monsters. These life passions eventually culminated into his current
graphic novel, "The Trap-Door Maker: A Prequel To The Phantom Of The
Opera." He was both the writer and artist of this project. Pete began his
professional career in the world of advertising, creating television
commercials for kids, teens, and adults. This eventually led to his
transition into the animation industry, where he co-directed such projects as
"Lego Star Wars: Revenge Of The Brick," and the upcoming "Lego Batman"
mini-movie, both airing on Cartoon Network. Both of these films were
created at Treehouse Animation, which is also the publisher of "Trap-Door
Maker." Pete currently resides in New York City.
Do you want to see in exclusive for this website his next work based in the
Phantom original Leroux novel? CLICK HERE.
Thank you dear Peter for your friendship, kindness and this great interview!
Sandra - How did you discover Phantom of the Opera world?
Peter - Since I was a little boy, I have always loved classic monster movies,
especially the 1925 Lon Chaney version of "The Phantom Of The Opera."
This was my first exposure to Gaston Leroux's story.
Sandra - What do you think about the main character, Erik?
Peter - He's one of my favorite characters of all time. I think each and every
one of us can associate with Erik in some way. We've all felt like Erik at
some point in our lives: ashamed or misunderstood. We've all felt like
hiding at times. Erik's conflict is that he has so much to give to give to
society due to his genius, but his disfigurement forces him to hide from
society.
Plus, Erik is a unique character in the fact that he has done some very
bad things in his life, yet the reader still appreciates his talents,
abilities, and passions.
Sandra - How did have the idea of make a Phantom comic? And why Persian
time?
Peter - "Phantom Of The Opera" has always been one of my favorite books.
I was especially intrigued by the Daroga's narration of Erik's time in
Persia. This element of the story is often overlooked by most interpretations
of the story, such as movies and musicals. Even the Daroga is
overlooked in these productions, which is a shame, because he is such a
wonderful and important character. I feel that the Daroga is as important to
"Phantom Of The Opera" as the character of Van Helsing is to Bram
Stoker's "Dracula." Since I have such a passion for the POTO material, I
decided that this would be the perfect subject for my first graphic novel.
Sandra - Have you thought to make more series about different chapters in
Erik's life?
Peter - I have, indeed. I would love to work on further adventures of Erik,
especially those involving his missions as a political assassin. In
addition, I would like to create a 100% Leroux-loyal graphic novel
interpretation of "The Phantom Of The Opera."
Sandra - How did you have the idea of that curious mask? Was it very hard
achieve the final Erik?
Erik wears several masks in "Trap-Door Maker," from simple fabric ones,
to ornate, sculpted versions (that many readers are more-familiar
with). Even when wearing masks, Erik does not want to stand-out in a
crowd, so I decided that his choice of mask would help him stay somewhat
inconspicuous. Many people (especially women) wore fabric to cover their
faces for one reason or another, so a fabric mask would be less-noticeable
than a hard, full-face mask. The lightweight mask I chose for Erik
would also help him stay comfortable in the heat.
Plus, when we first meet Erik in "Trap-Door Maker," he has only
recently arrived in Persia. he doesn't have much money (if any), so
everything he does has to be inexpensive. Fabric masks would have been
easy and inexpensive for Erik to make. As the story progresses in
"Trap-Door Maker," Erik's collection of masks will grow and grow.
Sandra - Tell us about your future projects.
Peter - I've been very busy over the past several months working on an
animated Batman mini-movie for Lego and Cartoon Network, so I have not
had much time to work on comics. As I mentioned before, I would LOVE to
work on a Leroux-loyal comic version of "Phantom Of The Opera" once I
complete the conclusion of "Trap-Door Maker." I would also enjoy directing
an animated version of either TDM or POTO.
I would also like to personally thank everybody for supporting
"Trap-Door Maker"!! Hopefully, it has been an enjoyable story to read. I
welcome any and all questions, comments, and feedback!
Please, don't copy this text without my permission.
Copyright by Ladyghost.
