Interview: You Are Among The Chosen in 'Stable' from Heavy Metal
Feb 14, 2022
Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
Three arks.
Two worlds.
One chance at survival!
From the mad geniuses over at Heavy Metal comes Stable (DEC211653), a trek through the stars for the sake of humanity. But not everyone is going to make it. Truth be told, a few of you may get left behind...
In the following interview, the symbiotic writing duo of Matthew Medney and Morgan Rosenblum brings you along for an interstellar take on Noah's Ark. One that only YOU are fortunate enough to experience.
Keep reading...
PREVIEWSworld: Since this is a sci-fi story, catch us up to speed. What is the setting for Stable?
Matthew and Morgan: I think our synopsis says it best. On an Earth with a dying Sun, there are two kinds of people. The Chosen. And the Left Behind. As the Sun begins to burn out, humankind faces extinction. But then, a miracle happens. An alien civilization offers help by sending designs for Space Arks, spaceships programmed to bring 300,000 people to their homeworld to start anew. With no apparent other choices to save humanity, Doctor Caleb Paulson takes charge of the mission, leading the Chosen ‘best of humanity’ on a mysterious journey to a far-off planet. As for the billions of humans remaining? They must fight against all odds to survive, as Earth faces an apocalyptic ending.
PREVIEWSworld: Tell us about the three arks. What distinguishes them from each other?
Matthew and Morgan: Design-wise, they are identical. It's the people aboard them that make the arks different. We meet a host of characters across the three arks. There are different tiers of people on these ships. There is the upper-tier: CEO Crenshaw, Doctor Paulson, and Captain Edwards are the most well informed and are literally and figuratively "driving the ship." They are the ones that received the initial message and hold the keys. Next, you have that second upper tier, the specialists: those most valuable to our collective "restart." The very best scientists, doctors, musicians, artists, anyone in that .001 percentile. And then you have the Lottery winners and the "pluses.". The ones who literally got lucky or maybe just knew the right people. Since each group of ark characters are stuck on their respective ark, they can really only interact with those aboard their own. That is until they arrive at their destination.
PREVIEWSworld: Should we trust these aliens and the Arks they’ve gifted us?
Matthew and Morgan: That’s one of the biggest questions that both the characters and the readers have up until the very last moment. You’ll have to read to find out!
PREVIEWSworld: You’re co-writers on this project. What brought you both together for this?
Matthew and Morgan: The Herø team started as a creative collective. Herø’s “core four” as we refer to it, is made up of Matthew Medney, Morgan Rosenblum, Pete “Voodoo Bownz” Russo, and Jonny Handler. We are also all best friends, which makes writing a lot of fun. Since we enjoy spending time with one another and aren’t afraid to challenge each other, that’s part of what allows us to really push these stories further.
PREVIEWSworld: What made Francesco Pisa the ideal artist for this story?
Matthew and Morgan: His sequential storytelling ability is top-notch. It’s so cinematic and emotional. When we shared with him our idea to use two-page spreads as the foundation for this book, he understood it and delivered tenfold!
PREVIEWSworld: Should we expect more stories from STABLE? Or is this a one-and-done?
Matthew and Morgan: We planned this as a trilogy. With everything we write, we think about how the story can translate to other mediums. Specifically film and television. Stable, with its ensemble cast of complex and relatable characters, would be an incredible show. So three arks. Three stories.
PREVIEWSworld: What should readers expect from STABLE?
Matthew and Morgan: A bold reflection on our most critical cynicisms. Stable is as much a social experiment as is it is a science fiction post-apocalyptic thriller. We feel as though we have a character for everyone. We love anti-heroes and flawed protagonists. And Stable is stacked full of them. Characters you initially liked, you may grow to hate, and vice versa. And if you like plot twists, this graphic novel trilogy will keep you guessing until the very end. Simply put, Stable is a really fun ride that you won’t want to get off.
PREVIEWSworld: In terms of audience, who is this book for?
Matthew and Morgan: It’s a bit more mature. It’s sci-fi, but it’s grounded and emotional. Think Star Trek meets Lost meets The Road.
Stable (DEC211653) hits comic shops on February 16, 2022. Pre-order your copy today using PREVIEWSworld Pullbox!
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Collects issues #1-4.
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Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. His comics work includes MF DOOM: All Caps, Public Enemy's Apocalpyse '91, Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Awards-nominated Magic Bullet.
