1) Hello! Tell us who you are, and what you do.
Hello! I am Nicholas Doan, Writer and co-creator of Pray For Death. Pray For Death was Zuda Comics’ first user submitted contest winner.

2 ) How long have you been writing webcomics?
Pray For Death is my first published work. However, I have been writing comics and studying the craft for over 7 years, since college while studying to be a playwright.

3 ) How did Pray For Death come about?
Pray For Death originated with two other projects. The first was a similar comic that I was working on with PFD artist, Daniele Serra. I wanted to use the detective from that series in a new series that would put her in the starring role. The second project was a short film that I had worked on with a friend from college. One of the earlier drafts featured the killer that would eventually become the Pray For Death Killer along with most of the plot for the first 8 screens of PFD. As the story developed, I realized that my detective’s personality had changed just enough that she was no longer the same person and I changed her name to Jenkins.

4 ) What attracted you to Zuda as a delivery platform?
The DC name drew me to Zuda. I have always associated DC with quality comics. I grew up reading Superman, Batman Wonder Woman, watching Superfriends and especially, the Christopher Reeve Superman films. I wanted to be a part of that company and its tradition of excellence.

5 ) What are some of your favorite webcomics?
I love Girl Genius, Saving The Day: Tales of Awesome, The Night Owls, Bayou and High Moon. I may sound a little Zuda biased, but most of my Webcomic reading truly takes place on that site and I’m always excited to see what the next contest brings. Melody is another great one that I can’t wait to see update.

6 ) What feature attracts your attention most in a webcomic? What are some of your favorite webcomics?
I like to see the kind of stories that you don’t normally get to see in print. Webcomics allow creators the freedom to try things that a print publisher would never dare risk spending their money on. Girl Genius is quirky in a way that most other comics aren’t.

7 ) Do you have any advice for creators, particularly those who wish to compete in the Zuda competitions?
I think that if you want to do well in a Zuda competition, a great concept is only half of it. You need to use your 8 screens to tell a story, not the whole story, but more than a teaser. You also need a good cliffhanger and you need to show your readers what they will get. Some of the comics I see on Zuda don’t even introduce the main character in their contest submission. I think that’s a mistake. If you want my vote, I want to know exactly what I’m going to get for it.

8 ) How did you and your artist (Daniele Serra) decide on the comic’s visuals? Was it something you both determined, or was it mostly Daniele’s decision?
Dani is an incredible artist in every sense of the word and I put my faith in him. When I first sent him the script for the original 8 pages, he said he wanted to try a very dangerous style. After those eight pages were posted, a lot of readers complained about his style. He listened and came back with a new look for the comic that really wowed them.

9 ) What does a horror comic need to do to be scary? Is it harder to be scared by a comic than it is to be scared by a movie?
A horror comic needs to get into your psyche. It is much harder for a comic to be scary because a comic can’t suddenly pop out at you and roar. A comic has to get into your mind and under your skin. It has to make you uncomfortable where you live.

10 ) What is your favorite sci-fi/fantasy show/movie/game/comic/book?
I was a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel on TV. The Frighteners is my all time favorite movie. Jonah Hex is the best comic on the stands right now. No Way To Treat A Lady by William Goldman is my Favorite book and, hands down, the best video game ever is the punisher! What other game allows you to hide in a casket at a mafia funeral, then pop out and gun down all of the mourning mobsters? It’s pure genius!

I am a playwright, screenwriter and most of all…a comic book writer. In the comic world, I am currently working on “Pray for Death” with my artist, Daniele Serra. In the past, I wrote “Dynasty of Power” for Affinity Press. Regarding other media, I wrote for the animated web series “Elm Way.”

Additionally, I had the following five plays produced at the Chautauqua Theatre Festival in Santa Cruz, CA: “Bear Huntin’,” “Sh*t Happens” and “Lunch With Satan” in 2001, “Superhero” in 2002 (of which my wife was a cast member), and “Castle Walls” in 2003.

I have also written sketches for the comedy troupe “Pool Party Massacre.” I am a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.