Night line: UnderGroundOnline talks to Nicolas Mahler about his humorous take on the horror classics, Van Helsing's Night Off, and the international state of comics:

"It is interesting that everybody thinks comics are more accepted everywhere else. In Austria, that is not the case, for instance. You could say that France is more open-minded, but for non-superhero/fantasy stuff like mine, it is difficult everywhere. In France, it may be easier to find a niche, but that is what it is: a niche. In the U.S., 'independent' comics have a hard time, I guess, but that's the same in Austria, or in Germany. When people hear 'comics,' they think superheroes. I think that's the same everywhere. It is difficult to get a comic book in a regular bookstore, where I think it would belong.

"... Even in France, artists are saying how hard it is for independent work to be recognized. Of course, I think that is worse in the U.S., but I have no insight here...I think comics artists are not respected anywhere, but I think that is a good thing. With respect comes boredom and the will to do art. And I think that is a bad thing, especially in comics. I can't look at comics that try to be art. A comic has to tell an interesting story in a good way, that's it. That's hard enough."