Poor David S. Proton. A meek, unemployed accountant desperate for money, he joins the Intergalactic Postal Service, paired with Manny Corns, a.k.a. “The Manicorn,” a sardonic brute who thrives on the competition provided by the IPS.
But delivery is mercenary for these intergalactic dispatchers-payment goes solely to whoever fulfills the delivery, making every run a comically violent free-for-all between the most ruthless degenerates in the cosmos. Stand back, Lobo! Make way, Han Solo — here come the Space Bastards!
I had the opportunity to speak with co-writers Eric Peterson and Joe Aubrey about their new, very adult, science-fiction comic series.
* * * * *
FOG!: Eric, Space Bastards has been your dream project since you were thirteen. What was its genesis and how has it changed?
Eric Peterson: It really grew out of just a mild mannered need to occupy my brain during junior high (or middle school as they call it here). I wanted more stories of scoundrels in space, á la Han Solo or Boba Fett. I would spend days drawing (badly) comics with Ninja Turtles, Batman, whatever. Davey Proton was just a guy with a shit job who kept getting into trouble in space, when I was that age.
When I was in film school, like 17 or so, I started building space ship sets in my backyard or garage with my friends. I met Joe and he wanted to help out. Coincidentally around the same time I was devouring all sorts of UK and Vertigo books, including Darick Robertson and Warren Ellis’ Transmetropolitan. After like 6 years of making bad movies, but making decent indie comic books, I figured the Bastards would work better as a comic. Darick was always front and center for my dream wish of artist and co-creator.
Joe, how did you get involved?
Joe Aubrey: While helping out behind the scenes with the short films Eric was making, we’d talk about Davey Proton from time to time. The full-on collaboration began when Eric and I, during a conversation, figured out the death race/winner-take-all mechanic for how the Intergalactic Postal Service would operate.
The series is being released in issues by Humanoids and on the same day you’ll make the collection available on your site. Are there differences between the two releases and which one did you find more creatively satisfying?
EP: Yeah! It’s pretty peculiar isn’t it? The reason is that Space Bastards is truly an endeavor that has been pretty free of compromise, but that also means we have to be able to afford our dream artists like we have so far.
So with Humanoids’ blessing we are releasing these hardcovers, which really do serve to fund future years of Space Bastards adventures. One isn’t better than the other— the monthlies have really unique exclusives and tell the story one specific way. At the same time, because of our ensemble cast and the nature of some of these stories, the hardcovers are a directors’ cut where the stories are told in a different order and also have their own exclusives. I’d pay money to get somebody who has been reading the monthlies and somebody who has been reading the hardcovers together in a room and see what they predict for the future of the series.
It’s two truly unique reading experiences. I love them both. Our Kickstarter for volume 2 launches January 18th, and I’m very excited. People can pick up both Volume 1 and 2 via that Kickstarter.
JA: Yeah, the Kickstarter premium oversized hardcover actually comes out a week after Humanoids’ first issue. The differences between the two lie in the presentation and availability, mostly. The Hardcovers are huge, premium format limited release collected editions with the stories arranged in our preferred reading order. We think anyone would love reading the series this way, but it just wouldn’t work as well divided up into monthly segments.
These Hardcovers are mainly for die-hard fans of our artists, collectors, and for existing fans of the series. They are designed to be binge-read and the experience will be more like a Tarantino movie with flashbacks, character explorations, and other material woven through and around the main plotline.
Humanoids’ issues are a bit more linear in their presentation of the story. Each issue is still longer than most comics on the shelves (28-44 pages) so readers will get a full meal. The monthlies will be available everywhere and will allow people to more easily and affordably get up to speed with the story and characters. You’re gonna see unbelievable variant covers and other goodies, like the black light variant cover Dan Panosian did for issue one.
In the end, it’s two paths through the same story. What do you like better: Watching the Star Wars movies in release order or in episode (or some other) order? Which do you prefer: Binge-watching The Boys or getting one episode at a time? Well, we got at least two ways to experience Space Bastards. Something for everyone, we hope.
The book will feature a number of artists including Darick Roberston and later, Simon Bisley and Clint Langley. Robertson has been listed as a co-creator. How did he get involved and what do each of the artists uniquely bring to the project?
EP: Darick is awesome. I ran a company in my twenties that did a lot of application development work for entertainment companies, especially those in the comic industry just because my passions lay there. During that time I had the pleasure of meeting Darick through a partner and we got along swimmingly! Luckily my gushing love of his prior work from when I was growing up didn’t overpower things, I think (which does sometimes happen). I tried very hard to get Darick involved, and luckily Joe really saw the value there as well and it finally came to fruition.
JA: Darick jumped right in and helped us establish the visual identity of Space Bastards. He also helped with some crucial character and story elements, many of which we didn’t even realize we needed. He brought his A-game to this and worked tirelessly. We are lucky to have him.
We make it a point to give each artist a story that is written specifically for them to showcase their strengths and allow them to really have fun with it.
Simon Bisley is amazing. He loves our universe and actually identifies with a couple of the characters. Simon has brought a very special blend of humor, ultraviolence, and body horror to each of his issues. He’s also drawn a lot of sheep and scantily clad middle aged men.
Clint Langley lives on the dark side of a cold moon somewhere in the Space Bastards universe. We gave him a couple of stories about the last days of interstellar piracy and he’s turned them into a phantasmagoria of gritty violence and bitter vengeance.
In Volume 2 you’ll see Colin MacNeil do what he does best: Exit wounds and mayhem. With each new artist our universe grows exponentially because they make us see the whole project from a different perspective.
Do either of you have a favorite character to write?
EP: Oof, that’s hard for me. They are all kind of different facets of either my personality, or maybe a bit of mine and a bit of Joe’s, or in some cases Joe’s but like from a perspective I relate to after knowing him closely for 15 years.
The antagonist of season 1 of Space Bastards is really one of my favorites to write. He’s just cathartic. He comes from someone I knew in my past, or rather my reaction to that person. I don’t think I should dive deeper before more issues are out though, ha.
I love writing Roy— he’s the other side of the coin for me. Definitely my Hunter S. Thompson influences strike through there (and then maybe a bit more Charlie Day from Always Sunny now that he’s alive on the page). Roy is hard— when I write him he tends to stick around in my brain for longer than is safe. Roy pervades my mannerisms if I let him.
I relate to Davey a lot because I’ve been in his spot many times before. As I get older I relate to Manny quite a bit more, and Calto (who you’ll soon meet).
JA: Up to this point, my favorite character to write has been Manny. He presents very one-note but he’s actually a complicated guy.
Who or what have been the biggest influences on your work and on Space Bastards in particular?
EP: It’s a long varied list because Space Bastards has been in our brains and fingers for so long, I think. I hate to write about the really obvious ones, so maybe some less than obvious ones… The Wire. Bruce Timm and Paul Dini’s DCAU stuff. Larry David stuff has a big input on the DNA of the characters I think, albeit it’s through the Space Bastards lens.
JA: Each of our artists, particularly Darick, have influenced my work more than anything else at this point. Long before anyone ever reads our book or sees one image, these guys read through the script and translate it into images. I have learned a lot from that process. Writing a script now is night and day different from writing one back when we started.
Eric, I read that you made some Space Bastards film shorts when you were younger. Any chance those might show up online?
EP: Um… So it’s pretty hard for me to show them in their entirety because they were made over such a long period of time, they really do show where I started and where I grew, and then things that for sure couldn’t work on film but would work on the page. I don’t want to impact the immaculate presentation of the artists. But certain things show up.
Props from the movies are recreated by some of the artists in panels which is always really surreal for me, making those movies so long ago. Humanoids’ issue 1 gives a quick peek if people can find the Easter egg, as well. It was fun to put that little exclusive together. No spoilers! But it is in issue 1 if people have mobile devices…
What are you currently geeking out over?
EP: I’m winding my way through a complete rewatch of Curb Your Enthusiasm and having fun with that. With my son I’ve been rewatching Batman: TAS which I’ve seen millions of times but it’s fun to watch those episodes through a young kid’s eyes for the first time. Man, I love that whole DCAU run so much.
In terms of comics, I’m a massive 2000AD fan and have been since I was a kid, so I have piles of progs that I slowly work my way through as they arrive from the UK. I got Garth’s Hellblazer Omnibus for my birthday recently, with a great cover by Glenn Fabry and work by William Simpson in there, both of whom I love. Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye run also, which I’m working through. I do think some of that sequential art has definitely inspired how we script Space Bastards. And I have a massive stack of Incal hardcovers on my desk right now that I’m working through. Somewhere in the arrogant part of my brain I keep wondering if Alejandro Jodorowsky is like, “Ehhhh what is this Space Bastards thing at Humanoids?” That would make me freak out.
JA: I recently saw Jim Hosking’s Greasy Strangler and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having caught up with What We do in the Shadows (the series), I’m now focusing on Year of the Rabbit and the last couple of seasons of Trailer Park Boys. I’ve been playing Minecraft and Minecraft Dungeons with my daughter. I’m an eternal fan of Mechwarrior Online and have a Kintaro build that still kicks ass after four years of updates and balance tweaks. I enjoy Idles (from Bristol). Sort of addicted to watching those First We Feast; Sean Evans’ interviews (see the Paul Rudd one if you haven’t already).
Space Bastards Vol. 2 (Vol. 1 is also available) launches Tuesday on Kickstarter.
Space Bastards #1 is now available in comic book stores and via comiXology.
For more details visit SpaceBastards.com
