In preparation for the release this week of BloodRayne: Automaton, my debut on the title, regular series writer Troy Wall lobbed some questions in my direction.

Troy: What attracted you to write BloodRayne?

Kevin: Fame and fortune?

Troy: I heard that. I can barely keep the paparazzi at bay, and my bank account runneth other with BloodRayne bucks. I even hang out with Uwe Boll on Tuesdays. We play golf.

Kevin: Golf with Uwe? I figured it would be boxing.

Troy: I’m afraid he’d bite my ear off like Tyson.

Kevin: Nah, it was a chance to write a straight-up action story, which isn’t something I typically do. Most of the stories I write are supernatural-horror tales, or crime pieces, or some other combination. So, Automaton gave me a chance to stretch my muscles a little, while tossing in some of those supernatural/folklore elements that I love.

Troy: The supernatural elements were the first thing I noticed about Automaton. I dug your Bad Elements stories from the days of Digital Webbing Presents, and when I started reading Automaton, I thought, “This is so signature Kevin.”

Kevin: Damn! I’m already being pigeon-holed.

Troy: Come to think of it, you know a little too much about the dark arts. You aren’t a some kinda witch-doctor, are you

Kevin: Witch-doctor? Uh … I … don’t know what you’re talking about.

Troy: As long as there are no shrunken head dolls of myself on your magic shelves, your secrets are safe with me. What did you enjoy most about writing Automaton, aside from the action scenes?

Kevin: It was fun tinkering with the BloodRayne universe, playing with other people’s toys. I found Rayne’s “voice” pretty easily — at least I hope I did — so it was a blast writing her: the biting comments, the sense of humor. Mynce and Michaelis were great to write, too. But I really enjoyed adding new elements to that world, like Beal (the spell-hacker), and the story’s antagonists.

Troy: I like Beal a great deal. He fits right in with the current cast of characters, I think. For the peeps that aren’t aware, who are the antagonists of Automaton? You can go into detail now that Red Blood Run #3 is released.

Kevin: Well, with the conclusion of Red Blood Run, Rayne and the others are off to find the fabled Book of the Fifth Sun, which may be the key to defeating the so-called “gods.” That search brings them to Prague, and pits Rayne against a “shadow cell” of the Brimstone Society that was thought to be little more than a ghost story used to scare younger members. And this shadow cell has a security system, including the (very big) automaton of the story’s title.

Troy: With automaton being a more intelligent term for ass-kicking robot?

Kevin: Sort of, yeah. It’s my — and Andre Coelho’s — take on the golem of Jewish folklore.

Troy: Do you think BloodRayne: Golem of Jewish Folklore would have been a more enticing title? Tee-hee.

Kevin: Sure, but there wouldn’t have been much room left on the cover for the art.

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