The following is an interview with Frank Barbiere (Astonishing Times) and Stephen Rhodes regarding the release of the comic book series, Zero Instance, through Comixology Originals. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Barbiere and Rhodes about their shared creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, what they hope that readers may take away from the story’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of Zero Instance through Comixology Originals! What can you share with us about the genesis behind this project, and how would you describe the series’ overall premise?
Frank Barbiere: Zero Instance is the story of a group of young people who play an MMO together. They’re skilled players, and encounter a presumably unbeatable boss – and win! There’s a sci-fi twist, though, where the boss becomes more sentient than anyone expected, and the story begins to play with the idea of what happens when a game can bleed into the real world and fight back. It grew out of a shared love of stories like The Matrix, Sword Art Online, and thrillers in general.
Stephen Rhodes: Frank described it really well, so I’ll add that we have wanted to work together on a project for some time and when we started talking about what kind of story we wanted to tell, we were both really excited about exploring video games and how they play a key role in many of our lives. We both love sci-fi and thrillers, so we wanted to not just explore what the future of video games might look like but put a cool twist on it that sees the gaming world impact the real world in ways that might not be expected.
BD: What can you tell us about your shared creative process in working with artists Vic Malhotra and Eoin Marron to bring the genre-bending world and characters to life on the page?
FB: Vic and Eoin have been instrumental in doing fantastic design work and bringing this book to life. While we give them full script, they are responsible for everything we see visually. They’ve taken what can be pretty “grounded” concepts such as computer hardware and made them look exciting and futuristic. The commitment to amazing action and character acting on the pages also has brought the story to life. Lauren Affe’s colors also tie it all together!
SR: Vic and Eoin are both incredible artists who really brought our story to life in ways I could only have imagined. Their attention to detail and unique styles give the book a real visual identity. They took a lot of our original ideas and put their own spin on them to really exciting results. The pages are full of gorgeous detail but also the action is really clear and easy to read. The colors by Lauren Affe look beautiful and really go a long way in tying everything together while making Vic and Eoin’s art pop off the page.
BD: Given your extensive body of work in both video games and comics, do you feel that each medium has its own unique storytelling “toolkit” and what most intrigues you about the narrative storytelling of comics?
FB: Stephen and I are both very thematic storytellers who care about not just our plot, but what themes we’re exploring through our characters. I think if you can create a character the audience understands, they’ll be along for the journey, no matter the medium. Comics don’t not have the support of sound, VO, and gameplay, but with talented storytellers we’re able to tell a cinematic, engaging story on the page. I love the format of the single issue and cliffhangers, and that’s something I think comics can do better than anything else.
SR: Every storytelling medium is unique, but the shared languages of character, theme, and plot are all critical no matter what you’re working in so that’s where we started our process. Video games are huge collaborations often involving dozens if not hundreds of people all working towards the same goal. What I love about comics is the collaboration is still there but it’s a much smaller, much more focused team. I really enjoy the relationship between writer and artist as I get to think about how each issue, each page, each panel fits into the larger story. Then, all of those ideas and choices get put through someone else’s perspective and what you get in the end is a mixture of ideas all working together to create something greater.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums – no matter the genre. How do you feel that this story may connect with and impact readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it may inspire?
FB: Zero Instance is ultimately a coming-of-age story that celebrates the elements we sometimes don’t recognize in ourselves. We wanted to represent the hobby of games and the people who play them organically, showing that even in a crazy genre story there are elements of community and leadership we learn through play that can help us find our place in “the real world.” We also think there’s a lot of fun, compelling stuff to think about how we relate to the stories we explore and what can be “real.”
SR: Zero Instance is part coming-of-age story and part cautionary tale about our relationship with technology and the impact AI can have on our lives. Even though some of the elements of our narrative are fantastical and taken to extremes, at its core it’s about a journey of finding one’s place in the world, and also how to get there without losing what makes you unique. I think there’s also a really fascinating glimpse into what the future of gaming and interactive technology could look like in the near future and the ways in which we engage with our entertainment.
BD: What makes Comixology Originals the perfect home for this series?
FB: The team at Comixology Originals have been incredibly supportive of my work for years now, and they give us the space we need to tell a story on our own terms. The digital first initiative is excellent to help get the book into the hands of a lot of people vs. having to go to a comic store, as well.
SR: Working with the team at Comixology Originals has been great! They’re incredibly supportive and excited by the story we want to tell and the way we want to tell it. Being digital first makes the book easy for people to access and with the added bonus of a lot of people will be able to read it for free if they have Prime, hopefully making the decision to try out the series an easy one for a lot of people.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
FB: I recently put out a book with Morgan Beem at Image Comics called The Author Immortal that I’m very proud of. My previous titles at Comixology Originals, Astonishing Times Vol. 1 and 2 are also worth checking out if you enjoy my work!
SR: I’m currently hard at work on the Iron Man video game for Marvel and EA Motive Studio, which I’m incredibly excited about, but I can’t say anymore on that just yet.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Zero Instance and your other work?
FB: We care deeply about the stories we tell and want to make them as fun and exciting as possible. We’ve really enjoyed working on this book, and hope you can feel the passion and get lost in the story as you read.
SR: This book has been a ton of fun to write and I just really hope that people give it a chance and enjoy the ride.
