Blugold illustrator Tim Seeley takes his stories to television

The show is based on an Image Comics series of the same name, written and illustrated by Tim Seeley, a 1999 illustration graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

“I set the story in the place I grew up,” says the Wausau native. “The town is trying to figure out what has happened with these 40 people who have come back from the dead. The main character is a cop who is trying to solve the murder of her sister, when suddenly her sister is ‘alive’ again. It’s horror, murder mystery, and a bit of dark comedy.”

Seeley says the first talk of creating something from his comic series began in 2018, and it then took seven years to launch the series.

“I think the show is landing well with people who like dark, weird stuff — people like me,” he says.

Seeley took a little time recently to fill us in on the experience of working in television, the potential next steps for “Revival” and some highlights of his time as a Blugold. Seeley lives in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife and young daughter.

Since graduating from UW-Eau Claire, what have you been up to?

My first job after graduating was as an illustrator with a children’s book company, Lerner Books in Minneapolis. I was there for about 18 months and then moved to Chicago where I’ve been for 24 years.

I’ve been creating comics since 2001. I drew many series, including “G.I. Joe,” “Halloween,” “Wildcats” and “Exsanguine.” I’ve also been a writer on some top-selling series like “Hack/Slash,” “Nightwing,” “Batman Eternal” and “Revival.”

In recent years I have been a consultant with Dreamworks Animation and some other agencies, and I’m an adjunct professor teaching comics at Columbia College in Chicago.

There is so much to do in comics. It’s not a hobby — it’s a full-time job and I love it.

What were your reasons for choosing to attend UW-Eau Claire for college?

I knew all along that illustration was what I wanted to pursue, and I had a strong interest in comics. Although UWEC did not have a major in comics, it was the only UW System school that would allow me to have an emphasis on comics. I was able to do my final projects in comic illustration, and I got academic credit for a summer internship at Marvel in New York.

Tell us about the process of turning your book into television — how involved are you?

Things played out a little differently than the usual process, partly because this was in the works for so long. Initially it was going to be a film, but once COVID happened, we switched gears to television. I’ve been hands-on from the start seven years ago with the co-creator/show runner.

All the pitches, all the casting process, the script development, then seeing the actual filming start in Canada — it’s been much more involvement for me than what is typical in comic creation for television. The show, which has aired five episodes, remains true to the comic, which was important to the producers and to me.

Is there a plan for more seasons?

It’s certainly on the table to continue with more seasons. The comic ran for five years, so there is a lot of material to work with in more seasons. The SYFY channel is owned by NBC Universal, which may put us in a strong position to be picked up for another season. If it happens, it would be for this fall, so we need be ready to hit the ground running. We should know soon.

What were your favorite places on campus and in Eau Claire when you were a student?

I pretty much lived in Haas Fine Arts, and the whole Water Street area was where we spent free time. One of my many student jobs was working for Rob Mattison from campus; he owned a store called Eau Claire Comics and Collectibles. It was my dream job, to be honest. It was sort of a way to do research in comics and help pay for school.

I came back to the GEEKcon event Rob started in 2017 and it was great to see him, to see campus and the city. I cannot believe how much the city has changed — I was a little envious to see how much there is to do there now. I’m planning to come to GEEKcon again this December and I’m looking forward to it. It’s nice to talk with other creatives with similar interests.

What advice might you give a student thinking about studying art at UWEC?

What I always felt about the difference at UWEC was the freedom that students have. Compared to experiences I knew people to have at other state schools, Blugold students were allowed to have latitude to do things that just weren’t allowed at other schools, to get creative with projects and degree plans.

My Marvel Comics internship is a great example. Access to work at Marvel was a career builder. I needed to do it in the summer, I needed credit and they made it happen. I not only got credit, but in the end, meeting all those creators and editors set me up for career success. That summer was a real-world experience just as valuable to my growth as my courses were.

Finding those kinds of experiences for students is something UWEC does really well.

The official trailer for "Revival" can be seen here on YouTube. 

More of Seeley's art can be seen on Seeley's professional website.