For better or worse, I've become the person the Adams Estate has entrusted to guide Dirk Gently into new mediums and to new audiences. I take that responsibility pretty seriously, which is, I'm guessing, where Ilias's comment about me being a "hands-on collaborator" (code for control freak) comment comes from.
Arvind Ethan DavidIn my head, the 5 issues of A Spoon Too Short comprise one novel: a 100 page graphic novel sequel to Douglas' two Dirk books, taking some of the ideas he was working on before he died, and a whole bunch of new stuff from me and a little from Max Landis (who is the Executive Producer on the book as well as writing the forthcoming TV series).
Arvind Ethan DavidThere is more sexy-stuff a coming in this book, though.... This ain't your grandmother's Dirk Gently.
Arvind Ethan DavidIt is of course daunting to make ones public debut in a new format, particularly with a well loved character, and in a medium as much scrutinized by the web-o-sphere as comics... But I had the comfort of having great editors at IDW (Chris Ryall and Denton Tipton) and I knew whatever I wrote, Ilias would make me look good.
Arvind Ethan DavidGrowing up in Malaysia and England, there wasn't an obvious route into the comics world, so my creative energy went into theatre and prose and then movies and TV.
Arvind Ethan DavidI think it crucial to recognize that you can't straightforwardly "adapt" Douglas Adams. Douglas's genius was uniquely his own. What I've tried to do here, and in every other version, is to be true to the character and the Adams' tone and approach to narrative, his unique brand of word-play and "idea-play" humor.
Arvind Ethan David