Interview with Tom Waltz (Silent Hill Experienced)

Date published: 2011.09.20
Source: Silent Hill Experienced

Tom Waltz, the creative force behind the stories in the Silent Hill comics and the soon-to-release Downpour, sat down for the two free seconds he had today and answered a few questions from our staff and fans. Read on for a glimpse into the making of Downpour, a few hints into the future, and where to find Tom now that Downpour is wrapping up. – Destiny

SILENT HILL EXPERIENCED: There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Downpour, mostly involving the collaboration of the band Korn. The song was recently released to mixed reviews, but is not getting nearly as many angry remarks. Was there ever a point at which the team felt pressure from the fanbase or critics to change the game?

TOM WALTZ: Honestly, my most active involvement in the game came prior to it actually being announced. We started plot development well in advance of notifying the fanbase that a new game was coming and so the lion’s share of the writing I did occurred prior to any of the online debates that have taken place, including revealing Korn’s involvement in the soundtrack, so I’ve never been in a position to make changes after the fact, even if I wanted to. That said, as a writer working on a number of iconic licensed properties in both games and comics, I’m always aware of what the fans are saying and am sensitive to what seems to be working and what isn’t. But I rarely (if ever) go into a project like this if I’m not a fan myself, so ultimately I have to be true to myself as such, creating scenarios that truly appeal to me as a fan first and a freelance writer second. I’m not going to please everyone (I never pretend that I will… to myself or to others), but I’m always confident my affection for the settings and the characters and, most importantly, the popular history will come through.

SHE: Earlier this year, we talked to you about the comics you’ve written for the Silent Hill series. Was making the jump into the games a smooth transition?

TW: Yes and no. Writing within the Silent Hill universe has always been both enjoyable and comfortable for me, but I hadn’t been involved with Konami on the game side of things for very long before I learned that a) I didn’t know everything I thought I knew about Silent Hill, and b) writing for games is very different than writing for comics. Luckily, having Tomm Hulett (Konami’s Silent Hill brain trust) available to educate me on all things SH really helped me get past the first hurdle mentioned above (and was integral to the creation of SILENT HILL: PAST LIFE). As for the second hurdle—learning how to write for games—it was trial by fire for the most part, with both Tomm and Devin Shatsky holding my hands early on when I needed it, particularly when it came to reminding me just how much room I had to spread my wings as game storytelling can be a bit more restrained than comics, mainly due to technological and resource limitations. But, once we got the kinks out, we were cooking with steam and things really fell into place nicely. I absolutely loved the creative collaboration I’ve shared with Tomm, Devin, and Brian Gomez over at Vatra—all great guys who are passionate about their work in general and Silent Hill specifically. I really hope we all get a chance to do it again someday.

SHE: Also from the comics discussion: We know that the postal worker from Past Life has a lot in common with a character in the game. Will we learn more about him during the game, or does he not feature heavily?

TW: Yes, Howard Blackwood features heavily in the game and fans will learn more about him. Hopefully DOWNPOUR won’t be the last time we get to visit Howard, either. He really has become one of my favorite characters.

SHE: Mashahiro Ito did a great cover for Downpour, revealed at TGS. Amazon has two other covers on display. What can we expect to see in the North American and European regions?

TW: That, my friend, I cannot answer. At this point, I’m as surprised as any other fan when new images, songs, etc., are released.

SHE: Brian Gomez has been very active in the online community, and it seems like the entire team has wanted to make sure that the fans were aware and involved with this game. Was that an intentional social development, or is it a byproduct of the current social media craze?

TW: Honestly, I think it was more the former than the latter. I mean, it’s hard to ignore the importance of social media these days, no matter what product you may be creating/selling, but the truth is we—Devin, Tomm, Brian, me—are all fans first, as I mentioned above, and it’s important for us to interact with fellow fans, both for feedback’s sake, but also because it’s fun. I enjoy posting when I can, even though that often means I’m stepping into a potential firestorm (laughs). Silent Hill fans can be, shall we say, a bit opinionated and verbose. Good thing I have thick skin and a thick head—both serve me well in the forums.

SHE: The fan-made concept art for the graves to be featured in the game were a popular idea. Do you forsee more contests and fan interaction in the future of the series?

TW: That would be Konami’s call, but from the discussions I’ve had with their marketing and promotion folks, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more of these fun contests as the game’s release approaches.

SHE: Akira Yamaoka is no longer working with the series. Konami asked Daniel Licht to step in and create the audible ambiance for Downpour. Did this change the was the rest of the game was created, such as the coloring used, or the way the team approached voiceovers and trailers?

TW: That would be a question best presented to Devin, Tomm, and Brian. All I know is this—I loved Akira’s music on the prior games and I love Daniel’s music on DOWNPOUR. Comparisons are moot because there is no such thing as an Akira-composed DOWNPOUR, just as there is no such thing as a Licht-composed SILENT HLL 2. Until they’ve both composed music for the same game, then I really believe we’re talking apples to oranges as far as direct comparisons are concerned. Now, if folks prefer one composer’s musical style over the other’s in a general sense, then fine—we all have opinions and they should all be respected. And, my opinion, for what it’s worth, is that Mr. Licht on DOWNPOUR gets two exuberant thumbs up!

SHE: Even with all of the controversy and changes happening around the, you picked a good year to join the team at Konami. Was this something you had wanted to do, or did it evolve from the comics?

TW: It evolved from the comics. After SILENT HILL: SINNER’S REWARD, the first comic series I did for IDW, was as well-received as it was, Konami approached me and asked if I’d be interested in helping with the next game. I was stunned—of course I’d thought about writing for the game, but never thought it’d become reality. Long story short, I said, “HELL YES!” and the rest is history. And, as I’ve said many times in the past, as exciting as it was to be invited, it only became better when I learned how cool it was to work with my creative partners at Konami and Vatra on this game. It’s a long process, making a video game, and I’ve never once regretted it, and I credit that fact to the people… and the fans… who’ve been on the journey with me.

SHE: The voice acting and script for this installment in the Silent Hill series seems very good from the trailers that have bee released. It’s obvious that the team worked well together. Did the acting team come in and just rock the script, or did they help make minor changes along the way?

TW: I was never involved with the actual voice-acting sessions, but I was involved in the early selections and can say this is something we all took very seriously. Games are like movies these days, and sub-par voice acting ain’t gonna cut it. I’m very happy with the choices that were made in the end and am confident my fellow fans are going to agree.

SHE: Fans are asking me about your monsters. I know that we have seen a couple of scary looking critters roaming the streets, but will we see any familiar spooks?

TW: Honestly, I don’t know (not lying). I only know that we’ve got some fantastic new monsters in the mix and plenty of surprises.

SHE: Along those lines, most of the games have had monsters that play into the main character’s story. Silent Hill 1 featured many pint-sized creatures to represent the lost child Harry was seeking, and the clearly erotic figures in Silent Hill 2 played to James’s issues with his wife. Will we see a similar concept in Downpour?

TW: Yes. I plead the fifth on any further details.

SHE: For those that live, eat, and breathe XBox Achievements and Playstation Trophies, will they be getting some love from Downpour?

TW: I’m pretty sure there will be this kind of stuff—Tomm and Devin can answer more accurately. I’m still a bit of a Luddite when comes to that sort of stuff, to be honest—I’ve had my PS3 for awhile now and only recently figured out how to log onto the Playstation Network (my 8-year-old daughter helped me).

SHE: Some fans ask if there will be gore in this installment. And by gore, they mean lots and lots of gore.

TW: I think there will be gore, but not for gore’s sake. It will be tasteful (for lack of a better term) and will make sense to the story. And definitely no Al Gore, far as I know.

SHE: A colleague at Silent Haven wants to know if we will see any downloadable content with this installment?

TW: I don’t know, but I’ll bet Tomm and Devin can tell you.

SHE: The last time I asked if you are currently planning to do any more work with Konami, I got a coy “Maybe”. Any new news on the game writing front?

TW: Well, I have spoken with Devin and Tomm about possible future game collaborations, but that’s yet to be decided (they’ve got their hands full with Downpour at the moment). I do hope for more Silent Hill comics in the future and think it will happen eventually. I will say this—I’m currently writing a video game for another big gaming company that is based on fresh I.P. that I’ve been involved in from its incarnation. Look for big announcements over the next year or so. Very, very exciting!

SHE: Are there any plans in the works for another set in the Silent Hill comics?

TW: As I mention above, I believe so. I love writing Silent Hill comics—always exciting and challenging.

SHE: Last one on Silent Hill: Does Tomm Hulett ever sleep?

TW: Only when Devin lets him.

SHE: Last one in the interview: Tell everyone what you have been up to lately and where we can see more of your work.

TW: Wow… I’m actually very busy as it turns out. Besides the aforementioned video game project, I’m currently co-writing (w/Kevin Eastman) IDW’s ongoing TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE comic series. I’m also writing a DEAD RISING tie-in comic series called DEAD RISING: ROAD TO FORTUNE (in stores starting mid-October), which acts as a canonical bridge between DEAD RISING and DEAD RISING: CASE ZERO. I’ve just completed DUKE NUKEM: GLORIOUS BASTARD, a four-issue comic book series based on the famous action-game character, and I continue to edit a number of books for IDW, including the new ongoing GHOSTBUSTERS series. Busy, busy, and loving it! Honestly, I’m a fanboy who lucked out in many ways, and I’m forever grateful for the interest and support I continue to get from all my fellow fans!

SHE: Thanks again, and give the whole team some love from all of us here at Silent Hill Experienced.

TW: I will, as long as I don’t have to hug Devin—his beard is scratchy.