ROAD TRIP TO HELL - MY INTERVIEW WITH NICOLE D’ANDRIA

Way back in 2012, I had a great conversation with the writer, Nicole D'Andria, about her passion for comic books and her work online (click here to check that out). Since then, Nicole has been able to write her own comic book miniseries, named 'Road Trip to Hell', which is full of fun, frolics, and a few fairly fearsome foes. Want to know more? Then please check out the following Q and A with my pal Nicole.





1) Name three words that best describe who you are.   I'd say, hard-working, creative, and introverted.

2) What inspired you to create, 'Road Trip to Hell'?   The concept of nature versus nurture is what gave me the idea to create, 'Road Trip to Hell'. But to be fair, I didn't always think the concept was really worth exploring because when I was in high school (studying psychology) some people claimed nature would consistently win over nurture. However, that narrative changed somewhat when I entered college, and after my roommate and I got into a friendly fight about whether or not the baby in the 1968 horror film, 'Rosemary's Baby', would turn out evil, I finally felt that the story was worth telling and began writing a script.

3) In your own words, how would you describe this story?   The story revolves around a guy named Francis Rhoades, who one day discovers that his biological father is Satan, otherwise known as Lucifer, the Devil, etc., and that he's suddenly passed away and bequeathed his estranged son Hell. But to obtain his inheritance, Francis has to go to Hell (literally), even though everyone from there has escaped and wants to kill him to usurp his estate. So, to fight back, Francis, along with his sister, Star, and his guardian angel, Joan of Arc, attempts to make their way to Hell while overcoming some of the worst individuals the world ever had to offer, including Nazis and serial killers.

4) What song would you say best represents this comic book miniseries and why?   To answer this question, I'd like to select the song 'Highway to Hell' by the rock group, AC/DC. This is because, in the second upcoming story arc, some of the characters literally drive to Hell.

5) If you could get a celebrity - either living or dead - to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   The author, Stephen King, inspired me to be a writer while I was growing up, so to have him comment on my work would mean a lot. Heck, I wouldn't even mind if he said he hated 'Road Trip to Hell', just as long as he took the time to read it!

6) What's the one thing about this adventure that might surprise people?   In retrospect, I'd probably say how much research (and college credit) came out of its creation. I started writing the script while I was in college, where I had access to the on-campus library and took out a bunch of relevant books, ranging from Nazis to religion to serial killers (I hope the librarians weren't paying too close attention to what I was taking out, ha!). I then poured a lot of this knowledge into the historical characters starring in the story, and I also used it as a guide for future arcs. I was even able to earn college credits for the scripts I wrote for issues one and two (credits I needed to graduate). So, in many ways, 'Road Trip to Hell' has been a labor of love that has taken me, along with the story, on one amazing journey.

'Road Trip to Hell' is a three-issue comic book miniseries written by Nicole D'Andria, illustrated by Monika Maccagni, and published by Scout Comics. More episodes are currently in development and will be released in the foreseeable future. But before then, please feel free to check out Nicole's official Website, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages for further information. Or better yet, why not pick up a copy of 'Road Trip to Hell' via PREVIEWSworld!