THE X-CAST #82 - Fresh Bones

THE X-CAST continues with host Tony Black investigating Season 2 Episode 15, 'Fresh Bones'...

When a former US Marine dies suspiciously, Mulder & Scully investigate when suggestions are made that he was involved with voodoo practices that lead back to a Haitian refugee camp, where the agents discover a sinister history of riots, potentially concealed deaths, and a powerful voodoo priest who may, in particular, put Scully's life in jeopardy...

Joined for the first time by Jim Beard, one of the co-writers of IDW's anthology The X-Files: Secret Agendas, Tony explores one of the show's creepiest efforts.

Jim also discusses his Secret Agendas short story, 'Desperately Seeking Mothman', and how he came to write for the project.

Listen to find out more, just remember... trustno1...

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Next time on The X-Cast... join Tony and a Roundtable of guests as they put four X-Files episodes in a head-to-head battle to see who progresses to Round 2 of The X-Files Episode Tournament...

INTERVIEW: Jim Beard on The X-Files: Secret Agendas - 'Desperately Seeking Mothman'

A short interview with author Jim Beard on his contribution to The X-Files: Secret Agendas anthology, out now from IDW Publishing...

THE X-CAST: How did you come to be involved with Secret Agendas?

JIM BEARD: I saw a post on the American Horror Writers Association Facebook page from editor Jonathan Maberry about needing to fill some slots in the book. I admire Jonathan to the nines -- he's a living, breathing action hero himself -- and couldn't believe the opportunity was presenting itself. I wrote a pitch, sent it in, and about a week later got a Private Message from Jonathan asking if I could deliver a finished draft in x amount of time (pun intended). I said, uh, yes? He said "Welcome to the X-Files."

I found out later I was up against about 680 other pitches. Yow.

TX-C: Have you always been a fan of The X-Files?

JB: Full disclosure: since Second Season. My wife started watching from Episode #1, back in the day, but I came to it later (can't really remember why). Being a big fan of the Occult Detective genre of fiction, I twigged to it immediately and here we are, all these years later (and yes, I went back and caught up on First Season).

TX-C: The Mothman is a well known American urban legend - what made you want to use that as a jumping off point for your story?

JB: It jumped into my mind, unbidden, for realz. I think it was because it was a subject that hadn't really been covered on the show before, not really. Or it might be the actual, documented undue influence the Mothman has on people. Regardless, as you say, it became more of a jumping off point because the plot went where it wanted to go. Which is a very cool thing to happen to a writer in my estimation; a story that has a life of its own.

TX-C: You put Mulder through the psychological wringer here - did you enjoy letting Maeve get under his skin?

JB: Ha -- I saw what you did there :) Yeah, I did. I write mainly pulp and in pulp the characters tend to receive more physical abuse than anything, so placing Mulder into a twisty-turny, mental labyrinth was a feast for me as a writer. And between you and me, he kind of deserved it. A little.

TX-C: Did you enjoy writing Mulder’s perspective specifically here? Was that a conscious choice from the beginning or did it evolve?

JB: Weird thing is that I'm more of a Scully fan, but Mulder demanded to take the wheel on this one. I think that's for the best because writers should come out of their comfort zone and tackle characters and subjects they may not have cared much for and see what makes them tick. Mulder's ordeal here grew organically as I plotted and I'm proud of what transpired, even if it meant that Scully took the backseat this time.

If I get a second chance to write X-Files again, that will be rectified. Oh, yes.

TX-C: Do you believe in the paranormal?

JB: As in other things, I'm an agnostic on that score. It depends on what day of the week it is. As Mulder might say, "I want to believe," but common sense sometimes rears its ugly head and shatters the attractive alternatives.

Show me a ghost, though. I'm ready.

Many thanks to Jim Beard for his time. You can follow him on Twitter @writerjimbeard.

Questions by Tony Black, who you can follow on Twitter @ajblackwriter.

REVIEW: The X-Files: Secret Agendas - 'Desperately Seeking Mothman'

Tony Black looks at the fifth story in The X-Files: Secret Agendas anthology, 'Desperately Seeking Mothman'...

Written by Jim Beard.

Edited by Jonathan Maberry.

Did you chuckle at the title for the fifth story in The X-Files: Secret Agendas as much as me? I bet you did. It's a nice play on the 1980's Madonna/Rosanna Arquette vehicle Desperately Seeking Susan, but you may be surprised that Jim Beard's 'Desperately Seeking Mothman' isn't actually a comedy. It's certainly not without its darkly comical elements but this tale is much much more of a trippy, strange headf*ck for Fox Mulder which you don't almost see coming. Beard does a great job here of making you think, especially from that title, that Mulder & Scully are dealing with one paranormal element when he's simply doling out a huge slight of hand. It's clever and rewarding when Mulder does start tumbling so heavily down the rabbit hole of perception and persuasion.

Taking place roughly within the show's fifth season, Beard sets this as a case of Mulder venturing off into the middle of Virginia to pursue a wild theory, while being cautioned over the phone by Scully - and pretty immediately, Beard nails both characters, Mulder's dry wit particularly. It doesn't take him long either to throw Mulder into the thrall of the mysterious Maeve, and it's precisely the point that Mulder is presented as a rather sexless character for such a sexy actor playing him, which allows Beard to enjoy putting the character in a situation where he acts very against type.

It allows him to tap into the historical Mothman legend while also subverting it, in many respects having his cake and eating it - while combining Mulder's search for the truth alongside perhaps his own ego a touch, so keen once seduced by Maeve to help a damsel in distress he is sucker-punched by the thrall she puts him under. That allows Beard to place Mulder, whose perspective the entire story flows from, into some eerie situations - specifically his trawl through the woods as he's assaulted by weird sounds, haunting echoes and the kind of paranormal elements linked to the Mothman legend and beyond which would look great on screen.

Come the end of 'Desperately Seeking Mothman', as Mulder has been so compelled by the strange woman he reacts almost violently to the sight of Scully, you're really left feeling our intrepid agent has been tested across this X-Files tale, and that's a testament to Jim Beard that he managed to craft that with such few words.

Click here for an exclusive interview with Jim Beard about his story!

Rating: 7/10

You can follow Tony on Twitter @ajblackwriter.