holiday season. The Kickstarter campaign for The Empty Grave Complete Collection Trade Paperback ends this Friday, October 22, 2021. If you miss out on the preorder for the book through there, be sure to follow Warwick Johnson on Twitter and Instagram or check WarwickJohnson.com to get the latest on your next opportunity to get the book at conventions, signings, and beyond.
