With the first issue now out from DSTLRY, Warm Fusion is a new dystopian sci-fi comic book series from writer Scott “Babydaddy” Hoffman (a founding member of Scissor Sisters) and artist Alberto Ponticelli (Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E, Unknown Soldier). For our latest Q&A, I caught up with Scott, who tells us all about creating Warm Fusion‘s futuristic world with Alberto Ponticelli:
Where did the idea for Warm Fusion come from, and what made you so excited for this to be your latest comic book series?
I really wanted the next in the trajectory of my comic writing to be something bold. I’d been thinking a lot about the toxicity of the world we live in, both physical and psychological, and it seemed to tie in so well to some of the themes that made the body horror genre of the 80s so exciting to me. I shot some ideas around with my friend Sam and we tried to amp this world up into something believable, but also a bit extreme and even grotesque. My stories have all been, so far at least, extreme takes on what I see around me, and there was no shortage of material for a story about the future of humanity, the big pharma/health care industry, and the ways we can be cruel to each other.
You’ve teamed up with Alberto Ponticelli to create this future world that doesn’t seem too far off from where we’re headed. Can you talk about your creative process with Alberto Ponticelli?
Alberto is someone who I’d been wanting to work with for a while now, and after going back and forth a bit about his passions, Warm Fusion seemed like the perfect starting point for us. We did a LOT of sharing of references and inspirations in the lead-up, and then hit the ground running when DSTLRY decided to move forward with the series. At that point, I tried to be as hands-off as I could once he started in with the script layouts, and it’s been so satisfying to watch him run free with it. I have to say I think that freedom has really produced some of his best work. His favorite designs seem to be much like mine: warped, somewhat twisted, and emotionally and physically immersive.
When developing this world and the science behind it, what kind of research did you do into prosthetics and robotics? Any interesting stories that you can share with our readers?
I’m really interested in the Thalydomide crisis of the 50s/60s, and I let that be one of the centerpoints of my research. My band was active in London at the same time that an art commission was mounted in Trafalgar Square (on the fourth plinth) that portrayed a pregnant Alison Lapper, a very public, and proud, survivor of the effects of the medication. I was awed by her story. We actually performed in the Square and had all the plinths “come to life” on stage, which was a really memorable moment, especially with her likeness dancing among these important English historical figures and considering the power of venerating and celebrating physical differences.
Now, at the same time, I’m fascinated by prosthetics (and of course their relation to robotics), and intrigued by the idea that the problems in perfecting said hardware is in that moment where human flesh meets inorganic material. This reality makes the technology uncomfortable and frustrating despite how advanced that hardware can be. So I looked into that a lot: what problems come with living with these limbs and the difficulties in living with that discomfort. That incompatibility almost served as a metaphor for the book: how do we overcome the barrier between human and inhuman and what does that mean when we finally can?
You’ve also teamed up with DSTLRY for this project. What made DSTLRY the perfect home for this story?
I was hoping to work with DSTRLY from the moment they came onto the scene. They embody the spirit of the more subversive comics of the 80s and 90s that I loved and seem ready to take risks and give chances to new voices. It was a pretty obvious fit considering that.
What can you tell our readers about the story’s main characters: Vin Young and Jarrod Hannover?
Vin is an escort working in the “Blacklight District” of future NYC, a place where people’s wildest fantasies can be sought out. Being a victim of a past societal trauma, one shared by many people still living there, she’s a survivor and fiercely independent despite being fetishized for her differences. She’s the perfect hero for me: strong, self-assured, and, in moments, open about her vulnerabilities.
Jarrod is a detective trying to figure out why the city’s escorts, some of whom are Vin’s friends, are being violently murdered. He’s working in a system that doesn’t care enough about the people they deem lesser, so he’s not only fighting to solve the case but also to prove to those he serves that there is still someone left in that system who cares about them. He’s not without his own self-doubts as well as cynicism about the failing public sector, despite his years of service.
Can you give our readers a tease of what they can expect over the course of Warm Fusion?
My goal with Warm Fusion is to reveal the origins of this city’s (and future world’s) pain and give the characters an opportunity to find those answers for themselves as well as seek redemption. So there’s going to be discovery, plenty more intrigue, and something I haven’t done before, which is to build up to a good amount of action. As dark as this book can be, I think it’s going to be a wild and, hopefully, fun ride to the end!
What are some of your favorite genre movies and comics that were an inspiration for Warm Fusion?
As I had mentioned before, I was thinking about a lot of body horror and sci-fi classics of the ‘80s, from Videodrome to The Thing to Robocop—those stories that mix humanity with the scary potential of technology and explore a sort of unnatural human evolution. The comics influences, from The Dark Knight Returns to Elektra Assassin to Ronin (ok, yeah, a lot of Frank Miller), were tied around that era too but were more a look, for me, at how comics can approach action, media, and futurism while also conveying the mood of a dark, chaotic urban, and social landscape. I was reading a lot for mood with this one; my favorite comics and movies are completely transportative and can pull you into an extreme reflection of the world we live in.
—
Check out our preview below and, to pick up a copy of Warm Fusion and keep up with all things DSTLRY, visit: https://dstlry.co/products/warm-fusion-1-ponticelli-cover-a
“Nearly half a century into the future, New York City has been devastated by crime, ongoing storms, residual radiation from a terrorist attack, and genetic mutations spurred by the medical innovations created in response. After a series of murders rip through the city’s brothels, an escort named Vin Young, who cosplays as the Brothers Grimm’s Snow White—and is one of the generation of deformed victims—pursues the killer, or killers, reluctantly joining forces with Jarrod Hannover, the lone cop assigned to the case. The two eventually arrive at a biotech megacorp developing a cellular metal called Warm Fusion—a pioneering technology meant to replace prosthetics limbs—and soon confront the sociopathic scientist Nicholas Fleischer, his monstrous alter-ego, Mr. Barnaby, and the hideous monster that he’s been secretly developing.”
