Escape Hatch 044: See You In Your Dreams
April 12, 2021
Hell of a Thing
Seven years ago, Gabriel Rodriguez, Chris Ryall, and I were snowed into a Pittsburgh hotel, where we spent most of one evening in the cozy saloon off the lobby, pitching ideas for Locke & Key stories to one another. It was a productive evening. Gabe cracked a joke that solved the puzzle of how to end our series. And a little later, we got talking about "Open the Moon", which took the Locke family to a kind of heaven. Gabe said he'd like to go to hell next and I said only if it's the hell we saw in Sandman: Season of Mists. And then someone, I forget who, mentioned Lucifer's Key to Hell and wondered if there was a chance it had been forged out of Whis'pring Iron.
We never really imagined anyone would let us do a Locke & Key/Sandman story though.
Not in our wildest dreams.
It was too kind of Neil Gaiman to open the door to the Dreaming and let us play with all of his best toys. The first issue of our two-issue series is out on April 14th. It's an oversize 32 page installment... but still not as big as the second part, which runs to 48 (!!!).
Hell & Gone, a Sandman Universe/Locke & Key crossover will complete The Golden Age storyline, which began in "Open The Moon," way back when (although when the stories are put in chronological order, the first tale is actually "Small World," which was published later).
I've loved a good crossover story since I was a li'l dork: who doesn't wanna see The Hulk go toe-to-toe with Superman? Or the G.I. Joe team unholster against the Transformers? Or Dr. Who land her TARDIS aboard the Enterprise? Hopefully Hell & Gone will provide the same geektastic pleasures. That said, we aimed to tell a story with real emotional stakes, a story that matters and that has a lasting impact, at least on the Locke & Key universe (it's up to Neil how much of dis crappe is canon in the Sandman Universe). I hope we managed -- and that you have some fun with it.
I've got a playlist on iTunes, Hill House Radio, that I update every couple weeks, if you want to hear what's in high rotation in the office. See if you dig it.
Hey, do you guys think Escape Hatch should have a letters column? I do! Let's call it Escape Artists and I'll try and make it a monthly feature of the newsletter. You can send your questions, missives, and manifestos to response@joehillfiction.com.
It's always possible I'll use some or all of your letter in a future Escape Hatch. I'm glad to field your questions about the novels, the comics, the TV shows -- whatever. Please remember, though, that I'm lazy, and most messages will not receive any sort of reply.
And how about a question to get things started: what universes would you most like to see collide in the future? Please include a marketing shout line likely to sell tickets/comic books/subscriptions. Example. Kong vs Godzilla needed the shout line: NO MORE MONKEYING AROUND. Or possibly: GO APE.
The usual disclaimer: I cannot look at your short story, novel, screenplay pitch, or any other creative proposals. Manuscripts will be zapped without being read. I can't help you get an agent. I can't promote whatever you might be working on (I do sometimes blurb stuff, but those requests come through my agent).
Here's hoping you've got some good books to read and sweet tunes to listen to while we settle into spring. Catch you in a while.