The following is an interview with Joe Palmer (Time Before Time) regarding the upcoming release of the dystopian thriller series, Destination Kill, with Oni Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Palmer about his creative in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the themes that he hopes may resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Destination Kill! What can you share with us about the series’ premise, as well as the genesis behind its creation?
Joe Palmer: Thanks so much.
Destination Kill is a science fiction story set in a privately governed London in the year 2125. Human construction workers, displaced by the government’s robot workforce, are causing chaos on the streets.
We follow Gina Serene, a police detective who has pinned all her hopes of stress relief on a trip to New York, but when things don’t go to plan she’s forced to team up with a sleazy Private Detective and together they have to uncover the truth about the human worker rebellion.
BD: This story deftly weaves together so many action-packed and incredibly prescient elements – narratively and visually. In having tackled this project solo, how would you describe your creative process in bringing this world and characters to life on the page?
JP: Story-wise, this book was me combining a lot of ideas that I’d had over the course of many years into one (hopefully!) cohesive narrative. I struggled my way through the writing process for quite some time, as it was the area in which I had the least amount of experience. Eventually what I ended up doing was roughly drawing out the whole thing working from a pretty detailed plot, and figuring out the problems that way, rather than beginning with a fully written script. I wouldn’t necessarily work that way again, but as I say, I was inexperienced and it took time to figure out what worked best for me.
BD: What do you feel is the inherent value of satire in storytelling and especially the sequential art medium?
JP: I think that humour plays an important role in life in general, often by taking the edge off of topics that are frankly terrifying. That’s certainly the way that I like to view things, and it helps me keep everything in perspective and to not take it all so seriously.
BD: What makes Oni the perfect publishing partner for Destination Kill?
JP: Oni has been great, and really supportive of the book from when I first pitched it to them. Not being an American, there are a lot of things about the direct market that I’m unfamiliar with, so having a publisher to learn from and to help navigate that landscape is very helpful.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
JP: The two books that I worked on before Destination Kill were Time Before Time and Write It In Blood, which were both published by Image Comics. I didn’t write either of these, I just illustrated them, but if you want to check out what I was drawing before, that’s where to start!
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about Destination Kill and your other work?
JP: Instagram, Twitter (X) and Bluesky, all @joepalmerart is where you can find me. I’m intermittently online, but that’s where you’ll hear any news about my work!
