“Lasers, explosions, giant robots…”: Inside the new M.A.S.K. comic with writer Dan Watters, artist Pye Parr and Skybound’s Ben Abernathy

Guys, it’s great to catch up. To kick off, what made the prospect of adapting M.A.S.K. into a comic an exciting prospect?
Dan Watters, Writer: It was an opportunity to introduce a whole new mythos into the Energon Universe. I had really enjoyed being in on the ground floor of this world with the Destro miniseries, getting to reintroduce and reinvent strange and terrible technologies for a modern audience. With M.A.S.K., we are very much taking that to the next level.

Pye Parr, Artist: I love to draw cars and robots and M.A.S.K. has this in spades – but also I really loved the toys when I was a kid, so the opportunity to work on something I have fond memories of was too good to miss!

Ben Abernathy, Executive Editor, Skybound Entertainment: I think the rich history of M.A.S.K. and its killer line-up of characters and vehicles makes it a natural fit for the Energon Universe. M.A.S.K. was always part of the “master plan” that Robert Kirkman and Sean Mackiewicz developed years ago when Skybound pitched Hasbro and so we’ve been planning this title for years! It’s exciting we’re finally here.

Pye, you mentioned being a fan already – do you find it beneficial to be a fan of the brands you’re adapting?
Pye: I actually find it easier to not be a big fan of the thing I’m working on generally. You have to enjoy something to do a good job on it, but if I’m too close to a property or character or a film or whatever, that love and knowledge can stop me being able to view my work objectively.

For me, the expectation of everything that has gone before is a bit of a millstone. With M.A.S.K. however, I loved the toys, but I don’t have any specific memories of the cartoon, and I’d not read any of the previous comics, so the only stories I had to go on were from my own play, which hopefully strikes a happy balance between knowing enough to pay homage to the original but being able to think about it unsentimentally.

And what makes M.A.S.K. perfect for comics?
Pye: Lasers, explosions, giant robots, cool looking tech, larger than life characters and epic scenes are all things that work very well in comics. People tell me that car chases are something that don’t always work so well, but I’ve decided it’s my mission to prove them wrong!

Ha! And you have! And were you a M.A.S.K. fan Dan? And does it matter?
Dan: I was too young for the show the first go-round, but the toys were very much still about. I actually think being a died-in-the-wool fan can be a bit of a double-edged sword. You have to create as a creator, not a fan, and therefore must be extra-conscious not to just play the hits, repeating the stories you enjoyed yourself. It helps to know the world, but that’s what research is for.

And sometimes it’s a bit of a boon to be coming to the material fresh. There are often bizarre elements to a fictional world that one might take for granted, growing up with them. Whereas if you’ve never seen them before, you want to see what they’re all about.

M.A.S.K. joins Hasbro and Skybound’s interconnected Energon Universe, which also includes comics centred Transformers and G.I. Joe. How does working on material that connects to other storylines that shape your process?
Dan: I love that we’re part of this interconnected universe. The events of the other titles very much have an impact on what happens in our book. I really see M.A.S.K. as a way to see the Energon Universe from a different angle. Our characters are for the most part civilians, and their world is changing around them in ways that are terrifying and alien and incredible. The M.A.S.K. network is their way of trying to keep up.

Ben: This book is a real natural fit with other titles in the line and adds a world traveling, over-the-top action/adventure series into the Energon Universe mix with a compelling story and cast much different than the other three titles.

And Ben, what is key to crafting a successful ‘shared universe’? I imagine it’s like herding cats!?
Ben: I think the big key is open lines of communication and thoughtful planning. The creators in the Energon Universe are diligent in building out long term outlines and we have regular group Zoom calls to discuss future planning and execution and with Robert leading the way as the “show runner”, we have really good alchemy.

Dan, Pye, can you talk me through your writer/artist collaboration? What helps make these partnerships tick?
Dan: Pye is a wonderful collaborator. We hadn’t worked together before, so I made sure to video call him before we started the book so he could put a face to a name if he needs to curse said name at any point while reading the scripts.

Every writer/artist relationship is different, but I always want the process to be as collaborative as possible. I try and keep my scripts somewhat conversational; to give space to chat things out, and for an artist to experiment if they wish. At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is to make the best comic book we can. We’re sure as hell doing our best.

Pye: Yes, as Dan says, I didn’t know him at all when starting this, which is unusual for projects I’ve done in the past, so we’ve had to quickly form a working relationship almost as I started on it. I am happy to say though he is a top bloke, and I’m really enjoying the scripts – it was interesting to find that we were excited about exploring the same things in the world!

And Ben, what made these guys the right team for this property?
Ben: Are you kidding?! Talk about a DREAM TEAM! I’d worked with all of them prior to M.A.S.K. and have an immense amount of respect and appreciation for what they bring.

Dan is one of the better writers working in the industry today and after working with him on Destro back in 2024, I knew he’d be a perfect fit for M.A.S.K. when the time came. I worked with Pye on a short story and a bunch of covers prior to M.A.S.K. but it was the series Petrol Head that he co-created/drew at Image a few years ago that solidified him as one the most dynamic artists around – and he draws amazing vehicles which made him a perfect fit for M.A.S.K.!

And Pierluigi is a terrific colour artist and was the perfect match for the book. I feel so fortunate to be blazing this trail with these guys!

Yes, we should absolutely mention Pierluigi Casolino, the colourist for this project. Good job all round! Last question, what have the team at Hasbro been like to collaborate with on this?
Ben: Hasbro has been a great partner on all things related to the Energon Universe and they’ve been very supportive from Day One on M.A.S.K. There’s a lot of moving pieces on these monthly titles and they do a great job in every respect of the process – and they’re very forgiving when things have to be expedited for approval. They’re the unsung heroes in the process!

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