Exclusive: Creative Director Tom Gilliland Talks Bringing Sideshow’s Court of the Dead to Life; Win a Queen of the Dead Figure
Debi Moore
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We’ve seen a lot of impressive collectibles lines over the years, but few have captured our imagination quite like Sideshow Collectibles’ Court of the Dead, based on an original story and characters created by Creative Director Tom Gilliland.
After meeting Tom at this past summer’s San Diego Comic-Con and seeing several of the figures up-close, we simply had to learn more about both the man and his masterpieces. Following New York Comic Con earlier this month, Tom was finally able to sit down, take a breath, and share a few more details.
And that’s not all he and Sideshow are sharing with us. One lucky Dread Central reader can win a Queen of the Dead Premium Format Figure. All the info you need is found at the end of Tom’s Q&A.
Dread Central: When we met at SDCC, you mentioned that despite their ominous name, the members of the Court of the Dead are actually the good guys in a war between Heaven and Hell. Can you explain a bit about the line’s mythology for our readers?
Tom Gilliland: The Court of the Dead takes place in a universe where human souls are being enslaved as a power source to fuel a war that has long existed between the laws of Heaven and the chaos of Hell – a war that is now rapidly racing towards total destruction of all creation.
In this maelstrom, only Death himself stands between these two celestial forces. Having been the shepherd of men’s souls from very the beginning, he is now compelled by the fates of so many to take action. Death assembles the Court in order to unite the Underworld with the mortal realm and stop the madness that Heaven and Hell have created.
While Death and the members of the Court are very flawed heroes, their quest for noble ideals drives them to attain a level of grace not often bestowed on characters consigned to such dark roles.
DC: Along with Death and his Queen, the Court consists of reaper generals, assassins, spies… you even have a mermaid and an eater of the dead. Where did you get your inspiration for the characters? They seem to be a rich mixture of the Bible, Greek and Roman mythology, literature, Norse legends… your own nightmares perhaps?
TG: You list some impressive sources, many of which employ the archetypal heroes and great epic struggles that typically capture my imagination, and have certainly been part of the inspiration behind Court. Pantheon storytelling with large casts of characters have always appealed to me; I love stories about teams and confederations, which are as much about the whole as they are the parts.
War movies probably set me in that direction as a teen, and then comics and role-playing games picked up where that left off. Fantasy has also long been one of my favorite genres. All in all, I wanted to tell a story that felt like one of these sweeping epics, and insisted on doing it with the most unlikely cast I could imagine.
DC: The Court sits divided into the Factions of Spirit, Bone, and Flesh. Can you elaborate on each group’s strengths and weaknesses and how they do or don’t work together in this conflict?
TG: The factional aspect of the Court is indeed one of my favorite parts of the story, as it provides a rich mechanism to highlight the duality of unity and division among the Court members. The Factions symbolize the story’s major themes of balance and judicial moderation, as the characters struggle with their individual philosophies while together reaching for their united purpose.
The Faction of Bone relies on structure and a linear order to get things done for the Underworld, making it extremely efficient. However, their inflexible outlook on what’s best creates plenty of rifts, especially with principal rivals in the Flesh Faction. As history has shown, any establishment that is unwilling to change threatens to eventually leave itself with only one option – to crush all voices of dissent. Bone’s cautionary tale is that it’s the Faction on the fastest track to becoming the type of extremism the Court is fighting against from Heaven and Hell.
Flesh, on the other hand, is a Faction of adaption, which gives it a significant dexterity in exploring unusually masterful ways to achieve its ends. However, if not moderated, the Flesh outlook can lead to a wantonness of expression that breaks down rather than builds sustainable solutions. Ultimately, the Flesh faction must rely on strategic partnering with Bone to create a strong moderation of their combined potential.
The Spirit Faction’s grasp on its strengths and weakness is entirely situational. Because it is not tethered to any foundation as the other two Factions are, Spirit can swing wildly in its identity. When galvanized with purpose Spirit can be a juggernaut of force, but when its focus is lost it becomes scattered and unproductive. Spirit represents the greatest body of entities in the Underworld, and requires the other two factions to act in concert in order to create a mandate that binds their attention into forceful action.
DC: The Court is filled with intrigue and deception. Can any of these assembled souls be trusted? Are there some alliances that are stronger than others, even within the various Factions?
TG: This is just the question the story is looking to answer, and one that will take time to truly unravel. Can these diverse entities, that in many ways represent our own condition, get their act together in order to cooperate and succeed?
In this story, as in reality, there will definitely be times that trusted sources betray their allies, but also unexpected moments where the lowest of the low will rise to become great heroes. It all comes down to motivation – and the quest to restore a balance for freedom within the Celestial realm will prove to be a very compelling force for the Court of the Dead. While the Factions are a powerful instrument to create allegiance, I believe it’s among the individual characters and their commitments to each other that the sharing of this ideal will take the firmest root and provide the strength the Court needs to overcome its titanic challenge.
DC: We saw the Court character prototypes at Comic-Con and were blown away by the size and scale of the sculpts, not to mention their breathtaking beauty and craftsmanship. What goes into making just one of these statues? Can you give us an idea of the timeline from the design stage to a finished product, ready to ship, and how large your team is for this endeavor?
TG: Sideshow is renowned for offering some of the best collectible art from a wide spectrum of popular movie and film licenses, and we are approaching the Court of the Dead with the same level of enthusiasm and artistry.
Working on the Court of the Dead has been a welcome creative charge, and our team has grown fairly extensive. It’s been a fortunate and exciting opportunity to explore this new world with contributions from friends and colleagues, who also happen to be some of the best talents in the business.
Our 3D development team typically spends six months to create an original prototype, a process which requires design work, sculpting, molding, painting, and costume fabrication. From there, the final production of a limited edition run can take an additional 9-12 months. The Sideshow website actually has a cool Studio Tour video series that will give a more in depth look at each step. Most of the pieces that we have shown so far at conventions should be available through 2015-16.
For those looking to catch up on the display mentioned, it can be seen in our blog on CourtoftheDead.com.
DC: Do you have the entire line mapped out, or is it constantly evolving? I suppose you have to have an end point in mind… or is it just open-ended for now?
TG: There’s definitely a method to the madness. We introduced a large number of characters visually in our gallery showroom at San Diego Comic-Con and are now working to tell their stories in more depth via the Court website. There is still a lot of room for us to explore the mythology, and a few key players yet to come, which have already led us to start evaluating additional storytelling outlets and product categories.
DC: Do you use human models, or are the faces all imaginary? Have any of your friends or family members been immortalized here? You must get volunteers all the time! Who wouldn’t want to be a badass executioner or Valkyrie warrior?!?
TG: It’s true that in times past Sideshow has snuck our own likenesses into projects, but so far everyone has eluded Death’s grasp for Court subjects. Although I’m sure any character I put a handlebar mustache on will undoubtedly cast suspicion my direction, regardless of how much I protest that it’s purely coincidental.
DC: We’ve seen some Court of the Dead comics and videos already; what else do you have planned in terms of supplemental materials, viral media, and social networking to raise awareness?
TG: The Court of the Dead website and Facebook page will continue to be our main sources of news and interaction. So far we have released a trove of exclusive artwork and content, held contest giveaways, and even had a personality quiz geared towards discovering which Faction of the Underworld our fans would belong in. Keep your eyes there to watch the Court “Rise, Conquer, and Rule.”
DC: The concept seems ideal for a TV miniseries or film franchise. Is that something you’d like to, or maybe already have begun to, pursue; and which avenue do you think it’s best suited for?
TG: It’s flattering to hear remarks like this. I’d be delighted to see the project elevated someday with cinematic storytelling or a video game franchise.
DC: Thanks so much for your time, Tom! Having seen the Court first-hand, congratulations on a job well done, and we can’t wait to see what you and your team have up your sleeves next.
TG: It has been very rewarding to work on something original that we can share with like-minded individuals, who are able to find their heroes in some of the darkest places.
Now it’s your turn to be rewarded. Just click here or on the image below and enter NOW for your chance to win a 21.5-inch Queen of the Dead Premium Format Figure. This contest ends on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, at 11:59pm PT
She is the first-born creation of Death, his Eve; the embodiment of his dark creative spirit, limitless guile, and soaring ambition. From high atop her spired tower, Gethsemoni, Queen of the Dead, oversees the realm of the Underworld before her. As Death’s appointed Regent she rules the Court of the Dead, a contentious assembly of beings of the netherworld that are driven by Death’s quest to Rise, Conquer, Rule!
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