DF Interview: Chrissy Williams examines older women sewing, baking and fighting to the death in ‘Golden Rage’

By Byron Brewer

In a world where older women who've been deemed useless to society are abandoned on an island, Golden Rage documents their golden years of making friends, baking dessert, and fighting to the death.

Created by writer Chrissy Williams (editor of DIE, The Wicked + The Divine), artist Lauren Knight (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and colorist Sofie Dodgson (Bitter Root, Tank Girl), Golden Rage is a brand-new five-issue miniseries where Battle Royale meets The Golden Girls!

After that build-up, I could not wait to chat with scribe Chrissy Williams.


Byron Brewer: Chrissy, as a writer and editor myself, it always does me good to see an editor finally getting the chance to shine with Golden Rage. “Battle Royale meets Golden Girls”, eh? I don’t know why, but sounds like my late mom would sure love this! Tell readers about the inspiration and genesis of this book you are so enthusiastic (also does me good to see) about.



Chrissy Williams: So, Golden Rage looks at a group of older women who have been deemed useless to society and abandoned on an island to fight to the death, whilst making friends and dessert. The idea originally sprang from watching Mad Max: Fury Road. That scene where we meet all the badass older women in the desert, all so perfectly capable and tough? I remember feeling really moved in that moment, just to see those characters on screen at all. We are so rarely shown older women who are tough and capable, and I wanted them to be my protagonists and celebrate them as heroes.

I’ve always looked to older women as role models – Angela Lansbury is still working now at 96. 96! Anyway, the idea of older women being exiled and forced to live together sprang from that – and the two touchstones of Battle Royale and The Golden Girls came together quite naturally in my head as a result. I’m so sorry to hear about your mother – that’s rough. I’m glad to hear she would love the idea of Golden Rage. I hope my mother likes it.


Byron: Take us into the world you and artist Lauren Knight are building for this mini-series.



Chrissy Williams: Lauren and I have talked a lot about what happened on the mainland to bring the women to the island. We’ve talked about what kind of horrific fascist society would tell its children that old women are weak and useless. The worrying thing is that I don’t think that society is a distant dystopia, but only a (hopefully) slightly exaggerated version of our own reality. Golden Rage doesn’t care about that fascist society though. It is a comic explicitly focused on the women themselves and their island existence. They get to make the rules up for themselves – we see how they live, how they fight, and how they survive.



Byron: Introduce readers to some of your prime protagonists, spotlighting who they are and a bit about their natures.



Chrissy Williams: One of the first old women we meet is Rosie. She’s Italian, and incredibly physically strong. She’s terse and blunt and takes no sh*t. She’d make a great wartime consigliere. Rosie lives in an abandoned lighthouse with two other women, Lottie and Caroline. Lottie is…less strong. She frets about cats and chickens and wants to make sure everyone is dressed warmly enough. Caroline is a creative writing teacher who wishes there were more books on the island, and she makes fun of the chicken-obsessed Lottie. Then we have Jay. Jay is only in her thirties, and she’s only just been sent to the island to join all these older women. But why…?



Byron: What else can you tell us about the island? Are there more than one of these extant?



Chrissy Williams: That is an excellent question I’m hoping we’ll explore more in the future! Other islands would surely bring their own unique challenges and constraints. Imagine being trapped on an island surrounded by bears, for example. This particular island has a rugged North Atlantic vibe, but it’s good that we’re seeing it in the summer. The women have a very different fight for survival come winter…



Byron: Any other inhabitants on the island outside the “golden warriors”?



Chrissy Williams: There are lots of inhabitants on the island, and we explore a few of the various gangs. Different groups settle in different areas and have different challenges based on whether they’ve living in a lighthouse, a cave, or some other kind of structure. These women have had to build their society here for many many years, so all sorts of interesting behaviors and beliefs have developed. We look at life and death, but what else is there? Is there room for art in a survivalist society? Can you have a nice bath there? What about a tasty piece of cake?



Byron: It’s a comic, so it begs the question: Is there any manipulative behind-the-scenes big-bad lurking? If so, can we get a clue or two other than “buy the book”? (LOL)



Chrissy Williams: Well, the biggest-bad is obviously the mainland and its underlying threat is felt throughout. I want to say the ageism and sexism in this society has been instituted by the menfolk, but I imagine that many women would have participated willingly in the denigration of older women, conditioned by the society they were raised in. Societal conditioning doesn’t make for a super-fun villain, though, so of course we focus more on the island women themselves. There is a constant fight for supplies and survival, which makes it inevitable that different factions develop, based on strength, intelligence, and other skillsets. Sometimes these different groups of women can coexist peacefully. And then sometimes a woman comes along who thinks she should get more than everyone else.



Byron: Talk about your collaboration with Lauren on Golden Rage.



Chrissy Williams: Working with Lauren has been brilliant. It’s her first full series as an artist, and my first full series as a writer, so we’ve been learning how to make it work together. Obviously I’ve brought in my previous experiences working as an editor on series like DIE and The Wicked + The Divine, but being able to make all the final creative decisions ourselves has been really exciting. There’s so much of our own personalities wrapped up in the book. Lauren has a great eye for horror, and I think some of the comic’s best moments come from seeing her dark art juxtaposed with humor in the text. I honestly can’t wait for people to see this strange little world we’ve created.



Byron: Chrissy, as a creator or as an editor, tell readers as you can about some projects ready to come out or that you are working on.



Chrissy Williams: Well, we just sent the DIE hardcover to press, which is very exciting. That’s all four series of Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans’ comic in one gorgeous volume. It’ll be out at the start of November. The Poetry Comics anthology I co-edited is out in PDF form now, from the publisher Sidekick Books. I’m also a poet, and my latest collection LOW is available in the UK and U.S. It includes a lot of poems about clowns and drag queens.

Dynamic Forces would like to thank Chrissy Williams for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions. Golden Rage #1 from Image Comics is slated to be on sale August 3rd!

For more news and up-to-date announcements, join us here at Dynamic Forces, www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/, “LIKE” us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/dynamicforcesinc, and follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/dynamicforces.

Whovians eager to see the Sea Devils’ return will need to practice some Time Lord patience. While filming has wrapped on The War Between the Land and the Sea after 80 days of production, showrunner Russell T. Davies has warned fans that the highly anticipated Doctor Who spinoff is “still way, way off” from transmission. However, he’s making bold claims about its quality, calling it “one of the greatest shows of my entire career.”

The five-part series, announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July, follows UNIT’s response to an international crisis when ancient aquatic enemies emerge from the depths. The series features an ensemble cast including Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Loki), Russell Tovey (Being Human), and George Robinson (Sex Education). Doctor Who alumni Jemma Redgrave, Alexander Devrient, and Ruth Madeley will reprise their roles as UNIT boss Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, Colonel Ibrahim, and scientific advisor Shirley Anne Bingham.

While current Doctor Ncuti Gatwa isn’t expected to appear, the story focuses on events when the Time Lord “isn’t in town.” The series will be directed by Dylan Holmes-Williams, who previously helmed season 14 episodes “73 Yards” and “Dot and Bubble.” (via ComicBook.com)

Today, fans can get a first look at all the major Marvel stories to enjoy on Free Comic Book Day!

Free Comic Book Day is on May 3 this year, and once again, Marvel Comics celebrates this exciting day for the industry with something for every fan! Readers can look forward to the entry points for all-new eras of Fantastic Four and Amazing Spider-Man, a prelude to an upcoming X-Men saga, and a glimpse at the very first event set in the new Ultimate Universe!

For the second year in a row, Marvel also proudly presents a Star Wars Free Comic Book Day title which explores what’s to come in the galaxy far, far away. Plus, see creators and characters from different cultures, communities, and identities spotlighted in a special Free Comic Book edition of Marvel’s Voices. And last but not least, you’ll find the perfect first comic book for the young ones in your life with an all-new Free Comic Book Day: Spidey & His Amazing Friends.

Read on to learn more!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2025: FANTASTIC FOUR/GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1

Written by Ryan North, Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing & Chip Zdarsky / Art by Humberto Ramos, Edgar Delgado, Chip Zdarsky & Iban Coello

In advance of Marvel’s First Family arriving on the big screen this summer, Ryan North and Humberto Ramos craft an unusual story in which the FANTASTIC FOUR respond to a most unusual interdimensional summons! And on the eve of the birth of the ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT X-MEN, there is one extra mutant in attendance. WHO is it? Only Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing can tell you! Plus, ANOTHER surprise from Chip Zdarsky! We’re simply too good to you!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2025: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN/ULTIMATE UNIVERSE #1

Written by Joe Kelly, Deniz Camp & Cody Ziglar / Art by John Romita Jr. & Jonas Scharf

Joe Kelly and John Romita Jr. remind us who Peter Parker and SPIDER-MAN are! Plus, an exclusive prologue to this summer’s blockbuster ULTIMATE event from Deniz Camp, Cody Ziglar & Jonas Scharf!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2025: STAR WARS #1

Written by Alex Segura, Charles Soule & Marc Guggenheim / Art by Phil Noto, Luke Ross, Stefano Raffaele & Madibek Musabekov

CELEBRATING THE NEW ERA OF STAR WARS COMICS!LUKE SKYWALKER finds himself in a wretched hive of scum and villainy facing off against pirates! JEDI KNIGHTS QUI-GON JINN & TENSU RUN are on the hunt for the villainous CORLIS RATH! Who is the mysterious VANEE and what is his connection to DARTH VADER & KYLO REN?

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2025: IRONHEART/MARVEL’S VOICES #1

Written by Justina Ireland & More / Art by Julian Shaw & More

CELEBRATING A YEAR OF MARVEL’S VOICES WITH A BRAND-NEW STORY STARRING IRONHEART!Bestselling writer Justina Ireland blasts Ironheart into Chicago’s past for a story of Black innovation through the ages! And explore the past year of Voices anthologies with selections from Mystique and Destiny’s star-studded wedding issue, Patriot’s explosive return to super-heroing, the introduction of a brand-new Ghost Rider and more!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2025: IRON MAN & HIS AWESOME FRIENDS/SPIDEY & HIS AMAZING FRIENDS #1

SWING INTO THIS YEAR’S FREE COMIC BOOK DAY SPECIAL WITHNEW AND FAVORITE CHARACTERS FROM TWO DISNEY JR. SHOWS! FIRST, ARMOR UP with Iron Man and his Awesome Friends, Iron Heart and Iron Hulk, in this not-to-be-missed all-new comic featuring characters from the forthcoming Disney Jr. show! Then the web-slinging fun continues with everyone’s favorite heroes from Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends! There’s no shortage of baddies creating mischief in New York and Spidey, Ghost-Spider, and Spin need help keeping the city safe through thrilling activity pages and easy-to-read stories.

Visit your local comic shop on May 3 to pick up these titles and more!

The DCU's John Stewart actor has teased a very early update on the upcoming DC Studios' Green Lantern TV show.

Announced as one of the first projects for James Gunn's newly launched DCU, Lanterns is set to put an interesting spin on the beloved DC hero, pairing two iconic Green Lanterns, John Stewart and Hal Jordan, in what has been described as a super-powered take on HBO's True Detective.

Aaron Pierre, who is set to play Stewart, spoke in a recent appearance on Virgin Radio UK about what it has been like in the early days of the project.

"I am in training at the moment, just getting ready." Pierre said. "I am in the preparation now. Most of what is happening now is my homework. My extensive DC homework. And also my physical preparation."

"It is going well," he said. "I am just trying to be the best student I can. Trying to get the best grade here. It is comics, film, the television series. It is all of that. It is just sort of familiarizing myself with things that I already know and then, introducing myself to things I am learning about."

Lanterns, slated to air on HBO, has no known public release date. (via The Direct)

AMC Networks has dropped a new teaser trailer for Season 3 of its noir drama Dark Winds.

“When I was a boy, when I went to school, we were taught that the monsters walked the earth,” says Zahn McClarnon’s Joe at the beginning of the trailer. “When you kill a man, he’s bound to you. I’ve accepted it, and I am prepared to go on living with it, everyday,” he tells Chee (Kiowa Gordon).

Set to premiere on March 9 with an expanded eight-episode season, Dark Winds Season 3 picks up six months after the events of Season 2. It follows Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon) and Jim Chee (Gordon) as they investigate the disappearance of two boys, with only an abandoned bicycle and blood-stained patch of ground left in their wake.

Meanwhile, Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) attempts to settle into her new life 500 miles from home with the Border Patrol, but stumbles across a conspiracy involving human and drug smuggling with far-reaching implications. (via Deadline)

Teaser: https://youtu.be/UP1f51pFP1o

From killer clowns to ancient vampires and back again, Bill Skarsgård isn’t worried about being typecast.

The It: Welcome to Derry star recently said that Pennywise is “always there” as he returns to the Stephen King character after taking on another monster role in Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu, now in theaters.

“I felt like I was done with it in a way. It was also because I was shooting this, I was doing Orlok, and to me it just felt like, ‘OK, this is the nail in the coffin on my monster roles.’ Pun intended,” he said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “So I did feel like I was kind of over it and wanted to do different things.”

The actor explained that “things changed” when he saw producers Andy and Barbara Muschietti‘s take on the prequel. Skarsgård has confirmed that he’s completed filming on the nine-episode first season of the HBO series.

It: Welcome to Derry premieres in 2025. HBO debuted the first look at the series in November. (via Deadline)

The cult classic horror film series Return of the Living Dead will, er uh, return in 2025 after nearly 20 years.

Not to be confused with George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead franchise, which was more often an introspection on people surviving the end of the world, John A. Russo's Return of the Living Dead is an irreverent horror-comedy series.

Announced in July 2023 as a franchise reboot, an official teaser for Return of the Living Dead was finally released on December 13, 2024.

The teaser, which features franchise antagonist Tarman dragging a Christmas tree through a graveyard to a creepy rendition of "Silent Night" in the snow, confirmed that it will be released in theaters at Christmas 2025.

According to second-hand knowledge from Instagram, Tony Gardner, who worked on the special effects for Return of the Living Dead, "confirmed" that Tarman will be played by veteran creature actor Alexander Ward, who most recently appeared as the vampire Kurt Barlow in Salem's Lot. There have been no other official casting announcements. (via The Direct)

Tom Holland said in a new cover story for Men’s Health that he managed to break up a fight in a Los Angeles supermarket because he’s Spider-Man, of course. Holland has played the web-slinger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” and he’s been at the center of three standalone “Spider-Man” movies.

“They’re like going at it, right behind me,” Holland said of the supermarket fight, noting that he jumped into it to grab one of the men and pull him away. “I can see that he’s recognized me immediately, and you could see the wheels turning, like, ‘I’m really angry, but Spider-Man is telling me to calm down.’ So, yeah, I go to the supermarket.”

Holland is now gearing up for a busy 2025. He has appeared in three “Spider-Man” movies and will be filming a fourth this year. He will also shoot Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” sometime in 2025. (via Variety)

DC fans got a surprise in the most recent episode of Creature Commandos with another tease for Batman. The adult-animated series on Max is the first official project in James Gunn’s news DC Universe. Some of the characters will make their way to Superman, but the topic on most fans’ minds is when will we see Batman.

According to director Andy Muschietti, The Batman film The Brave and the Bold is in a state of “pause,” meaning a possible longer wait for Batman’s DCU debut. In the meantime, Creature Commandos is the place to be for all your Batman references, including a cameo by the Caped Crusader.

“Priyatel Skelet,” the title of the sixth episode of Creature Commandos, focuses on Doctor Phosphorus and his backstory. And most dedicated DC fans probably freaked out when Batman appeared on a rooftop peeking through a ceiling window. We only see Batman’s silhouette as a lightning bolt tries its best to light up the night sky, but we can make out Batman’s muscular frame. His costume remains hidden, which is on purpose so James Gunn and the rest of the creatives behind DC Studios can settle on a final suit design later down the line. But unmistakenly, it is Batman... or A Batman.

Creature Commandos is now available to stream on Max. (via ComicBook.com)

New Year’s Day 2025 rang in an estimated $42.9M for all movies, the best result for the holiday post-Covid. New Year’s Day 2022 grossed $40.2M, led by Spider-Man: No Way Home ($23.1M).

January 1 did 33% more than the first day of 2024 — a great new beginning to a box office year that is expected to clear $9 billion. This New Year’s Day also was up 38% over New Year’s Eve’s business.

Mufasa: The Lion King beat Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for No. 1, $10.3M to $8.95M. While the Paramount/Sega toon feature won the last two weekends, the Disney prequel has won six days at the daily box office since Christmas.

Another box office headline this season is the resurgence of auteur-driven adult fare, read Focus Features’ Nosferatu and Searchlight’s Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. Nosferatu at $53M and counting easily is director Robert Eggers‘ highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office, flying past his 2022’s Viking epic The Northman ($34.2M). (via Deadline)