AHOY Comics launches their first Kickstarter project with Mark Russell and Russ Braun’s The Forgotten Divine graphic novel.
The satirical sci-fi story focuses on Rodney Coleman, an unhoused veteran who experiences dreams of a faraway planet before finding himself not only involved with a UFO cult, but at the head of one.
We spoke to the prolific Russell once again about cults, UFOs, and Kickstarter in this exclusive interview.
What was the initial inspiration for The Forgotten Divine?
Mark Russell: I think the first time I got the germ of the idea for this story was listening to a podcast discussing a nun who was hearing the voice of God inside her head. She couldn’t be sure if it was the actual voice of God or if she was experiencing some form of psychosis. I thought her story was fascinating given how little difference there seemed to be between the two.
You previously stated that The Forgotten Divine delves into “why people join cults, assign meaning to mysteries, and find comfort in their own persecution”. Which of these thematic elements is most prominent in the graphic novel and have you dealt with similar themes in some of your previous work?
Russell: A lot of my work deals with belief and how beliefs, more than anything else, chart the course of human destiny. What’s unique about The Forgotten Divine is it really examines how much we actually choose our beliefs versus how much they choose us. And the answer increasingly seems to be to me that we don’t really choose what we believe. What we choose is how to channel our beliefs into behavior. And it’s the answer to that question that forms people into cults or toxic forms of faith.
You collaborated with Russ Braun on the story who said that it is “a challenging story, both to read and to draw.” In what ways did you make it “hard” on Russ to bring some of the images to life?
Russell: I think this was a hard book to draw because it blends the cosmic with the mundane. Sometimes within a single page. Sometimes within a single panel. I forced Russ to constantly toggle back and forth between otherworldly science fiction and Arizona strip malls and, somehow, he nailed it.
Do you approach an original graphic novel differently than you would a series or anthology in terms of your writing/creative process?
Russell: Yes, definitely. When you’re writing a series, somewhere in the back of your mind has to be the question, “Does this issue work as its own story?” If the answer is no, then you probably don’t have a very good issue. But when you’re writing a single graphic novel, you don’t have to worry about questions like that. You don’t have to worry about recapping for people who might have missed the last issue. So it’s storytelling in its purest and tightest form.
The Forgotten Divine is the first Kickstarter from Ahoy Comics. What extras can we look forward to in the campaign and thoughts on the platform?
Russell: There are some great extras, not the least of which is a virtual lock of Tom Peyer’s hair. In addition, you can get a rare cover designed by yours truly, as well as additional covers by Steve Lieber and Matt Bors.
You recently launched Dog Tag with PJ Holden for Mad Cave Studios. What has the experience been like writing a historical war comic?
Russell: Well, working with PJ has been a godsend because he’s also drawn war comics for Garth Ennis so he’s already a stickler for details when it comes to uniforms, period-specific hairstyles and an understanding of how war is weeks of mud and grime interrupted by moments of blood and terror. I’ve really enjoyed writing Dog Tag because even though World War II has been sort of beaten to death, I can’t think of any other comic or TV show or movie that handles it quite this way, as told through the eyes of a journalist who experiences some true but little known events from the war and experiences a side of war that defies retelling.
You are always busy, so what else can we look forward to from you soon?
Russell: Well, as you mentioned, Dog Tag is already on shelves and Issue 2 is about to drop. In addition, I’ve been writing single issue stories for sci fi anthology series like Terrorbytes and The Twilight Zone. And coming soon will be a fourth season of Second Coming. As you say, I have many irons in the fire. I am prolific if only because I don’t know what else to do with myself.
The Forgotten Divine is currently available to back on Kickstarter.
