ArksRory Collins wants to tell you about a comic called Arks that is about a young couple, lost, naked, and starving in the woods, who have a terrible decision to make: burn to death or drown in the oxygen. And also how they invented a new genre of science-fiction. They write;

Arks is... Science Faction?

I am that dweeb and this is the ‘new’ genre - science faction;  “actual scientific discoveries or inventions that are so hard to believe as to be commonly mistaken for science fiction’ according to Urban Dictionary’s definition. 

It was a total accident. I read a brief history of time and had my heart broken when I discovered that the conventional idea of us traveling between distant planets in spaceships is completely impossible (Extrasolar travel for the nerds). But I love spaceships. Putting it aside I became fascinated with the topic of extrasolar travel and continued to research it. Which is now where you find me, halfway through our first Kickstarter for our comic, Arks. Which might just be, maybe, if you squint, the first science faction comic….or at least that’s my story and I’m running with it for now anyway. 

Let’s take a look at why I’m going for that claim….

The Why Behind Arks

It is based on a scientific theory that is so weird that the entire world seems to have overlooked it. Despite the theory existing for over 50 years and scientists now quietly admitting that it might be the only method, we have for extrasolar travel - its name... Directed Panspermia.

I know it has the word sperm in it, so laughing aside - you’re hardly likely to forget it once told it. But it remains one of the most bonkers, incredible ideas you’ve never heard of. Tick. Tell me more you say, well okay then…...thanks to recent advances in the field of genomics the simplest way for us to travel across the stars might be to fold human DNA into the DNA of bacteria and fire it at habitable planets in the goldilocks zone of their system's star.  We basically create a life form that, if frozen, could survive the unbelievably difficult journey across space and have it boot us up on the other side.  Tick. Tick, So there you have it. 

Most sci-fi stories, even the ones I love, like Star Trek and aliens, etc take a very maritime view of how we’ll travel across the stars. But what if we travel across the stars the same way as plants pollinate. This was my Jurassic park, dinosaur blood in the mosquito moment. Tick, tick, tick!

So I wrote a script! It was optioned by a movie studio, but wanting to see the story realized in my lifetime, and being a professional illustrator I decided to turn the story into a graphic novel. Originally I was going to produce it in my spare time. Then enough people hassled me that I have taken the plunge and we’re on Kickstarter. Looking to bring our take on science faction to the comics community and Bleeding Cool audience. 

Kickstarter Update

ArksOur Kickstarter was fully funded in 24 hours ( I know!) So we’ve now had the obvious thought, what if we can raise enough money to have a second artist work on the comic and get started on the 2nd issue. 

The campaign closes at 4pm EST on Friday, July 31st. With only hours to go, we’d have to smash through 6 more stretch goals. That’s possible, right?

Plus just think if you back Arks you’ll be one of the first to help create a new sub-genre. Tick, tick, tick, TICK! 

Be sure to check out their Kickstarter and add your support!

This article was written by Rory Collins.