Roman Dirge

LENORE: THE TIME WAR #1 hits comic stores this Wednesday! To celebrate this momentous, long-awaited occasion, we spoke to Lenore creator Roman Dirge…

TITAN COMICS: Roman, thank you for taking a moment to give your fans a little look behind the curtain so to speak. Let’s start with something super easy before we jump in, what started your journey into the realm of comics?

ROMAN DIRGE: My journey into comics probably started the same way most comic creators start. I loved comics growing up. Like, reallllllllly loved them. When I was a little kid, I would trace Groo comics from Sergio Aragones to learn how to draw. That’s why I love it when fans of my books tell me I got them in to drawing and they used to trace Lenore comics to learn to draw. It’s like passing the torch, generation after generation.

TC: You’re both the artist and author for your tales which gives you a lot of creative freedom, you’re particularly known for your dark, spooky themes. What is it about the genre that you love so much?

RD: It’s not that I love it. It’s just who I am. It’s just intrinsic for me. My big love is for sci-fi. That’s why I’m pretty jazzed about this next story block of Lenores coming out, because I got to mix sci-fi elements in to Lenore’s world. The issue after those goes back to kind of a spooky tale about a bee witch, then after that, I’m playing with the idea of Lenore being abducted by aliens, who absolutely cannot wait to return her to Earth.

TC: Despite the dark themes and art, your tales are filled with hilarious quips that have the reader gasping for air. What do you think is the secret behind balancing the laughter and the horror?

RD: That sort of goes back to the intrinsic thing. The honest answer is that I don’t know. It’s just always been there. I made my family laugh at my beloved cousin’s funeral one time when I got up to the podium and told a humorous tale of when he and I had hung out together in Japan once. It’s just there.

TC: You’re probably best known for Lenore, the cute little dead girl, can you describe her and explain her origins, for anyone who may not have discovered her yet?

RD: Lenore is an undead little girl who seemingly has ADHD on crack, who lives in an old house with Ragamuffin, a former notorious vampire now trapped in the body of a plushie, and Pooty Applewater, a demon bounty hunter. They go on crazy adventures and hi jinx ensues.

TC: In Lenore’s next journey – Lenore: The Time War - she and her friends get flung across space and time. You said in a recent interview on Forbidden Planet TV that the story began 7 years ago, how has it evolved in that time?

RD: The story itself hasn’t evolved much, because I always knew where this was gonna go, but the art for the issues definitely evolved. In my years away from creating new books, I was working as an animation designer for various shows, so my skills are honed.

TC: Lenore: The Time War #1 comes out February 12th 2025, without giving away any spoilers, what do you think fans will enjoy the most about it?

RD: There’s a brief battle through time between a time traveling goat commander and Taxidermy ( In this case, he’s still Taxen-Ra), that culminates in to an appearance by the Killdozer from 2004. It’s just awesome. I surprised myself.

Lenore: The Time War #1 is on sale February 12! Find it at your local comic store, order a copy in the US HERE, from Forbidden Planet, and digitally.

Want more Lenore?

Buy from AMAZON, FORBIDDEN PLANET, or DIGITALLY.

And discover more from the macabre mind of Roman Dirge…

Buy from AMAZON, FORBIDDEN PLANET, or DIGITALLY.