How does one family survive in a technological oasis in the middle of wasteland when internal and external threats are literally right outside their door?
Christian Ward and Sami Kivelä’s new six-issue series from Oni Press called The Forever Home unpacks this concept with tons of sci-fi and horror elements that makes the reader contemplate the choices they would make in the same morally ambigious situation.
We spoke to Ward all about the first issue and where The Forever Home is headed in our exclusive interview with the writer.
How did the idea for The Forever Home germinate into a six-issue comic series?
Christian Ward: On a base level, it was having a house being built to withstand climate change but instead being resistant to time. For every 20 mins inside we have an hour outside. However, that idea was born from billionaire climate bunkers and seeing governments across the world push back against immigration. It feels like we’re living in a world that is pulling up its draw bridges.
You said previously that the “horror of The Forever Home was easy to find.” Which horror is the real lynchpin of the series?
Ward: The obvious horror behind the book is climate change (especially as a parent), but, and I probably haven’t said this in a previous interview, perhaps the most frightening element that I’m exploring is the separation between people. Here we’re looking at family, but also in many ways they’re used as metaphor for generations, and much of the tension and drama in the story comes from their divide.
You get to work once again with Sami Kivela. Is there a particular page or image that stood out to you in the first issue?
Ward: The tour of the house. It’s a double page spread where our children give the reader a tour of the titular Forever Home. It’s almost like a cross section of the house, rendered in brilliant isometrics, with the kids moving from room to room. I knew Sami would kill it on that spread. He has an incredible sense of space and is amazing at page layouts, but what he turned in was a real show stopper!
How did you get into the mind of billionaire scientist Henry D’mour and make him realistic?
Ward: I think the key here was that he doesn’t believe he’s the bad guy. He does bad things, but to him, he’s just protecting his family. As a father myself I could empathize with that.
The first issue ends on a big cliffhanger. Where do we go from here?
Ward: Outside.
Upcoming projects?
Ward: Currently I have The Patron with John Pearson, then in December the third part of my Event Horizon trilogy launches. Beyond that there’s my three book deal with ONI, one of which will reunite with Sami. Lots of exciting things to come!
The Forever Home #1 is currently in stores. Fans can also win a rare variant cover comic on the series’ landing page right here.
