The following is an interview with Matt McGrath regarding the recent Kickstarter campaign launch for the final installment of the comic book series, ID-10t error. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with McGrath about his shared creative process in bringing the story to its conclusion, the exciting backer rewards available to supporters, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You recently returned to Kickstarter for the final installment of your sci-fi/comedy comic book series, ID-10t error. For those readers who may be new to the series, how would you describe its premise, and where will you find Bradley and his AI as this final adventure begins?
Matt McGrath: ID-10t error is an idea I’ve had since college and comes from my frustrations with technology. It’s the story of Bradley, a loner computer programmer, who spends years of his life toiling away in his basement, trying to create a sophisticated sentient AI intelligence from his beaten-down college laptop. Why? Well, because his computer crashed on him during a pivotal moment in his university days, and he’s never forgotten it! So, he goes to extreme lengths to turn it into a living thing to torment and destroy and finally get his revenge on this object. It’s the ultimate story of petty revenge!
Now, when the AI gains consciousness for the first time, its survival instinct kicks in, and it does everything it can to survive and escape its deranged tormentor.
So by Issue 3, the AI has escaped Bradley’s basement (Sorry, spoiler!) but has been taken into captivity by the tech start-up, roboTO, and been deconstructed in an attempt to reverse engineer its miraculous code. Bradley, meanwhile, finds himself as the lead engineer at roboTO. He’s finally gotten the respect and position he deserves! But something’s still nagging at him…he hasn’t finished the job and destroyed his greatest creation.
BD: What can you tell us about your shared creative process in not only bringing this story to life on the page but in shepherding the story to its ultimate conclusion?
MM: Originally, this story was meant to be a one-shot. Issue 1 was originally going to be a one-and-done story. But while running the Kickstarter for issue 1, I suddenly had several ideas for where this story could go. In fact, I wanted to do four more arcs after issue one–with issue 2 & 3 being the second of those arcs.
Fast forward a year or two, and when I finally finished the script for Issue 3, and saw where the characters ended up, I knew this was the end of the story. I think the ending is perfect, and I would be mad at myself if I continued on the story and removed the characters from this perfect space where they land. I went back and added some ideas I wanted to explore in later arcs and added nods to them in issue 3.
Not to mention, making comics takes up a ton of time and money, two things I have very little of! And I have a bunch of stories I want to tell. So, that motivated my decision to conclude the story with issue 3. It felt like it was time to move on to the next project.
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 Bradley’s story may connect with or impact readers?
MM: In my view, Bradley is a tragic villain–and not tragic in the sense that he’s a sympathetic character (He’s not.), but because his hatred and anger are so all-consuming that it destroys his relationships and squanders his potential. I think, especially now, we’re all familiar with people who are consumed by their hate and fear of straw men and how exhausting those people are. So with Bradley, it’s very cathartic (and funny) to see a character like that get his comupence.
BD: Are there any specific backer rewards that you’re most excited about with the campaign and wish to share with readers?
MM: On this campaign, I’ll be doing a variant cover for the first time, which is very exciting! The artist drawing the cover is Jon Berg, whom I’ve worked with previously on a Frankenstein anthology. We’re also selling the original art for his cover–so any art collectors out there should get on that!
I think the coolest reward we’re offering is a chance to be drawn into the comic by the series’ artist, Otavio Colino. We’ve offered this reward on the previous two ID-10t error campaigns and it’s been very well received by the people who selected it–Otavio does an amazing job of capturing their likeness.
BD: Are there any other projects that you would like to highlight for our readers?
MM: Yes! I’ve been working on a graphic novel with Canadian artist Merissa Mayhew for over two years! The script is finally done and we’re hoping to Kickstart the book next year in the spring. Like ID-10t error, it’s another very eclectic story. It’s based on the works of pioneering filmmaker Georges Méliès and takes place several years after the events of A Trip to the Moon where space exploration is commonplace and the entire solar system is united as one society. The one cosmic terrain no one has been able to reach yet is the sphere of stars. Our hero, Beatrice, is determined to reach the stars by any means necessary–even working with the one man she despises the most in the entire cosmos.
It’s a really fun story I’m proud of, and I can’t wait for others to see what we’ve been working on!
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about ID-10t error’s Kickstarter campaign and your other work?
MM: We’ve still got a way to go before we hit our goal, so any help would be much appreciated. We have a digital catch-up tier for anyone who wants to get the story but is a bit strapped for funds–all three issues on that tier cost $ 21 CAD (~$ 15 USD). I’m also offering the option to add on a copy of the last Kickstarter comic I did, Everyday Fears. This is a 40-page anthology of slice-of-life horror comedies that are all written by me and illustrated by six outstanding artists.
