It’s always a good sign for a new comic book series when a second printing is announced.
Skybound and Image Comics new Ghost Pepper series by Ludo Lullabi will receive a second printing in late August, clearly demonstrating the popularity and initial positive reader response to the genre mixing sci-fi tale.
Lullabi (along with colorist Adriano Lucas) creates a dusty, dystopian world filled with mechs, aliens, food trucks, and a variety of heroes, from the fast-talking Loloi to the stoic loner Ash.
We were lucky enough to speak to the writer/artist about his new series in this exclusive interview.
How did you come up with the concept for Ghost Pepper?
Ludo Lullabi: The idea for Ghost Pepper came to me while watching videos about street food — those improvised food trucks made from an old cart, two wheels, and a few chairs. I was fascinated by how these little setups, right in the middle of noisy, chaotic cities, could somehow create a small haven of peace. That image really stuck with me: a simple, warm, almost sacred space in the middle of the chaos.
I wanted to transpose that feeling into a much larger and more hostile world, to see what would happen. And that idea came to life through the encounter between two characters: Loloï, who embodies that little peaceful refuge through her food truck… and Ash, who represents the surrounding chaos.
You create an incredibly detailed world through your vehicles, architecture, and robot designs in the first issue. What were you trying to convey about the world and the story through the designs?
Lullabi: I wanted to portray the feeling of a vast, overwhelming world — where the structures people live on don’t seem like something they could have built themselves. They feel more like remnants of a forgotten era, ancient constructions that people have settled into by necessity, adapting as best they can. That idea really fascinates me: the notion of humans carving out a life in a place that’s far bigger than them, something they don’t fully understand.
You see these massive, almost sacred futuristic structures, but the people live in tents, makeshift shelters, custom-built vehicles. I wanted to highlight that contrast — a worn, mysterious world where everyone tries to build their own little space, their own small world within it.
We are introduced to the protagonist late in the first issue, but you also introduce a number of other characters that are integral to the story early. Why did you choose to wait to reveal Ash (and his abilities)?
Lullabi: It’s funny — when I think about the full arc, I actually felt like Ash appeared fairly early in the story! But looking back, yeah… it does take about half of the first issue to get there.
The main reason is storytelling. There were a few things I needed to establish first: the basic rules of the world (just enough to keep it digestible at this stage), then Loloi and her cooking talent… and finally, Ash. Introducing him was a key moment for me. I wanted it to be cinematic, impactful — something that really leaves a mark.
I built up tension gradually with the arrival of the Shortfins, which set the stage for that moment. Since my narrative style is very visual and influenced by film, it naturally took a few extra pages to give his entrance the weight and charisma it needed.
The story and your style shows influence from both the European comic tradition and manga. Where do you see those influences in Ghost Pepper?
Lullabi: France is actually the second biggest consumer of manga after Japan, so I grew up reading both manga and Franco-Belgian comics. I’m part of a generation of French artists whose style is naturally influenced by both cultures.
In Ghost Pepper, I’m just telling the story in the way that feels most natural to me. You can probably feel the manga influence in the pacing and maybe in the character designs, but honestly, it’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly where each influence shows up. Over the years, I’ve worked on all kinds of formats — Franco-Belgian comics, manga, American comics, storyboards, video games… My style is a blend of all of that. It’s shaped by experience, and at this point, I’m not trying to fit into a specific category — I just want to tell the story as best I can with all the tools I’ve picked up along the way.
What comic that you previously worked on influenced your work the most in Ghost Pepper?
Lullabi: I think Battle Chasers had the biggest influence on me. First of all, it was a childhood dream to work on it. And it had been several years since I’d worked on a comic — I’d been busy with other projects in the video game industry. Coming back to comics made me realize just how much I love this medium, and how much I needed to dedicate myself to it again.
I love Battle Chasers because it brings together so many influences that I share with its creator, Joe Madureira. It’s very much his baby… and I realized I needed to create my own. I’d been carrying all these ideas for worlds and characters inside me for a long time. Working on Battle Chasers gave me the push I needed to go back to building my own universe — and my own heroes — through comics.
Upcoming work?
Lullabi: Right now, I’m fully focused on Ghost Pepper – Arc 2. The story continues!
Ghost Pepper #1 is currently available at your local comic shop and the second issue will be released on August 20.
You can check out the original cover for #1 and a preview of the 2nd print covers by Lullabi and a foil version of Stanley “Artgerm” Lau’s (which will be available at comic shops on August 27) below.
