As the roguelite genre continues to grow in popularity,Cult of the Lambstands out among the pack. The way thatCult of the Lambmasterfully blendedAnimal Crossing-like critterswith occult-ish horrors has made it quite a fan-favorite title. Now, the unique world found in Massive Monster’s hit game is being born again in a four-issue comic miniseries made by Oni Press.
TheCult of the Lambcomic is penned by Alex Paknadel and illustrated by Troy Little. While the cute but creepy game thrives off of player choice, these upcoming issues plan to bring depth to the narrative that lurks underneath the Lamb’s following. Game Rant spoke to Alex Paknadel and Troy Little about their inspirations, the line of work that led them to this particular adventure, and what fans can expect from the comic series.The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Who is Working on the Cult of the Lamb Comics
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about yourselves and some of your previous works beforethe Cult of the Lambcomic?
Paknadel:I’m a writer and recovering academic from London, England. I have a pretty extensive back catalog at this point, but my recent work includesRed Goblin,Immortal Hulk: Time of MonstersandDarkhold Spider-Manfor Marvel,DC vs. Vampires: All Out WarandKnight Terrors: The Flashfor DC. For Image, I recently completed a miniseries with Caspar Wijngaard calledAll Against All.
Little:I’ve run the gamut from writing to drawing and publishing on projects likeRick & Morty, adaptingFear and Loathing in Las Vegasas a graphic novel,The Powerpuff Girls, working with Kevin Eastman on a few really cool upcoming projects as well as my creator-ownedAngora Napkinseries and co-running Pegamoose Press with my wife, Brenda Hickey.
Q: Alex, you’ve previously written graphic novel and comic adaptations of other video games such asAssassin’s CreedandLittle Nightmares. In what way hasCult of the Lambbeen similar to those experiences? How has it differed?
Paknadel: I would say the major difference is the creative latitude on offer. I had great experiences on those franchises, butMassive Monster and Devolver Digitalare really letting us do our thing and explore the themes we want to explore. They’re there if we need them, and we certainly have needed them, but they seem to be as interested in the output of this experiment as the fans.
Little:There’s an iconic simplicity and charm toCult of the Lambthat takes me back to my early days working onThe Powerpuff Girls. Except this time there’s more blood… So much blood…
Q: Troy, what’s it like teaming up with Alex for a project like this?
Little: I can only deliver to the best of my ability and an absolute killer narrative makes my job an absolute pleasure. Alex is bringing the goods big time so you better believe I’m trying to knock it out of the park! The story has me totally invested. You couldn’t have a better scribe at the helm.
Paknadel:It’s a perfect trust fall. Troy is far more familiar with this kind of material than I am, so he can take my rather prescriptive scripts and rearrange them into a narratively satisfying sequence. The life he’s infused into these characters truly has to be seen to be believed as well.
The game is exquisite, obviously, but there are character nuances that can’t be easily expressed in that format. Troy’s doing all the heavy lifting here. If you’re not crying by the end, I’d be amazed.
Q:Cult of the Lambis known for blending Eldritch Abominations with cute critters in a fantastic blend artistically, but how is that challenging you both as artist and writer? How are you two tackling this balance in terms of its story?
Little:I love this stuff. The visuals and the narrative blend such wonderful contrasts. Playing with these elements is bliss - I get to draw these iconic and charming little animals who just happen to be George Lucas-ing a bunch of heads and limbs in a splatter of ink black blood yet tonally, having them emote and express with absolute sincerity the gravity of their burdens. The natural tendency when drawing this style is to lean on comedy, but that is far from the case here.
Paknadel:Well, I actually tried to make it more of a surface feature in my first draft, but Devolver Digital and Massive Monster advised us to keep close to the serious tone of the game dialogue, which was a relief. you’re able to either take the story seriously or you can’tbecause scapegoating and sacrifice are pretty difficult themesto take lightly. Accordingly, we were told to stick with the cute critter depictions and go as dark as we wanted on the story itself, which is exactly what we’ve done. The balance finds itself in the art and relationships as the story grows, and fans of the game and those new to the world will find that journey reflected here, too.
Q: When it comes to the cute and creepy, are you two drawing from any specific inspirations outside of Cult of the Lambitself?
Paknadel:Yes, absolutely. When I was offered the job, I’d been reading a lot of philosophical and anthropological stuff on sacrifice from thinkers like Rene Girard, Georges Bataille, etc. It was extremely serendipitous that the project fell into my lap just as I was getting seriously into the meat of the issues the game explores so brilliantly.
Little:Coming in hot off theRick & Morty VS Cthulhuseries has my head still mired in the arcane and eldritch, so this is a great place to land. I love the densely populated worlds of Carles Dalmau, who did much of the promotional art for the game and is a major reference point when trying to invoke the tone and vibe.
What to Expect From the Graphic Novel Adaptation of Cult of the Lamb
Q: Alex, as the writer, are you aiming to make the comic book adaptation stand out on its own against the video game? Or are you writing with the idea of having them go hand-in-hand as additional material to each other?
Paknadel:The latter, definitely. There’s no story without the game, so I hope our book enriches readers’ experience of the game by providing a tragic throughline andgiving a voice to the Lamb that wasn’t there before. They’re intended to be true companion pieces, with one providing vital context for the other and making the emotional journey that much more textured. The game stands alone, of course, but if you want a deeper dive into what’s going on, this is the book for you.
Q: An important aspect of theCult of the Lambvideo game is how almost everything is left in the hands of the player. How long they survive and how their cult lives and breathes is all up to what fans accomplish in their own playthroughs. How are you aiming to translate these aspects into graphic novels?
Little:For the record, I was a kind andbenevolent Cult Leader to my flockwith only the occasional Blood Sacrifice. I just can’t play a ruthless protagonist in games for some reason. Thankfully, I’m having a much different playthrough in the comic version. My son, on the other hand, tried to speed run the game, neglecting his faithful and the results were a disaster! I think he’s learned a valuable lesson about being a cult leader.
Paknadel:The gameplay has a narrative arc, and that’s what I’m trying to preserve here.As we follow the Lamb,we definitely see that they have too many plates spinning, and that breathlessness is absolutely present, but I won’t be seeking to replicate the gameplay in the story itself. As a storyteller, the elements you’re discussing are about pacing, so I will try to deliver the most kinetic, frantic story I can. Hopefully, that will do justice to the Hobson’s Choices presented in the game.
Q: As a result of so much of the games being left to player choice, the Lamb is treated as sort of a “silent protagonist” so players can see themselves in the character to make their choices easier. What are the challenges of dealing with such a character, and how are you approaching their personality in the comics?
Paknadel:I’m not giving them much to say, but I’m trying to present the Lamb as the perpetually wronged party. They’re wedded to a classic revenge arc even though they’ve been given their life back – and there are various angels and devils on their shoulders,including The One Who Waits, who are either helping or hindering them. All I’ll say is, revenge has a way of rebounding on the one seeking it.
Q: And what of the other characters, such as The One Who Waits and The Bishops of the Old Faith, or side characters such as Sozo and Haro? They have a bit more defined personalities and roles; how are you tackling them?
Paknadel: For the most part, I’m reproducing their dialogue from the game and expanding it. That way I don’t go off-piste. It makes me hew as closely as possible to the game itself, which is what I want to do. The game is the guide, always. The character work I’ve done is intended to complement, not detract.
Q: Are you approaching any of the DLC aspects of the game in the comics? Why or why not?
Paknadel: This is a four-issue mini, so we simply don’t have the real estate to tackle the DLC aspects of the game just yet. If we’re successful, who knows?
Little:There’s a lot of room to expand and, as a fan of the game, I can’t help but wonder about every little detail. So many questions and stories left to shape and flesh out this dark world, my hope is we’ll be part of the Cult for some time.
[END]
Cult of the Lamb
WHERE TO PLAY
Heretics never rest, and the Lamb is in need of an ally. Unholy Alliance introduces a new playable character to Cult of the Lamb: the Goat! Summoned by blood and born in corruption, this wicked new ally can join the holy Lamb in local co-op. Crusade through dungeons, slay heretics, build your cult, and seek new powers together. But there’s more. As well as the addition of co-op play, the Unholy Alliance expansion also adds new tarot cards, relics, buildings, fleeces, follower traits, follower quests, and other secrets to discover!Cult of the Lamb casts players in the role of a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by an ominous stranger and must repay their debt by building a loyal following in his name. Start your own cult in a land of false prophets, venturing out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland worshippers and spread your Word to become the one true cult.
