INTERVIEW: In the world of ‘Space Bastards,’ be careful when sending intergalactic mail
Image courtesy of Humanoids / Provided by Superfan Promotions with permission.
Space Bastards, the new comic featuring work by The Boys artist and co-creator Darick Robertson, was co-created by the artist and Eric Peterson and Joe Aubrey. The Humanoids release features a dystopian future when technology has gotten out of hand, and violence is everywhere. Amidst the tumult is the Intergalactic Postal Service, a deadly organization with a mercenary business model, according to press notes.
The cast of characters in this spaced-out melee include an unemployed accountant, a death row inmate, a divorced real estate agent and a retired privateer, among others. Space Bastards: Volume #1 is now available with new variant covers by Dan Panosian and Robertson, and a Kickstarter campaign is about to begin for Space Bastards: Volume #2.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Aubrey and Peterson about their series. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
For people looking to check out the series in January, what can they expect in this futuristic world?
AUBREY: On the surface — expect lots of postal carriers killing each other in every way imaginable while attempting to deliver packages. Deep down — expect to find actual pathos … despite nearly every character being a bit of an asshole.
PETERSON: Cinematic violence and sardonic social commentary.
What’s the status of the United States in Space Bastards? Did we make it into the future?
PETERSON: We made it. We colonized the galaxy, but I wouldn’t say we did a great job of it though.
AUBREY: The natives are restless. The budget is lacking for services and infrastructure, and a few corporations wield more power than the U.S. government in most respects. People look to those companies for help, not the U.S. government.
What do you like about your hero, David S. Proton? How did you come up with that name?
PETERSON: In terms of the name, I think it was initially just something that stuck in my head. I do like the story structure implication of his last name now though. Davey came about when I was 13, but when I used to draw him it was basically a mixture of Ben from the game Full Throttle, but in space, acting like Indiana Jones at a job that constantly felt oppressive and dangerous. Years later, when I was a TV producer I slept under my desk two nights a week, worked like 60 hours a week, and I also felt like I could be replaced at my job at any moment. I had an existential crisis at 23 and left to start my own company. I think somewhere out of all of that, the Davey of issue 1 was put in a little seed and nourished by Joe Aubrey and eventually Darick Robertson.
AUBREY: Davey is more rational and intelligent than most of the other characters, and everyone underestimates him. What I like most about him is that he has to use a whole different skill set to make it as a postal carrier.
Are you offering commentary on modern-day themes and 2020 as well? Perhaps some digs at bureaucracy and the U.S. Postal Service?
PETERSON: For me, it isn’t so much about the USPS as it is just the frailty of life … I relate to American life, so I think we hone in a bit more on that especially, but ultimately I think anyone who feels trapped by their bills, their job, their home, whatever, can probably relate to our characters.
AUBREY: Space Bastards isn’t a social studies class or a civics lesson, thankfully. We want people to be entertained by the story and blown away by the artwork. That said, we do take some shots at gig-economy era capitalism, colonialism and the unhealthy relationship people (particularly in the U.S.) have with their jobs.
PETERSON: I’ve always been a fan of stories that give relatable but difficult social observations or posit tough hypotheticals. I think that theme work is hard wired into me.
What was it like to work with Darick Robertson?
PETERSON: Working with Darick was a huge honor. I would have never imagined in a million years I’d get the chance to write for my favorite artists, the artists I grew up reading, who really did ultimately inform how I write or visualize a story in my head. It’s something I relish every time I get a new page from them.
AUBREY: It was an incredible opportunity. Getting a new page from Darick in my inbox would change my whole day. He got the humor and the intensity and the character elements and put them all together just right on every page. It was magic.
How long do you think this series can go? Do you have several arcs planned out?
PETERSON: I want to do this series as long as people buy it. It was a real trial getting this crafted in this specific way, without compromise, including when we partnered with Humanoids who have treated it like their own baby. Joe and I have painted many corners of this universe for many stories to come, and I really want to write and collaborate with artists in the Space Bastards universe for the rest of my life — or at least as long as people are willing to read it.
AUBREY: We have the first three years more or less planned out. I hope it will go beyond that.
How integral was crowd-funding to get this series off the ground?
PETERSON: It was integral in the fact that we really need to be reminded that with as much as the comic book industry is changing, and as much as people’s reading habits change, that there is a market for Space Bastards. Joe and I really do write for each other, and we make each other laugh. And we know when a story needs more work. However, there comes a point where I think we both needed to know, ‘Are we like the only two weirdos on the planet who like this thing?’ Kickstarter is a wonderful platform not just to get something funded, but to actually get books directly to an audience as well, or see how that audience reacts.
AUBREY: Crowd-funding allowed us to make a premium format hardcover. Having that hardcover really helped with getting the book in front of the right people. The whole crowd-funding process also taught us what our strengths and weaknesses were in terms of production and promotion. That was key in finding the right deal with the right publishing partner.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Space Bastards Volume #1 is now available with special variant covers. A Kickstarter campaign for Volume #2 is coming soon. Click here for more information.
