Express spoke to Black Metal novel author Rick Spears and artist Chuck BB about the more comical aspects of the black metal genre and the dark arts. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

Express: Are both of you fans of black metal? If so, who are some of your favorite bands?

Spears: "Yeah, we are both into it but Chuck puts me to shame: His knowledge of black metal is staggering. Some of the faves are EMPEROR, IMMORTAL, BATHORY, ULVER, MAYHEM, CELTIC FROST, CARPATHIAN FOREST and, of course, FROST AXE!"

BB: "Too many to name. Of course, the classics: IMMORTAL, GORGOROTH, EMPEROR, BATHORY, etc. What I'm currently digging is the most recent WATAIN album, Sworn To The Dark, and this strange Russian outfit REUSMARKT who are like a space-age, forest-worshiping atmospheric black-metal assault. Also NACHTMYSTIUM gets a lot of plays. Oh, and, of course, my loves: the ever-evolving ULVER."

Express: How much of the book is a paean to black metal and how much of it is a parody?

BB: "Personally, I think the entire book is a love letter to not just black metal but to all metal music and the metal subculture. I really believe that you can love the beast but still admit there are things that would make one chortle. Often people cite the corpse-paint makeup used in black metal as something silly, but honestly I love it. It is so graphic and iconic. I think the things that people tend to laugh at are just things that are so overtly in their face that they may not be able to handle it."

Spears: "It's all love really. I never wanted to make fun of black metal. I mean, the book is 160 pages and that's just too long and too much work to just clown on something. At that length you really have to love what you're doing and love the characters and story or you won't make it. At the same time you can't take things — especially yourself — too seriously or you just come off like an ass. Most of the great reviews we're getting are all pointing out our sincerity and I think that's part of what people are responding to."

Read more here.

Black Metal (pictured left) is published by Oni Press.