TALKING TO THE SPACE DOUBLES TEAM

[MattBrady]

by Vaneta Rogers

Fans of science fiction and horror comics can find a few titles to represent each of those genres separately, but it's rare to find anything that that covers both.

Space Doubles, a new title from Th3rd World Studios, will remedy that sci-fi horror shortage in December. Featuring two stories in each issue, by different creators each month, the comic is being published in "flip" format – where one story starts on one side of the comic, and then you flip it to read the other story.

When the series debuts with its #1 issue, one side will have the story "Red Rain" by writer Mike Racht and artist Alecia Rodriguez, which tells the story of a celebrity crew of astronauts who investigate a strange red mist on the moon. The other side of the first issue will have the story "Project Obeah" by writers Leah Moore and John Reppion, with Jeremy Dale on art, which focuses on something terrifying that happens to a crew of workers getting a planet ready for colonizing.

Newsarama talked to a few of the folks who worked on the first issue of Space Doubles in a roundtable discussion with Scott Closter, the creator who came up with the idea for the anthology series.

Newsarama: Let's start with you, Scott. As the series creator, tell us how this anthology-type title evolved. Was this an idea you had, or something that began its evolution elsewhere?

Scott Closter: It started from a string of ideas I had. Basically I had a few short science fiction scripts hanging around that I was working on and wasn't sure what to do with. I was reading through a few issues of Western Tales of Terror and got the idea that I could possibly put together a similar anthology type book.

I knew that anthologies could be a hard sell so I mulled over several formatting concepts that would possibly help give the series a unique look and feel. I'm a huge fan of science fiction from the 60's and 70's, primarily Philip K Dick. I was looking up some information on a few of his books and came to the old Ace Doubles listings. For those not familiar with Ace Doubles, back in the 50's, Ace Books would often publish a lesser known author with one more well known in a /dos-à-dos /(flip-book format) to help the lesser known gain readership. The light bulb went off. I now had a concept to wrap the series around, and needed to go "out there" and collect content to populate it before pitching to a publisher.

NRAMA: Tell us the premise for the comic.

SC: It's a fairly simple premise: Each writer or writing team was asked to produce a short science fiction based story. We didn't impose specific restrictions with respects to the amount of sci-fi within the stories, I think our one hard rule centered on page count, to help keep the format of the book work. Each book contains two 11-page stories in flip book format, emulating the design of the Ace Doubles books. One of the benefits of this is that we get to feature two great covers each issue without having to deal with variants and such. It then took a bit of time and squabbling among the editors of the book to use two stories in each issue that wouldn't be too similar or jarring when paired together.

NRAMA: How did you get things started with the search for the creators and stories?

SC: For the most part, I grabbed the stack of comics I had purchased over the several months previous to dreaming up the idea and looked for creators who had produced sci-fi in some form or another and started cold-contacting via email. A few of the creators I had known already through one stream of contact or another. I'm making it sound a lot easier than it actually was in reality. Believe me, this project was a very difficult way to get one's feet wet publishing a comic book.

NRAMA:: Since we're talking today to Leah, John and Jeremy, who all worked on the issue that comes out in December, how did you find the creators for this first issue?

SC: I "cold-called" via email Leah Moore and John Reppion. I had read Wild Girl and was reading Albion and thought they could come up with something for the series. They accepted right away and are both super people to deal with.

Th3rd World co-founder Mike Devito had pointed out Jeremy Dale as a potential artist for the story, and after a couple emails he was on board. I'd have to say that Jeremy is one of the most efficient artists I've ever had the pleasure of working with.

Mike DeVito had also been communicating with Mike Raicht about another project and invited him to submit a story for the series, and he produced “Red Rain”. Our editor Justin Robinson had pointed out Alecia Rodriguez after he'd seen her artwork at a convention (I believe), and again after a few emails Alecia was on board with the project and was also a great pleasure to work with.

This is one of the beautiful things about the Internet – issue #1 of Space Doubles has input from all over the United States, Canada, and the UK. Hard to imagine anything like this happening 20 years ago.

NRAMA: Leah and John, we heard from Scott about a couple comics you guys have done. Can you tell people where they might have seen your work before?

Leah: We’ve been writing comics together since 2003, when we did our first series, Wild Girl, for Wildstorm. Since then, we co-wrote Albion with Alan Moore, we had a short story in The Dark Horse Book of Monsters, we wrote Witchblade: Shades of Grey for Dynamite, and we did an E A Poe adaptation with James Fletcher for Nevermore an anthology from Self Made Hero books. We had a great little 1970’s style fantasy story serialized in three issues of Savage Tales, and we did my personal favorite, Raise The Dead, a kick ass zombie series which is being collected into a hardcover very soon, also with Dynamite comics. We also have three other projects in production with Dynamite comics at the moment.

We are really pleased to add Space Doubles to the list though. Th3rd World comics have a lot of great ideas and their projects push all the right buttons for us. I think Space Doubles is going to be a hit.

NRAMA: How did you hook up with Th3rd World Studios to do this project and what attracted you to the concept?

John: I think we originally got an email from Mike DeVito explaining a little about Space Doubles and Th3rd World in general and asking us if we wanted to come on board. The whole idea of doing the flip cover thing and the old fashioned sci-fi sensibilities really appealed to us (and still do) and we didn't hesitate in saying yes.

NRAMA: How did you guys come up with the story for “Project Obeah?”

Leah: It was a small idea which just grew and grew, until it was enormous, and we then realized we had to fit it all into only a few pages of comic. It’s a riff on several classic Sci Fi scenarios, all mashed together. It’s quite dense and fast paced just because we were fitting a big story into a small space, but the artwork is great, the whole thing really came together well.

NRAMA: Tell us the basic premise behind the story.

John: The “Project Obeah” team are stationed on this desert planet, working shifts and breaking rocks to test for mineral content and all that kind of thing. The team's stint on the planet is finally coming to an end and they're all looking forward to finishing up, handing over to the next set of scientists and heading home. However, an unexpected discovery threatens the whole mission and soon there's a danger that no one will leave the planet alive.

NRAMA: For readers who might want to know a general idea of that "discovery," can you name maybe a movie or type of story that it's reminiscent of?

Leah: It’s a bit like Total Recall, here are bits that remind me of Aliens, there are bits that are really 1970’s TV sci fi, and bits that are bang up to date 2007 horror. Like I say, there’s a bit of everything in there!

NRAMA: Jeremy, you drew the Project Obeah story. How did you get involved in this project?

Jeremy Dale: Wow, it’s been awhile since all of that went down, but I seem to remember originally hearing about it from Thomas Mauer during my tenure as Art Director for Ronin Studios. From there, the Th3rdWorld gents tossed me a great script from Leah Moore and John Reppion and I went straight to it.

NRAMA: What did you think when you first read the script?

JD: I’ve always really enjoyed fun sci-fi tales, especially the classics that Wally Wood was involved with at EC. His work always inspired me, and getting a chance to work on some sci-fi myself was a pleasure.

Honestly, though, the first thing I noticed when I read the script was how in-depth and verbose it was. You have to understand, I’d more or less worked on loose scripts in the past, so coming across one like Leah and John’s really stretched me artistically. I think I’ve grown more from this one project than in any of my other work in comics so far—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

NRAMA: What was your artistic approach to the scenes and characters in Project Obeah?

JD: Clarity and range of expression, hands down. I like the characters I render to have their own subtle gestures and mannerisms that are entirely their own, and getting that across in a short story like this was a fun challenge—especially keeping it true to the original script’s vision.

NRAMA: You got to draw some pretty gruesome scenes -- was that a first for
you?

JD: Not at all! I don’t know about any other up-and-coming artist, but since I’ve had several zombie stories tossed my way over the past few years, illustrating gruesome carnage is pretty standard these days. Hopefully it comes off somewhat tasteful even in its violent imagery. That’s the idea, anyway—shock the reader, but don’t disrespect the responsibility of the visuals telling a clear, powerful story.

NRAMA: Speaking of gruesome carnage, I've read this issue so Mike, you've got quite a shocker for that ending of “Red Rain.” But before we talk about that, let's give you the chance to explain how you got involved in the series.

Mike Raicht: I first met Mike DeVito, one of the publishers of Th3rd World Studios, at Philly Con. I gave him a packet of writing work I'd done for Marvel, some Marvel Age stuff and X-Men Unlimited work, and a proposal for a horror book. He called me back the following week and we started to work together on the horror book.

While putting that book together Mike asked me if I'd have any interest working on an 11-page story for a flip book they were doing called Space Doubles. I said definitely. He asked Scott Closter, the creator of the project, if it was cool and he said yes.

I turned in my first draft about a week later. From there, after some editing, it was handed over to the extremely talented Alecia Rodriguez. The cover she worked up is beyond cool. It should catch a lot of people's eyes in the comic shops.

NRAMA: The cover really is intense, and it reflects what kind of story you're going to find inside. How did you come up with the story for “Red Rain?”

MR: I think the first caption of the story came to my mind first. That's not usually how I work but it kind of just flowed from there. What's more space opera then a bunch of space soldiers and astronauts blasting off to investigate a mystery in space?

NRAMA: Introduce the story to us. What's it about?

MR: Something huge has hit the moon. A "something" big enough for people on Earth to see with the naked eye. Immediately after that, a red mist covers the moon. No one can see the surface of the moon anymore. Is it just the debris from the explosion or is it something more than that?

Unfortunately, the human race has a hard time leaving things well enough alone. So they send a team to the moon to find out what is happening. What could possibly go wrong, right?

NRAMA: Well, come on. That team of astronauts was so hyped up by the government and press that they were celebrities. Is that something that interested you in particular -- the way the space program once had that feeling of celebrity?

MR: In the early years of the space program astronauts were promoted as celebrities in an effort to get the general public behind the space program to keep it funded. These guys were looked upon as role models for the youth of America. They met presidents. They were on television. They were America's greatest heroes.

My first science fair project focused on the original Mercury Seven astronauts. My dad actually did it for me. He was really into that stuff. So we built a rocket out of some plastic tubing, construction paper, and finished it off with a golf tee for the top. Through him I did get an appreciation for those first astronauts. I studied the Gemini and Apollo astronauts as well but those first seven astronauts came across like the coolest kind of daredevil, superstar, space cowboys. They were the space pioneers, hand picked from all of the U.S.'s most skilled jet pilots.

So I guess the shorter answer would be that astronauts have always interested me. Especially those first seven. They seemed bigger than life, doing performing missions only seven Americans (and a monkey or two), were chosen to for.
Overall, I think space travel has somehow lost that sense of wonder and is looked upon by a lot of people as ho-hum. Which is really nuts. The bottom line though is we're not going to Mars wondering what's up there. We have probes and telescopes to tell us what's there so it seems pedestrian. But what if we couldn't see what was going on? Would that added bit of mystery bring the excitement back? Would something crashing into the moon make the mission relevant again?

I think it might. And I guarantee it would be a brand new kind of space race to be the first to find out.

NRAMA: OK, back to you Scott. You've sold us on the first issue. Now what's coming in the next few issues of Space Doubles?

SC: In our second issue we have “Saucerful of Secrets” (that may seem like a typo, but it's correct) which is written By Jason Hall with art by Ron Chan and Rich Ellis and Sympathizers, written by Justin Robinson with art by Anuerin (Nye) Wright. We'll have an online preview of issue two sometime in November at www.th3rdworld.com. Future issues will contain work by Mike Baron, Andrew Dabb, Dwight MacPhereson, Ben Raab and a host of others.

A preview of Space Doubles #1 can be found here

[Blackbeard]

Thank you so much for conducting the interview and posting it, Vaneta and Matt!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: we need more good sci-fi comic books. And Space Doubles is more than just "another sci-fi book," it is one of the best in recent memory.

Good luck with this, Michael and Scott!

[jlm1955]

Nice interview Ms. Rogers.

[Billy Tucci]

Holy crap -- that's one of the best covers I've seen in years!

[Julius Brown]

I think that Countdown to Adventure already adequately satisfies the sci-fi horror needs of the industry.

Best of Luck on this project

[Blackbeard]

Originally Posted by Julius Brown

I think that Countdown to Adventure already adequately satisfies the sci-fi horror needs of the industry.

But why limit oneself? Imagine a world with one superhero comic book.

[pop monkey]

Looks and sounds great! I'm all for more sci-fi/horror anthologies, and this seems right up my alley. I've preordered issue one -- now begins the wait! Best of luck to the publishers -- I hope it succeeds well enough to continue for a long time.

[bkbirge]

On my pull list, can't wait to read it.

[AlexLothos]

This is the first I've heard of this project, but I really like the sound of it. Looking forward to checking it out!

[nyhardcore]

Originally Posted by Billy Tucci

Holy crap -- that's one of the best covers I've seen in years!

I agree. Looks incredible.

[lukabeast]

Hopefully this won't come off sounding like an acceptance speech (cue music if I ramble too long).

I just wanted to thank Vaneta, Matt and Newsarama for taking time to check out our latest book. I'd also like to thank those who've pre-ordered, and to those who pick up the book in December, I can't tell you enough how awesome that is!!!

For those reading all the posts here, Dwight (Blackbeard) MacPherson will be in an upcoming issue of Space Doubles presenting a tale filled with pulpy goodness, so make sure you stick around for all five fun-filled issues.

[waterdragon]

Shame no preview art, but I already put it on last months PREVIEWS order by taking a random chance at it. Issue #2 I noticed is in the PREVIEWS that just came out.

[lukabeast]

Originally Posted by waterdragon

Shame no preview art, but I already put it on last months PREVIEWS order by taking a random chance at it. Issue #2 I noticed is in the PREVIEWS that just came out.

Hello waterdragon. There's a link at the bottom of the interview, but I can see that it may indeed be a bit easy to miss, so here you go.
http://www.th3rdworld.com/previews/s...ubles/issue01/

We'll have more information on the second issue within the week. Thanks very much for placing a pre-order, thats totally rocks.

Scott

[MrPsycho]

That first cover is sick

[Thomas Mauer]

Gah! Wish I could have been in on this interview. It's cool reading the different angles how people got involved in the project.

[jasinmartin]

I thought about ordering this, but really wanted to see some interiors...

Now that I have (thanks for that link!), I'll be sure and get it ordered!

Looks and sounds great!

[lukabeast]

We will hook you up my friend.

Originally Posted by Thomas Mauer

Gah! Wish I could have been in on this interview. It's cool reading the different angles how people got involved in the project.

[lukabeast]

Alecia totally nailed it with this one, I'd have to agree.

Originally Posted by MrPsycho

That first cover is sick

[lukabeast]

That's awesome, thanks Jasin. Alecia Rodriguez, who did the Red Rain cover, also did the interiors for that story.

The preview for issue two, which is now in Previews (order code NOV073809) will be online within the next couple days. We'll definitely post back with more information. As well, you can see a partial cover image in my banner, and just below is a partial for the second cover, both for issue 2. We'll have full covers and information posted shortly.

Originally Posted by jasinmartin

I thought about ordering this, but really wanted to see some interiors...

Now that I have (thanks for that link!), I'll be sure and get it ordered!

Looks and sounds great!

[barkmann]

" This is one of the beautiful things about the Internet – issue #1 of Space Doubles has input from all over the United States, Canada, and the UK ..."

And even France ... héhééé
It was a greaaat pleasure to work with you all my friends !
Barkmann's ready for another one !

Much Love !!!

[lukabeast]

Ack! How could I forget Mr. Barkmann?

Originally Posted by barkmann

" This is one of the beautiful things about the Internet – issue #1 of Space Doubles has input from all over the United States, Canada, and the UK ..."

And even France ... héhééé
It was a greaaat pleasure to work with you all my friends !
Barkmann's ready for another one !

Much Love !!!

[barkmann]

No problem Scott !
Like i said, it was a real pleasure !

[lukabeast]

Booyakashah! It's late, so I'll be short.

Preview for issue 2 is now online:

http://www.th3rdworld.com/previews/s...ubles/issue02/

Scott

[Blackbeard]

Originally Posted by lukabeast

Booyakashah! It's late, so I'll be short.

Preview for issue 2 is now online:

http://www.th3rdworld.com/previews/s...ubles/issue02/

Scott

Already pre-ordered.

[lukabeast]

Originally Posted by Blackbeard

Already pre-ordered.

Ooo yeah, all the "indy bros." know, it's the pre-orders that save our bacon, and fry it up in the pan. And within the second issue you've so wonderfully pre-ordered (here's the segue way for all reading) you'll find the following creators (listed alphabetically):

Rich Chan
Ron Ellis
Jason Hall
Douglas Klauba
Thomas Mauer
Justin Robinson
Steve Talaba
Anuerin (Nye) Wright