Writer Dave Prepare dinner is a fellow comics creator and gaming journalist specialist, and maybe, the one different individual I do know in addition to myself who’s sitting on the intersection of the place comics meets video gaming. Prepare dinner can be a profound writer of a number of online game historical past books, although the place his specialty lies within the comics world is in cyberpunk.
A number of years in the past, I had the possibility to play Cyberpunk 2077. Whereas it’s now thought-about a implausible recreation, it confronted vital points with the PS4 on debut, and my evaluate of the sport turned one in every of my most acknowledged items in gaming journalism and, notably, the primary to earn me a loss of life menace for my protection. Regardless of the controversy, it had solidified my love for the cyberpunk style. As a result of in at present’s tech-dominated panorama of synthetic intelligence and dick rockets headed to Mars—cyberpunk themes really feel extra poignant than ever earlier than. We want know-how, however extra importantly, we want its criticism. Satire? Being probably the greatest types of that.
So we sat with Dave Prepare dinner on this interview to speak about how he tastefully tackles a few of these topics. Significantly with final fall’s anthology KILLTOPIA NANO JAMS.
This text was edited for brevity and readability.
CHRISTIAN ANGELES: Nano Jams is now on sale! Inform us about what it’s and may you give us a giant pitch of the KILLTOPIA universe you created?
DAVE COOK: Killtopia is an award-winning cyberpunk comedian sequence set in Neo Tokyo. The 5 single books can be found on my on-line retailer now, or you’ll be able to try the hardback collected version from Titan Comics – accessible in lots of on-line and offline shops throughout the UK and US now.
The sequence was impressed by a few of my favourite media, together with Cowboy Bebop, Ghost within the Shell, Battle Royale, Akira, and the No Extra Heroes video video games. It’s set within the cyberpunk metropolis of Neo Tokyo, which was hit by an enormous explosion ten years earlier than the primary guide begins. Following the blast, the streets is abruptly overrun by a horde of killer Mecha, that are shortly walled off and contained within the metropolis’s Sector-Ok district.
Ten years later, Sector-Ok has been rebranded as Killtopia. Bounty hunters come to Japan from all world wide to enter Killtopia and hunt the Mechs for cash, fame and limitless social affect. Our hero is Shinji, a rookie hunter who secretly enters the Killtopia looking grounds to pay for his dying sister’s medical care.
Sooner or later Shinji runs into Crash, the world’s first sentient Mech, who occurs to have the remedy to his sister’s illness inside his code. They staff up and set off into Neo Tokyo to heal Shinji’s sister whereas being chased by crazed bounty hunters, Yakuza crime lords, android assassins, and extra threats.
Their easy job shortly explodes right into a determined battle to avoid wasting your entire planet from a bigger, hidden menace (which I received’t spoil right here!) The sequence is stuffed with darkish, dry British humour, numerous wild cyberpunk tech, and scathing satire on hype tradition, healthcare inequality, and lots of extra points.
Killtopia: Nano Jams is about after the mainline arc, and is our first standalone anthology set on the planet of Neo Tokyo. It comprises over 20 tales that have a look at how at present’s media know-how (video video games, social media, digital actuality, films and extra) might evolve in our warped cyberpunk future.
The guide was lovingly made by over 50 contributors, together with Skylar Patridge, Jason Lavatory, Liana Kangas, Stipan Morian, Scott Bryan Wilson and Gamespot’s Lucy James. They’ve created many hilarious, horrifying, emotional and thought-provoking tales about our relationship with media, together with mind-controlled video video games, an Amazon Alexa that develops a god complicated and extra.
Nano Jams is a superb place to start out your Killtopia journey should you’re new to the sequence!
ANGELES: I beloved the science fiction tropes and influences. Cyberpunk 2077. Matrix. What else did you pull from and what had been a few of your favorites?
COOK: The preliminary thought for Killtopia got here from a information report I noticed on TV again in 2016. Right here in Scotland, all our healthcare is completely free, however the report was about how our Authorities on the time wished to tear that system up and make everybody pay for healthcare, like within the US. Fortunately, this by no means occurred.
I’ve bronchial asthma, which I would like remedy for, however I began to consider what this might imply for individuals who have persistent circumstances that require dearer, fixed care. What lengths would determined folks go to get the assistance they wanted? That’s the place the thought of the Rot got here from. It’s the nanomachine illness that Shinji’s sister, Omi (and most people throughout the planet) have contracted, because of the Mech’s terraforming Sector-Ok.
Breaking Dangerous was a direct affect, as Shinji hunts Mechs within the Killtopia looking zone illegally and retains this secret from his sister. It’s just like how the determined Walter White goes to excessive lengths to offer for his household, as a result of well being causes.
For the world of Neo Tokyo and the sequence’ darkish comedy tone, Transmetropolitan was an enormous affect, though I’m at all times nervous to confess this after Warren Ellis bought cancelled some time again. I learn that sequence again once I was in college, and the darkly comedian tone of town was an enormous inspiration for beginning the sequence. It was simply mega disappointing to see what occurred with Ellis within the years following Killtopia’s launch.
Elsewhere, my favorite anime Cowboy Bebop was an enormous affect, as seen in all of the bounty hunter parallels all through our sequence. Then there’s additionally Akira and Ghost within the Shell, in addition to the film Battle Royale, which helped encourage the bloodsport side of the sequence.
Lastly, the online game sequence No Extra Heroes was massively influential. The bounty hunters in Killtopia had been impressed by that sequence’ Murderer League, which is stuffed with killers who’ve distinctive, brash personalities and signature know-how, gimmicks and weapons.
One of many enjoyable features of writing Killtopia is peppering a ton of references and easter eggs to issues we love all through the visuals and dialogue. What number of can you see?
ANGELES: Curating an anthology is such a frightening job, particularly for one with 50 collaborators! What was that course of like for you and the staff?
COOK: I used to be the only real curator and editor, and I knew it might be a variety of work going into the mission. That’s largely why I set a transport date that was nearly a 12 months after the Kickstarter ended. I wished to offer myself and our fantastic creators sufficient time to create all these unimaginable tales with out stress, and with loads of time to do it proper. I by no means need my initiatives to be traumatic for others to work on.
Again once I determined to start out the mission, anthologies had come underneath scrutiny because of the high-profile rip-off that was Tales from the Quarantine. Should you haven’t heard of this, it was a rug-pulled anthology mission that was crowdfunded by Purple Cabin Comics, also called Frazer Brown. The guide made rather a lot on Kickstarter and was by no means launched. It’s the textbook definition of a rip-off, and it left a bitter style within the mouths of comedian readers throughout.
That’s why I wished to make sure we delivered on our promise of a top quality, pleasing anthology, filled with nice tales and artwork. This was so vital to me. Fortunately, the guide’s been getting nice suggestions from readers and reviewers up to now, which is fantastic to see!
In the end although, whereas it was a variety of laborious work for everybody concerned, it was by no means traumatic or regrettable at my aspect. That is because of everybody on the mission being unimaginable to work with, to not point out affected person, skilled and collaborative. I truthfully can not thank them sufficient for being so superior.
ANGELES: Now in Killopia, “Store until you drop” by Chris Simmonds was most likely my favourite story as I do assume firms like Amazon harming us over a unfavourable evaluate feels legit. What had been a few of your favourite tales on this assortment?
COOK: I truthfully laughed out loud once I first learn Chris’s script. It captured the ridiculous satire of the mainline Killtopia sequence so effectively. With out sounding like a wuss, I genuinely beloved all of them (it’s why I curated them, in spite of everything!) however I do have a number of private stand-outs.
I actually loved Schadenbeast Kill by Nick Bryan, Steve Gregson, and Fabiana Marques, because it’s such a darkish and wild spin on Pokemon GO that I wasn’t actually anticipating. Season 14, Episode 35 by Scott Bryan Wilson, Skylar Patridge and A.H.G lampooned the way in which we will develop into so distracted by media in a beautiful approach. I might actually relate to that one as somebody who works on their cellphone always. And I additionally associated to Disc Runner by Oliver Gerlach and Alex Moore, as somebody who has an actual fondness for outdated media codecs, like retro video games.
They’re all wonderful tales although. There’s rather a lot to find within the guide!
ANGELES: Was there ever any restrictions on what sort of Cyberpunk to jot down about? What’s a key distinction between the world of Killtopia that you just created and what’s featured in Nano Jams?
COOK: I used to be eager for Nano Jams to be accessible to anybody who hadn’t learn the mainline Killtopia sequence, so the one actual rule was to not embrace any characters or key plot factors from these books. That apart, each staff had full management over what they wished to create – so long as it tapped into the guide’s theme of ‘media.’ Some tales relate to the theme instantly, whereas others do it in additional refined, twisty methods, like SMUFF by Matt Adcock, Laura Helsby and JP Jordan, which is a cool story concerning the risks of selling limited-time quick meals gadgets to folks.
The one time the place I rejected an idea was if it was too just like one other story I’d already accepted, or if we had too many tales a couple of related theme. Digital Actuality was turning into a bit too frequent at one level, so I needed to advise contributors to steer away from that kind of media, simply to make sure that the guide stayed diverse.
ANGELES: From the introductory pages to Nano Jams, these collective little distractive shorts, I used to be immensely hooked. What do you want concerning the anthology format?
COOK: Thanks for that sort suggestions! I benefit from the format as a result of vary of visible types, narratives and voices you get in on guide. Each artist, author and colourist in any anthology brings their very own distinctive type to the desk, so this solely provides to the general attraction of the guide for me.
Anthologies are additionally an effective way to find new expertise you won’t have encountered earlier than. Because of this I used to be eager to make sure that Nano Jams had an incredible mixture of contributors who had been each well-known and frequently printed, to first-time creators and self-published authors.
I’m at all times a fan of serving to new creators out, whether or not it’s with script suggestions, recommendation and even social shares, so if I may also help newcomers get one other printed credit score towards their title, then that’s a bonus for certain!
ANGELES: Micah Myers on letters all all through was nice and I assumed he did a kick-butt job. How lengthy have the 2 of you collaborated collectively?
COOK: We’ve been working collectively because the very first situation of my (sadly defunct) darkish fantasy sequence Vessels. I made a decision to finish the sequence after each artists who labored on it determined to go away comics fully and alter profession. I felt that hiring a 3rd artist for the sequence can be too jarring for readers, so I made a decision to shelve it. I’d deliver it again someday as a reboot, as I nonetheless love the idea.
However Micah is nice to work with. He’s at all times comfortable to discover various concepts for lettering and nearly the one time I ever have edits for him is once I’ve messed one thing up within the scrip (sorry Micah!) However yeah, please rent Micah, you received’t be upset!
ANGELES: What’s subsequent within the Killtopia Universe or for your self for that matter?
COOK: For Killtopia, I’m presently engaged on situation #3 of our official sequel. It’s known as Killtopia: Phantoms and it’s set 5 years after the primary arc ended. It entails a principally new solid (except for some cameo appearances and different surprises) and stars a former Mech hunter known as Bloody Mary (who followers of our mainline sequence will already know)
Mary’s left the Killtopia bloodsport behind and now works for an elite police crew known as Phantoms Unit. Their goal is a infamous thoughts hacker who has discovered a strategy to jack into peoples’ mind implants. Utilizing their mind-hacking methods, our villain could make folks see their worst fears come to life, prey on their trauma to affect them, or at worst pressure them to commit homicide on their behalf.
Alongside the way in which, Mary and the opposite members of Phantoms Unit are thrown right into a darkish and violent thriller that entails a Yakuza energy wrestle, shady Authorities businesses, and lots of surprises that I promise you received’t see coming. It’s extra of a cyberpunk horror, and we’re actually leaning into the trippy nature of the villain’s thoughts hacks to provide you with some actually wild and grotesque visuals.However, it additionally has the depraved satire and comedy moments of the unique sequence, too. To present you an instance, the thoughts hacker’s management over their victims was impressed by misinformation and the way in which that influencers, tech bro CEOs, and sure political figures make regular folks imagine the dumbest shit attainable – just like the flat Earth concept. So yeah, we’ll be ripping into all of these terrible folks utilizing Killtopia’s satirical edge.
That stated, I do not know when the primary guide will come out, however I can affirm that the outdated staff of Clark Bint, Lou Ashworth and Micah Myers are getting again collectively for this run. We’re eager to take it sluggish, have enjoyable with it, and make it a worthy successor to the unique. Regulate my socials this 12 months for extra!
And personally, I’m additionally taking it slower. Comics are getting dearer and tougher to self-publish as time rolls on, because of the financial system, new transport restrictions which have simply hit the UK, and extra. I’m 41 now (which isn’t outdated!) however I additionally don’t need comics to really feel like a supply of stress anymore, which suggests extra time for myself, my household and to simply recharge my thoughts and provides myself area to provide you with new concepts.
In the end, which means much less Kickstarters every year and extra writer pitches. I spent most of 2024 talking with editors and doing the entire networking issues, so appears like now the time is true to focus extra on pitching. Will it work? Who is aware of? However I wish to give it a correct shot in a approach that feels sustainable.
ANGELES: Lastly, I ask this one rather a lot, do you’ve gotten any recommendation for somebody who needs to start out creating comics at present?
COOK: I type of alluded to it within the final reply, however try to do not forget that comics aren’t a race. You’re not in direct competitors along with your friends, and even when it appears to be like like they’re going mega quick and at all times placing new work out, that’s no cause so that you can kill your self with stress attempting to match them.
Write concepts which can be private to you, that you just’re captivated with, and don’t burn your self out making them. Needless to say this must be enjoyable, and attempt to not wreck your self financially should you’re self-funding. Should you can’t afford to place a pitch collectively with out dipping into life financial savings or taking a mortgage, simply put it on ice for now and save up. Certain, it sucks to attend once you’re itching to get a narrative out into the world, but it surely’s not value ruining your self over.
Phew! Thanks for having me, and for the superior questions. It’s very a lot appreciated!
You should buy Killtopia: Nano Jams and the remainder of this Cyberpunk story on Dave’s comedian web site.
