Though best known for the graphic novel ROAD TO PERDITION – a work that spurred the Oscar-winning Tom Hanks film as well as prose sequels, including the just-released ROAD TO PARADISE – Max Allan Collins has his hands in everything, from novels and comics to short stories and games and film projects. Nonetheless, the very busy mystery writer took a short break to talk to us.

BOOKGASM: Now that your ROAD series is complete, do you greet the end with relief or regret? When you sat down to write that first graphic novel, did you ever think your creations would end up at the Academy Awards?

COLLINS: The trilogy is complete, though frankly, I don’t view this as a series – more of a family saga. A series wouldn’t have its protagonist age 30 years between entries. If the public and I decide it’s worthwhile, I might in the future revisit the O’Sullivan saga. Whether Michael’s son died in Vietnam or not is as yet an unanswered question. Also, Hollywood folks have recently inquired about my doing a prequel taking place perhaps 10 years before ROAD TO PERDITION, starting with Michael Sr. in World War I and exploring the beginnings of his relationship with John Looney, and a surrogate brother one with Connor.

Unlike a lot of writers, I am inclined toward sequels – I like to check back in on characters. Next summer, Hard Case Crime will bring out my novel THE LAST QUARRY, which is about my hitman character who appeared in four ’70s novels and one ’80s one. As for imagining Academy Awards, I often think a book or graphic novel has movie potential, particularly since over the last 10 years I’ve become an indie filmmaker here in the Midwest. At the end of January, Koch will be bringing out my BLACK BOX, a collection of three features, a documentary and several short films.

PERDITION always struck me as having sequel potential, and that was in the mix from the beginning – and the graphic novel made it an obvious Hollywood point of interest – though frankly, I figured it would make a John Woo picture starring some second-string action hero.

BOOKGASM: How did the idea for your disaster series come about? And does it take longer for you to do the research or the writing?

COLLINS: The disaster series was a result of my coming up with the idea for THE TITANIC MURDERS, selling it to Berkley Prime Crime and then having the editors offer me a three-book contract for a series. My first reaction was, “But, er…the detective dies!” Then came the notion of making the famous disaster itself the continuing thread, and doing character studies of various real-life mystery writers. That’s the aspect I love, and my favorite was doing Agatha Christie in THE LONDON BLITZ MURDERS, because she is so outside the way I’m typed by critics and even readers.

The research far outdistances the writing. Sometimes years are involved. Research is ongoing on any number of future projects right now. The disaster series closed – for now at least – with THE WAR OF THE WORLDS MURDER. The publisher wanted me to try something else. I do have several other ideas that I’ll pursue if/when I get the chance.

BOOKGASM: You’ve written a lot of tie-in novels, most notably for CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION. But how are you ever able to write a tie-in for a movie or show you don’t like? I’m assuming with as many as you’ve done, they couldn’t all be winners.

COLLINS: There have been several scripts that I thought were turkeys, and the films kept that “promise.” Mostly I’ve been very lucky to have really top-notch properties – CSI, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, IN THE LINE OF FIRE, AIR FORCE ONE. Even the MUMMY movie novels were great fun.

The nature of the business is that I can’t say no very often, or I wind up not being asked to any more parties. So I took I LOVE TROUBLE, which I really didn’t care for. Ditto with DAYLIGHT. But I found interesting ways to approach both, and the experience was rewarding. With TROUBLE, I did alternate first-person chapters with two untrustworthy narrators who kept contradicting each other, and DAYLIGHT I wrote as a documentary on paper, with around eight first-person voices alternating, as if each surviving victim was being interviewed after the tunnel disaster the film centers on. Probably my best tie-in novel.

So it’s up to me to find a way to get inside the material, and serve it and myself. Most disappointing have been tie-ins where I grabbed the chance to do the novels of movies based on TV shows. MAVERICK gave me plenty of room to write a real MAVERICK novel, but I SPY was pretty bad, though my novel is good – it’s just, I loved the original show and the Hollywood take was so weak.

BOOKGASM: Of all the things you write – original novels, tie-in novels, graphic novels, screenplays, short stories – do you have a favorite?

COLLINS: Probably a tie between novels, which is my strong suit, where I began and where I’ll end; and writing/directing indie films, because the process is a wonderfully collaborative one. I grew up loving books and film equally, and my artistic heart is shared by those mediums.

BOOKGASM: So what’s in the works?

COLLINS: We are almost out of post-production on ELIOT NESS: AN UNTOUCHABLE LIFE, the film version of my one-man show starring Michael Cornelison. We presented it at the Playhouse in Des Moines in August to great reviews and wonderful houses, and between the two long weekends the play was performed, we shot a film version – actually a high-def version, I should say – nonetheless, it’s a real film and not just a stage play recorded on tape. I’m very proud of it; it’s got the feel of a PLAYHOUSE 90, for those old enough to understand that reference.

I have two novels in the works, one the first in a new mystery series set against the history of comic books, with illustrations by Terry Beatty, my longtime MS. TREE collaborator; and a book for Morrow about Wyatt Earp that is not a Western. I may also be writing the pilot for a new MS. TREE TV series. I just signed the contract a few days ago, but these TV things don’t happen ’til/if they happen.