
The Constantine Files #0: Get Set for the Premiere
Both David Accampo and Jay Stringer were fans of John Constantine, and the comic series Hellblazer. They will be discussing each episode of the new NBC show, Constantine, and assessing the good, the bad, and the demonic. Before watching the show, they take a moment to discuss their expectations in this special “zero” edition of “The Constantine Files.” JS: It’s going to be interesting to see them try and bring John Constantine to network television. It will some very difficult – and very clever – choices in the adaptation process. One question first of all, what made you stick with John all these years? What aspect of the character kept him fresh and interesting for you? DA: That’s an interesting question. I suspect what initially drew me to the character, and the aspects that kept me invested in him are two different things. The former is clearly what got him a TV deal. NBC’s John Constantine is, on the surface, one of my weaknesses – I love mystery stories where the world begins as our world, but we quickly learn that the Monsters in the Closet are actually real… and there are ramifications for knowing that. But even more than that – I have a weakness for characters who Know More Than You Do. And that’s another classic element of Constantine – he knows just enough to be dangerous, but he still seems caught up in mysteries of the dark that are just over his head. But what you’re really asking me here is about what’s kept me invested. And now we’re getting into the nuance that, as of this writing – prior to the first episode – we can’t predict. I guess one of the things I like about the DC/Vertigo comic book version of John Constantine is that in spite of all of these trappings, he’s a fundamentally human character. He makes bad choices; he hurts those he loves. He operates from his own moral compass, driven by guilt and righteousness and that aforementioned little bit of knowledge. And over the course of 300 issues of Hellblazer, we got to grow up with this character, watching him age, watching relationships begin and end. At the end of the day he felt like someone I might know… his demons were just a little more literal than the rest of ours. So, back to you: you mention “clever choices” in adapting this character to TV. What do you think needs to be there to make Constantine work in the same way he worked for you in the comics? What’s at the core of the comics character, and what makes him different from similar characters who have littered the TV landscape? JS: It’s tricky. I think the defining trait of the character for me is his dishonesty. John is essentially a con man. He’s not a loveable rogue. He’s a liar. He’ll lie to his friends just as much as his enemies. He hates bullies and authority, and so in the overall scheme of things he comes out on the side of right, but it’s almost by default. That character can’t really be the leading man on a network TV show, and I can understand why. So the smart choices will be in how they can show the essence of him while still creating a lead character. I think what you picked up on – that he feels like someone we might know – I think if they can capture that, I can forgive a lot of the other things. He’s not an everyman character, he’s not relatable in that sense, but he is someone who we know, and if they can make him feel like a guy I could meet walking down the street, but with slightly more dramatic problems waiting for him, then it’ll be a start. And if he doesn’t always get it right, of he acts selfish sometimes or makes the wrong decision, if the episodes don’t all wrap up neatly. It might not be Hellblazer, but I think there is a version of John Constantine that can work in this format. Now, if they can just get him to say his own name correctly….. DA: Hah! OK, so we’re now referencing the fact that Alan Moore, who created John Constantine in DC Comics’ Swamp Thing, pronounces the name “ConstanTYNE,” while the character on the TV show pronounces his name “ConstanTEEN.” That’s long been a marker for the true Constantine fan, hasn’t it? But ultimately – if you’ve never read the comics, does it matter?