INTERVIEW: AARON GILLESPIE ON DYNAMITE’S PURGATORI

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Purgatori #1 cover by Nei Ruffino.

Writer Aaron Gillespie is best known for his work on Dynamite’s Bionic Man. Now, he is writing the new adventures of the classic Chaos! character, Purgatori. Westfield’s Roger Ash contacted Gillespie to learn more about this upcoming series.

Purgatori #1 cover by Joyce Chin.

Westfield: What attracted you to the book?

Aaron Gillespie: I’ve been a fan of Purgatori since her classic Chaos days. She was unabashedly nasty and mean and it was fun to watch her do whatever was necessary to rise to the top. and let’s face it, there are other reasons she appealed to a teenage boy.

I was really excited when Dynamite committed to relaunching the characters with the same darkly fun flavor of the originals. Bringing Tim Seeley on to write the Chaos! miniseries that all the books would launch out of was a brilliant idea. The guy is a walking, talking Chaos encyclopedia and one of the best writers in the business. I’m telling you, Dynamite knows what they’re doing when it comes to building a strong foundation for their properties.

So while writing a Purgatori series always appealed to me, every element fell into place to make the project even more exciting.

Purgatori #1 Tim Seeley subscription Cover.

Westfield: For people who are unfamiliar with her, what should they know about Purgatori going in?

Gillespie: Purgatori is a 4000 year old vampire goddess with demonic abilities. She was born in ancient Egypt and has been raising hell ever since.

Purgatori’s past has made her power-hungry. She has a deep-seated desire to rule over everyone and everything and she will do whatever it takes to get there. Her moral compass is broken.

Purgatori #1 preview page 1. Art by Javier Garcia Miranda.

Westfield: What can readers look forward to in the series and who are some of the characters they’ll meet?

Gillespie: readers can expect a balls-to-the-wall sexy gorefest that knows how to balance the dark and the fun.

The first thing on Purgatori’s to-do list is dealing with the aftermath of the Chaos! miniseries. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say that Purgatori isn’t entirely happy with her situation. It’s not going to be an easy journey but it’s one Purgatori has to take.

I’m trying to bring in as many classic Chaos characters as I think I can get away with. Lucifer plays a pivotal role in the first arc and we’ll learn a bit more about his…complicated relationship with Purgatori. There are even certain minor characters that longtime diehard fans may recognize. torture goblins, anyone?

And on top of that we’ll be bringing in a wide range of weird supporting characters and villains. everything from tweaking evangelical truckers to zombie assassins….you know, the typical cast of characters.

Purgatori #1 preview page 2. Art by Javier Garcia Miranda.

Westfield: You’re working with artist Javier Garcia Miranda on Purgatori. What can you say about your collaboration?

Gillespie: I am incredibly lucky to be working with Javier. He really leans into all the crazy I throw at him. His designs are brilliant and his pages are dynamic. He brings so much to the book and I can’t imagine working on Purgatori with anyone else. just check out the preview pages and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

Purgatori #1 Jose Luis cover.

Westfield: any closing comments?

Gillespie: I’m having the time of my life on this book! I make sure that every issue of Purgatori is drenched in buckets of blood and meets a strict sexy quota. give the book a shot and you will instantly see what makes Purgatori such an iconic character.

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Purgatori #1

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