Interview: Zac Thompson Takes You Through 'Nature's Labyrinth'
Oct 10, 2022
Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
After being dropped on a terrifying island with an ever-changing landscape and left to fight for their lives, a handful of criminals must fight for their own survival! It's all-out mayhem in a game of battle royale over the course of three days! The winner receives riches and complete anonymity, but at the cost of keeping their silence about the island's existence. This is Nature's Labyrinth from Mad Cave Studios.
In the following interview, writer Zac Thompson gives you a tour of this remote island complex lined with traps and an ever-changing landscape.
Catch us up to speed. What is Nature's Labyrinth?
Nature's Labyrinth is an action-horror book with an ensemble cast. It’s a love letter to the Battle Royale or the death-game horror subgenre. A big, no-holds-barred, battle to the death where everyone’s loss is another’s gain.
With eight felons duking it out, who is the main character?
The main character is the mysterious J ROE. J is someone who’s entered the game under false pretenses and will do anything to uncover the horrible truth behind this horrible enterprise. J’s a tough as nails, muscle-bound tank. They’re trained in combat and know how to survive rough situations. I’ve always wanted to write a character like J. No bullshit, all action.
Tell us about Ahab. What is his obsession with this game about?
Ahab is the boss figure who runs Nature’s Labyrinth. His motives for running the game are deeply rooted in his past and tie into the overall “audience”. Ahab is a skilled fighter, a survivalist, and a family man. He’s all about keeping things interesting and entertaining. If the audience is bored, he’s not doing his job. He lives to entertain.
This is destined to conjure up thoughts of the novel and movie Battle Royale. Is it safe to assume that was the inspiration? Or something else entirely?
Oh definitely. The book is a giant love letter to Battle Royale and comics like The Legend of Luther Strode. While also ensuring the tone invokes some of my personal influences like Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, and Tobe Hooper’s The Funhouse just to name a few. It’s all about inverting expectations and creating a big, sprawling, “map” where the carnage can play out. The series was born from this idea that the death-game horror subgenre is underserved. When you see the staggering success of something like Squid Game it seems to really prove that point. I feel like it's the perfect genre for a comic. A great way to weave really kinetic action scenes against a character-driven story about trust, teamwork and the slippery nature of redemption.
What made artist Bayleigh Underwood the right person for the job?
Bayleigh is a massive talent. They were the only person who could bring this insane concept to life. Their character acting is second to none. They have highly expressive art that feels evocative of Manga styles and their action storytelling is some of the best I’ve ever seen. Scripting the series for them has been an absolute joy, pushing myself to think of more and more insane action set pieces. And every single time, Bayleigh delivers the goods. So much so, that I basically jump for joy every time they’re pages turn up in my inbox. Every page has the perfect blend of detail, sweet and disarming character acting, and absolutely brutal action. Bayleigh is the real star of this book.
Looking forward, what can readers expect from Nature's Labyrinth?
A lot of fast-paced and frantic action that asks tough questions about the nature of trust and redemption. There’s all kinds of insane environmental surprises and bursts of brutal gore that will make even the most seasoned horror fan a little queasy. It’s all balanced with a lighter, tongue in cheek, tone that never takes things too seriously.
In terms of audience, who is this book for?
Nature’s Labyrinth is for fans of Squid Game, Battle Royale, and the many Murderworld storylines from Marvel Comics. It’s a character-driven battle for survival against impossible odds set in an ever-changing natural landscape. So if you’re looking for a new spin on the death game sub genre or just a mix of laughs, gore, and action - look no further.
Nature's Labyrinth (SEP221804) is available on November 2, 2022, at comic shops from Mad Cave Studios. Reserve your copy with PREVIEWSworld Pullbox.
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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 Award-nominated Magic Bullet.
