Abbott #1 cover by Taj Tenfold

Saladin Ahmed is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author and is currently writing Marvel’s Black Bolt. He brings his new series, Abbott, a tale of investigative reporting, grisly crimes, and the supernatural, to BOOM! Studios. Ahmed shares more about the series with Westfield’s Roger Ash.

Westfield: Why did you set Abbott in the 1970s?

Saladin Ahmed: The ’70s were a time of dramatic social change, particularly in Detroit where the book is set. That kind of change lends itself to storytelling. And I love the aesthetic—the clothes, the cars, the music. But the real answer is that this is my tribute to the 1970s horror show Kolchak: The Night Stalker.

Westfield: What can readers look forward to in the series?

Ahmed: Arcane horror, gritty political drama, hippie wizards, magical cameras, black revolutionaries, cigarettes, 1970s mustaches, and a kick-ass hardboiled reporter.

Character designs by Sami Kivelä

Westfield: Who are the main characters we’ll encounter?

Ahmed: There’s a colorful cast of supporting characters, but the star of the show is our titular hero, Elena Abbott. Abbott is quirky but no nonsense, the only black reporter at the Detroit Daily. She’s haunted by the mysterious—perhaps supernatural—death of her husband years earlier and when similar bodies start turning up, Abbott risks everything to find out just what the hell is going on.

Westfield: You’re working with artist Sami Kivelä on Abbott. What can you say about your collaboration?

Ahmed: The collaboration is still in its early stages, but so far, I’ve been positively thrilled at how adeptly Sami has been able to walk the line between horror and crime, the real and the magical. He takes the ’70s aesthetic and brings it into the 21st century in a way that readers are going to love.

Abbott #1 cover by Micaela Dawn

Westfield: You’re also known for your novels and short stories. What makes comics the right format for Abbott?

Ahmed: Abbott is a very visual story, but also one tied in to the “lurid’” printed forms—she’s a tabloid reporter, and the story itself calls back to ’70s horror. So, comics are the perfect fit.

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Abbott #1