It's a great time to be reading comics. We can't seem to go a month or week without a great brand new comic by a top creator. This week is no exception as we prepare for Sam Humphries to unleash his latest new series, HIGHER EARTH at BOOM! Studios.
What the heck is HIGHER EARTH about? We figured the best way to find out was to ask the man, Sam Humphries, himself. And for one dollar, you'll want to be sure you grabe a copy tomorrow before they all fly off the shelves (not literally, it'd cost more than a dollar to sell comics that could fly on their own).
Comic Vine: What's your ten second sales pitch on why people should buy HIGHER EARTH?
Sam Humphries: This is a comic about alternate earths, swords, blood, infinite possibilities, and revenge.
HIGHER EARTH is already a best selling comic book on over a million alternate earths. Get on the ground floor, now!!
CV: You've been hitting the different genres in comics, what is it about space/sci-fi that you find appealing in a comic?
SH: Sci-fi is like a hole in a sheet. You can do crazy things through a hole in a sheet that you can't get away with if the sheet isn't there.
== TEASER ==
CV: New series have to find the balance between action, story development and character origins. Do you give this a lot of thought or just dive into writing the script?
SH: I am not nearly good enough to just dive in and make it work. When I started, the story was very different, very unfocused. Thanks to a lot of advance planning, the book is much, much better.
CV: How long have you had the idea for HIGHER EARTH and what inspired it?
SH: An alternate Sam Humphries on a parallel earth is an enlightened monk who meditated on top of the running engine block of a 1968 Chevrolet Malibu for twelve years. At the end of his meditation he spoke a single word that entered a Jagermeister-infused dream on the eve of my 30th birthday. Based on that I wrote Higher Earth.
CV: How far out do you have the series mapped out?
SH: About 20-30 issues. There's a lot of story here -- the origins of Rex and Heidi, why they are running, why they are seeking revenge, what they mean to each other, who they really are, and what that even means in an empire of a hundred multiple Earths. All the planet hopping stuff is fun, but the characters are the real point of the story.
CV: Did Stevie Wonder in any way inspire the title of the comic? (I keep thinking of "Higher Ground" when I see your title).
SH: Stevie Wonder inspires everything I do. Stevie Wonder is a musical genius. Have you ever heard "A Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants"?? Our Love Is Real, man.
CV: What are your thoughts on multiple/alternate Earths? Are you comfortable with the idea of an infinite number of Sam Humphries possibly running around causing panic or mischief?
SH: Oh I'm all for it. Somewhere out there, on an alternate Earth, genius-level Sam Humphries is currently unveiling his greatest achievement. It's called G.O.A.T.: The Most Amazing Comic Book Ever Created. And my greatest achievement will be to find him, kill him, and take all the credit.
HIGHER EARTH is on sale Wednesday, May 9. It's already pre-sold out but check with your local comic shop to see if they still have any first printings available. A second printing is on the way. And while your at the comic shop, why not pick up Sam's FANBOYS VS. ZOMBIES as well?