YMB: Now that it's over, what is your fondest memory taken from working on this story?

DREW EDWARDS: I think seeing the art come in daily. While I liked writing it, it's not the favorite of everything I've ever penned. But the art team lifted it up into being something more than the sum of it's parts. I think it's the best looking story I've done by far. And I've worked with some really talented people so that's saying a lot.

BRIAN CROWLEY: Honestly, there's two. Tim's generous offer is first one and then Drew's excitement is two.
It's two different guys at very different points in their comic book careers and it was just awesome to be the liaison.
Another thing is that Erik Larsen offered use of Savage Dragon to Tim Seeley back when he did the very funny book "Lovebunny and Mr. Hell" and so Tim approached lending Drew the use of Cassie and Vlad as being a good guy the same way Erik Larsen was a good guy to Tim... which is a really awesome thing to do.

RUSSELL HILLMAN: It's been a blast all the way through - from thrashing out the initial draft with Drew to getting the final nod on the script, to getting all the art through from everyone. This has been a hard slog for everyone involved, but a worthwhile one.

SCOTT D. SIMMONS: I was part of a great team who all worked well together and were supportive and encouraging to each other. And just seeing the awesome pages coming in from David, and then sitting down and inking them was fun and a challenge. I just really enjoyed the whole experience. It's work but it's also fun; there are not many things you can say that about.

MARC LEWIS: Honestly, all of it. From the very beginning where Drew, Brian and I were sending page 3 back and forth to nail the correct look and mood for the book to now. It's been a blast.

BRIAN CROWLEY: Marc and Scott nailed everything and were both professional in handling critique and nailed deadlines each and every time.

DREW EDWARDS: At the risk of this turning into a massive love-in. I think everyone involved pushed themselves to do their a-letter best. And the results show. This thing is super slick and professional looking.

DAVID BALDEON: The fun of working with the characters, getting them to unsuspected places, discovering new ways to make them tell things only with their faces, their body language... Getting to know them and learn what they allow you to do. That has been the absolutely best of the project by far.

BRIAN CROWLEY: I just want to add that David is destined to be a comic superstar... his pages just kept blowing us away. His line, sense of guesture in the bodies and the emotion he conveys is phenomenal... David built a really solid foundation from Drew's script.

DREW EDWARDS: Oh yeah, David's amazing!

DAVID BALDEON: Wow, thanks guys.

DREW EDWARDS: While I am applauding everyone else though. I want to give some praise to two people whose work often isn't as clear cut as the art teams.

Russell...man...you've keep this thing a float more times than you can know.

I also want to thank Claire, the diva who maintains my site. She helped me deal with a lot of last second issues. A lot of which isn't even seen by the reader. And she did with bells on. So thank you.

And finally, Mr. Tim Seeley. The guru of gore himself. For allowing this whole thing.

There's my Oscar speech. Ha!

YMB: What do you think Hack/Slash fans will take from it?

DREW EDWARDS: For most of them it'll probably just be a quick, fun, read with their favorite characters in it. Beyond that, I can't even guess.

BRIAN CROWLEY: I think the Hack/Slash fans love the rollercoaster ride that is Hack/Slash. Cassie and Vlad get around... sometimes she's in a Star Wars like Hell dimension run by "Elvis," sometimes she in "Archie Land" sometimes she and Vlad fight lupine children and sometimes they clash with superheroes. Hack/Slash is fascinating because ANYTHING can happen... so running into the world of Solar City where anything goes... is awesome.

RUSSELL HILLMAN: Hopefully, enjoyment. Enjoyment and an interest in Halloween Man. I'll settle for enjoyment.

SCOTT D. SIMMONS: I hope they find it a fun romp with their favorite characters taking on crazy powered zombie characters and interacting with the Halloween Man crew, who are characters we hope they will also like. There's blood and guts, heroism and humor. I think they'll like it alot.

DAVID BALDEON: Hopefully, they'll enjoy the ride. I've just gone through the whole story (both parts) and its just non-stop fun, awesome, gross, heroic, intimate things happening all the time!. Hopefully that's what they´ll take from it.

MARC LEWIS: Many of the fans I've already talked to have liked the idea of this crossover. I think they'll take away the fun that Drew pours into his characters more than anything.

YMB: Do you think this will help Halloween Man crack the mainstream?

DREW EDWARDS: Naturally I hope it will. But we've been the "little engine that could" for so long that I'm not even doing stuff with that in mind. I'm just trying to do the best comic I can.

BRIAN CROWLEY: I hope so... I think that some of the other potential developments with DDP will really help. I think the work that Drew, Russell, Jesse and Nicola had done was just ready to burst out the gate and it's long overdue... this is a world ripe for animation, video games, and action figures and it seems inevitable.

RUSSELL HILLMAN: I hope so. We've worked so hard on this, I hope we get some recognition.

SCOTT SIMMONS: I hope it does get more exposure. Halloween Man is a project I whole-heartedly believe in and has become one of the few projects I have said that I would enjoy helping with for some time. I work on this project because I believe in it and the people who make it happen. I'll always support the Halloween Man projects and Drew as much as I can.

DAVID BALDEON: It should. I think it is a very good, exciting story that puts together two characters (or sets of characters) that fit surprisingly well. Drew has done a great job in presenting his characters to the mainstream public without the need to overexplain things, just giving them hints... "Hey guys, there's a lot more stuff like that in here, a lot of things have happened before and a lot are gonna happen from now on". I keep on remembering one of my favourite comic book moments, when I got my first Avengers issue. I read it and I knew only two or three of the characters in there. No idea about Wonder Man, about Yellowjacket, the Wasp, suddenly this Hawkeye guy phones them talking about some other Quicksilver guy... I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. But you could see they had known each other for a long time, there was an underseen current there and that made me want to know more. I think there's the same kind of stuff here, on the Halloween Man side. A "this is only the tip of the iceberg, come in and see more" feeling. So storywise yeah, it should certainly help Halloween Man crack the mainstream.

MARC LEWIS: It will push the title more into the public eye.

YMB: Was that the main motive of everyone involved?

DREW EDWARDS: My only motive was fun. I did this because it was enjoyable to do. I'm certainly not getting rich off it. If anything I've lost money. But at the end of the day, you climb a mountain because it's there right?

BRIAN CROWLEY: My main motive was from the get go was to ask Tim for advice on Drew's behalf and when Tim was kind enough to offer use of Vlad and Cassie, my motive was then to make sure that Cassie and Vlad were treated right and look out for my friend. As the project moved forward and I took on more of a project management role in things... and my goal was to make sure that this baby was born smoothly.

RUSSELL HILLMAN: I just wanted to help everyone do their best and craft a story that people would like. That's what I'm here for.

SCOTT D. SIMMONS:
For myself, I got involved in the project because Drew asked me to, and I enjoyed working with him on the origin story.... and with David as the penciller, I knew it was going to be a great project. One of the reasons I left a certain job years ago was to be able to be involved in making comics, either for myself, or for others, and Halloween Man was one of the projects that I am lucky enough to have become involved in. It is a pleasure to work on.

DAVID BALDEON: I guess giving the character a shot at the mainstream was indeed a reason for most of us involved, but my principal one was just "Can I do that?". Hackoween is WAY different from what I've done so far, and certainly very different from my own personal projects. That kind of challenge by itself is enough to tackle the job. But it would be great if this meant some huge exposure for the Halloween Man bunch.

MARC LEWIS:
My main motive was to finally have a chance to work on Halloween Man.

YMB: Any closing thoughts on Hackoween?

DREW EDWARDS: The has been the wildest ride I've ever been on and I hope everyone sticks around for part two.

BRIAN CROWLEY: I still hate the name Hackoween... sorry Drew!
Seriously though, I think that Drew and Tim are two guys that I care a great deal about and any benefit that comes to the two of them as well as David, Scott, Marc and Russell is a huge bonus to the whole process. As cliche as it may sound... alot of hard work went into this and ultimately I think that comes through in the finished product.

DREW EDWARDS: You know, I know you and Russell hate the name. But it still makes me laugh every time I read it. So I can live with that. :D

RUSSELL HILLMAN: I've grown accustomed to it.

DREW EDWARDS: You should accept it's awesomeness and let it rock you like a hurricane! :D

RUSSELL HILLMAN: Wait 'til you see what happens next!

SCOTT D. SIMMONS:
I am so happy I was a part of the project. Thanks, Drew, David, Brian, Russell, and Marc! And special thanks to Nicola Scott for helping me get involved in Halloween Man, and also my wife and parents for their support and belief in me.

DAVID BALDEON: Stay for part two. I honestly think it is even cooler than part one!

MARC LEWIS: Go read it! Now! Um, why are still reading this article? Go to halloweenman.com then the comics section and click on Hackoween. Go on scoot.

Read the Hack/Slash & Halloween Man crossover "Hackoween" here.

Read the first part of the interview here.

Read the second part of the interview here.