The following is an interview with Rory Collins regarding the upcoming return of the Arks comic book series to Kickstarter with a campaign for Arks Proximan #1. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Collins about the shared creative process of working with writer Natalie Malla and artist Erich Owen, what they hope that readers may take away from the story, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the premise of this new story?
Rory Collins: Arks is the first story to depict the confounding and terrifying process we will use to leave our solar system and colonize other worlds; it is called directed panspermia.
Our core story Arks uses an Adam and Eve motif to frame the story, whereas Arks Proximan uses Pandora and her Box.
A creator creates intelligent life and then for some unknowable, inexplicable, and competitive reason places them in an experiment. Can they resist eating the apple? Can Pandora resist opening the box? When they do succumb, the creator punishes them and the species forever for doing something they at least guessed they would do, even designed them to do.
Well, Arks Proximan is this plot in reverse. In our story, Odd Bluford (the first exonatal human), comes face to face with god, a demon from Earth. After he and his family are punished, he sets about trapping the demon in his own experiment and punishing them forever.
It’s the promethean story only nastier, funnier, and with a happy ending (sort of).
BD: This story deftly juxtaposes gritty biopunk elements with the thought-provoking speculative fiction that calls back to ‘80s sci-fi. What can you tell us about your creative process in collaborating with writer Natalie Malla and artist Erich Owen to bring the story to life?
RC: Natalie Malla and Erich Owen are time machines. In human form. Without them, this comic wouldn’t be coming out for years. Natalie Malla is a character and story wiz who hates sci-fi (I do that bit.). Erich Owen’s art is incredible – able to be contemporary and timeless all at once. If we are able to finish this story together, I truly believe it’ll be one of the most important graphic novels ever made. Probably not in my lifetime, though, but with time machines.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Odd’s story may connect with and impact readers?
RC: Arks Proximan follows a young boy called Odd who has something truly horrible happen to him and his family. Afterwards, he is faced with a choice: succumb to his fate and his eccentricities and die or fight and survive. Knowing that he’ll eventually fail. But doing it anyway.
As humans, we are all faced with this choice in some form… to keep moving or stop. Arks Proximan #1 is about the event that will define Odd’s life. The remaining issues are about how Odd, by fighting and surviving, doesn’t just die but transcends it.
BD: In light of the upcoming crowdfunding campaign, are there any specific backer rewards that you would like to highlight for readers?
RC: We will be running an early bird on the opening days of the campaign (September 14th till midnight on the 17th), where you’ll be able to pick up Arks Proximan #1 and Volume One. If you choose to support us, then you can grab the book for less and help us have a good opening weekend.
BD: Are there any other projects that you’re working on that you’re able to share with our readers?
RC: I am currently editing the scripts for Issue 5 & 6 of Arks – our core story which will be coming to Kickstarter in March next year. The script was written years ago, but there has been a lot of mission creep whilst adapting the script into the comic book. At this point it feels like the script was written by someone else, and I’m its editor which is kinda weird.
Other than that, Natalie Malla and myself have just finished working out the story beats for the remaining issues of Arks Proximan and now we have to do the hard bit; write the thing.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find out more about Arks Proximan and its Kickstarter campaign?
RC: The easiest way is to join our Kickstarter prelaunch to be notified as soon as the campaign starts on September 14th, at 8 p.m./BST.
Or go to www.clickysproutwife.com and join our mailing list to get the latest updates.
