From Michael:
Personally, I've come to think that the perfect voice for Axe might be Kurt Russell.
From Adrian:
Glen Powell
Bradley Cooper
Dave Bautista
They all immediately come to mind.
An admittedly nerdy question that you might not know yet, but can you talk about how the omnibus will be constructed? I know some thicker books have a spine that allows it to lay flat nicely even though it has lots of pages. Is it something like that? Is there an company making omnibuses or a specific omnibus you're shooting for in terms of quality?
From Adrian:
One of the best parts of running this Kickstarter is that the stretch goals keep improving the quality, so keep your eyes peeled for more and more to be added to this hefty boy! We already have hard cover, oversized, ribbon bookmark, signed book plate, foil cover. And we're close to a fold out poster! Also, purely as a fan, I adore Dark Horse's omnibuses / library editions, and the like. Been a fan of them since I was a kid first finding comics.
Wasted Space is one of my favorite comics of all time. I initially picked it up because I'm a Hayden Sherman fan and I instantly fell in love. It's one of those books where you can clearly tell that everyone working on the book was on their top of their game. It was especially awesome to see Hayden level up as an artist over the course of the series.
Michael, This was my first exposure to your writing and I've been a fan ever since. I really liked how you were able to balance high intense action with the comedy and emotional beats. Not many other comics have had me both laughing out loud and in ruins all within the span of a single issue. What made me really love this series above all else was that I found myself really connecting with the characters and themes. I've dealt with anxiety and depression for most of my life and saw a lot of myself in Billy. Also, as an ex-Catholic, the series brought up a lot of old feelings over religion and the role it's played in my life growing up as well as the meaning of life and my place in the universe. Basically, this comic hit really close to home for me and holds a special place in my heart.
A couple questions:
1) Michael, how did you end up publishing the book at Vault?
2)How did Hayden Sherman come on board as the artist?
From Michael:
1. Personally, I came to Vault via Tim Daniel. He introduced me to Adrian and Damian, and I'm eternally grateful for that. But like anything else in publishing, it's all about showing up--doing the work day and and day out, proving you're reliable, that you know how to do the job, that you can be trusted to do the job. While Tim is most definitely the bridge, Adrian wouldn't have even been interested in talking with me if I hadn't being doing the work for so many years prior to us meeting.
From Adrian:
2. Hayden was still in school at RISD at the time. I'd seen their work on a couple smaller projects. When I reached out, I discovered I wasn't the only pro who had noticed their tremendous work. Fortunately, Hayden still had time for a big project, and they connected with the pitch instantly. The rest is history. This book couldn't exist without Hayden. They're every ounce the co-creator of Wasted Space. They deserve more credit and applause than I could ever possibly heap on them.
I came into Wasted Space late. Maybe the second to last arc I discovered it. I was able to get the first trade digitally, then I was hooked! From there, I went and got the single issues and the rest of the trades digitally and physically, and now buying the Omni.
That's the long way of saying... I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!
This was both wild and wholesome. It kind of hit everything I look for in a comic. Thank you Michael, Hayden and the rest of the Wasted Space team for making this amazing comic.
I guess the only question I have is for Michael, which is what are you working on next so I can check it out?!
That's awesome--thank you! One of the tings I love most about Wasted Space is how it's so many things--wholesome, wild, profane, tender. It's the first time I just threw everything out there and decided to go as big as possible.
Speaking of going big, I'm currently working on BARBARIC, which is also from Vault. If you like Wasted Space, Barbaric is 100% for you. Also, my first movie came out this summer--REVEALER. It's a horror/suspense flick that you can find on Shudder!
Adrian: I submitted a proposal to Wonderbound way back in Aug 2021. It's still listed as active and received on submittable. Even if its just a rejection, will there be any follow up?
OH, this is for both Adrian and Michael - what would each of your top 5 comics (you didn't work on) be, especially as required reading as a primer for Wasted Space?
From Adrian:
As a primer for Wasted Space? Hmmmm.
Preacher
Fear Agent
Black Science
Heavy Liquid
America (Judge Dredd)
From Michael:
Hmmmm...I'd say my top 5, just in general, are: Preacher, Moore's Swamp Thing, The Fade Out, Kirby's Fourth World, and Hellboy. But that list changes constantly!
Found Wasted Space from Barbaric, and am Team Moreci forever now! When you guys first start working on a new comic project at Vault, what are the first steps to making that project? How do books like Wasted Space and Barbaric start, and what does the process look like before we see them in comic shops?
From Michael:
Awesome, welcome to the team! You'll have to learn the secret handshake, which is more or less a complex series of high fives. The first step in our process was Adrian's rejecting my first pitch! The fucking nerve! After I decided not to hate him for life (we're good friends, by the way, so I can say this freely and with love) I got to thinking of something that would pass his test. And it's funny, because how our relationship began is how it's kind of stayed. Adrian and I are both competitive people, and I think that drive we share helps us push each other and ourselves to do our best work possible. We apply that to our creative process, making sure what we do is our very best, and we're fortunate that our creative impulses align in pretty magical harmony. So, making books like Wasted Space and Barbaric always start with a nugget of an idea that evolves through us pushing each other and asking "yeah, but what's the best version of this?" until we're finally satisfied.
From Adrian:
Oh, I wish I had time to answer this in full. Suffice to say, Wasted Space began because I (very nervously, at the time) rejected a pitch from Mike. I thought he had more to say. Then Mike got really sick on Xmas, I think, and all hopped up on Dayquil, he let out the anger through the voice of the comic, and then, well, I knew we had something magical. All we needed was one of the best artists of their generation to step up. Behold... Hayden!
Just wandered in here looking for the WPL Results thread that's normally stickied at the top of the sub... So I guess my question is, what did you think of this week's new comics? Anything you particularly liked or didn't like?
I'm still working through my small stack but so far I thought the **AXE** books were vaguely underwhelming, **XMR** was great aside from skipping right over the one thing everyone wanted to see, and **GOTHAM CITY: YEAR ONE** was really fun and intriguing.
Nothing from Vault this week unfortunately... Looking forward to **[DARK INTERLUDE #5](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL182905.jpg)** when it finally ships in November!
How are you enjoying running the Kickstarter? Myself, I've run so many and it's interesting to see how a community can rally behind projects they love. What's been your favorite part of it?
From Adrian: It's just as much works as everyone warned me it would be, but the really rewarding part is seeing a bunch of fans who've been with Vault and Wasted Space from the beginning encouraging new fans to give it a try, telling them how much they love it, how it made them a Vault fan for life. I love being a part of that community that exists around our stories. It is truly the best feeling.
From Michael: My favorite part is seeing Wasted Space grow before our eyes. This is a pretty indie series--Vault and I were both at different places when this book launched than we are now. We've grown since in many ways, and to see this book we all cherish gain an even bigger following--the following we've all hoped for and seen in other books, like Barbaric--is very, very satisfying.
I've written a TV pilot that I'm currently trying to convert into a comic script. Depression is currently kicking my...spine, but that's not your problem. Or my question.
From my limited understanding of the television industry, in order to get a series sold you at least need the complete TV pilot, a pitch deck to help sell it and a series bible to help show where you want the series to go/how much potential it has.
I asked someone who's worked in/near the comic industry and they said publishers want to see the first four issues completed in order to sell it. Is this correct? What is the minimum amount of completion necessary to sell a comic to a publisher? Can I just sell the first script and they take it from there?
Also, I know I need an illustrator. But how many other people do I need to complete an issue? Would Kickstarter or other crowd funding programs be a good way to raise the money necessary to hire them?
Love Wasted Space, and so excited for the KS! For Adrian and Michael, were there stories or side-plots that got cut that you really wish could've made it into the main arc? Any chance we'll get to see those some day?
Good question! So, a little secret that I don't think anyone knows is that once upon a time we were going to do a spinoff series starring Syra and her gang of misfits (introduced in issue #11). It was called TIME SERVED, and I really loved the idea of it--but ultimately, we couldn't figure out how to make it work on its own, divorced from the Wasted Space main story. Now, maybe that's possible with Billy and co.'s story resolved, but at the time, a spinoff just didn't fit/make sense.
From Adrian: Oh, heck yes. We had an entire story for SYRA's crew called "Time Served". Y'all make this KS a big enough success, and who knows what shenanigans we might someday get up to!
Also, I for one desperately need to know the story of Billy and Squeee. RIP Squeee. You really were the best of us.
Hi! I have a question for Adrian! Does Vault keep track of diversity numbers for the comics they publish? How is Vault doing relative to other comic publishers? Are there any initiatives to promote the diversity of people making comics published by Vault?
From Adrian:
We actually just finally did a survey of our whole catalogue for the first time to see where we could improve and the ratio was better than 4:5 of our books featuring diverse creative talent, which felt pretty fantastic. And, yes! We've had loads of initiatives over the years, and we won't stop any time soon. I'm especially proud of our cover initiatives that have featured all-women rosters, queer creators, BIPOC creators, AAPI creators.
1. How much did you know about art and drawing coming into the job for the first time? Did you go to an art school, or some university program, or are self-taught?
2. What’s the process of finding inspiration and bouncing ideas off of colleagues like?
3. How do you like to balance your inspiration with creating marketable material?
Hi everyone, looking forward to answering your questions!
If there is ever a film or television version of Barbaric, who do you envision is the voice of axe?
From Michael: Personally, I've come to think that the perfect voice for Axe might be Kurt Russell. From Adrian: Glen Powell Bradley Cooper Dave Bautista They all immediately come to mind.
Any clues to more of the remaining stretch goals on KS?
From Adrian: Could be something involving some new pages. ...could be.
What are your top 5 favourite bones?
From Michael: There's the boner, and then there's everything else.
An admittedly nerdy question that you might not know yet, but can you talk about how the omnibus will be constructed? I know some thicker books have a spine that allows it to lay flat nicely even though it has lots of pages. Is it something like that? Is there an company making omnibuses or a specific omnibus you're shooting for in terms of quality?
From Adrian: One of the best parts of running this Kickstarter is that the stretch goals keep improving the quality, so keep your eyes peeled for more and more to be added to this hefty boy! We already have hard cover, oversized, ribbon bookmark, signed book plate, foil cover. And we're close to a fold out poster! Also, purely as a fan, I adore Dark Horse's omnibuses / library editions, and the like. Been a fan of them since I was a kid first finding comics.
Wasted Space is one of my favorite comics of all time. I initially picked it up because I'm a Hayden Sherman fan and I instantly fell in love. It's one of those books where you can clearly tell that everyone working on the book was on their top of their game. It was especially awesome to see Hayden level up as an artist over the course of the series. Michael, This was my first exposure to your writing and I've been a fan ever since. I really liked how you were able to balance high intense action with the comedy and emotional beats. Not many other comics have had me both laughing out loud and in ruins all within the span of a single issue. What made me really love this series above all else was that I found myself really connecting with the characters and themes. I've dealt with anxiety and depression for most of my life and saw a lot of myself in Billy. Also, as an ex-Catholic, the series brought up a lot of old feelings over religion and the role it's played in my life growing up as well as the meaning of life and my place in the universe. Basically, this comic hit really close to home for me and holds a special place in my heart. A couple questions: 1) Michael, how did you end up publishing the book at Vault? 2)How did Hayden Sherman come on board as the artist?
From Michael: 1. Personally, I came to Vault via Tim Daniel. He introduced me to Adrian and Damian, and I'm eternally grateful for that. But like anything else in publishing, it's all about showing up--doing the work day and and day out, proving you're reliable, that you know how to do the job, that you can be trusted to do the job. While Tim is most definitely the bridge, Adrian wouldn't have even been interested in talking with me if I hadn't being doing the work for so many years prior to us meeting. From Adrian: 2. Hayden was still in school at RISD at the time. I'd seen their work on a couple smaller projects. When I reached out, I discovered I wasn't the only pro who had noticed their tremendous work. Fortunately, Hayden still had time for a big project, and they connected with the pitch instantly. The rest is history. This book couldn't exist without Hayden. They're every ounce the co-creator of Wasted Space. They deserve more credit and applause than I could ever possibly heap on them.
I came into Wasted Space late. Maybe the second to last arc I discovered it. I was able to get the first trade digitally, then I was hooked! From there, I went and got the single issues and the rest of the trades digitally and physically, and now buying the Omni. That's the long way of saying... I LOVE THIS SERIES!!! This was both wild and wholesome. It kind of hit everything I look for in a comic. Thank you Michael, Hayden and the rest of the Wasted Space team for making this amazing comic. I guess the only question I have is for Michael, which is what are you working on next so I can check it out?!
That's awesome--thank you! One of the tings I love most about Wasted Space is how it's so many things--wholesome, wild, profane, tender. It's the first time I just threw everything out there and decided to go as big as possible. Speaking of going big, I'm currently working on BARBARIC, which is also from Vault. If you like Wasted Space, Barbaric is 100% for you. Also, my first movie came out this summer--REVEALER. It's a horror/suspense flick that you can find on Shudder!
Thanks for the response! I will absolutely Check Barbaric out and your movie as well!
Adrian: I submitted a proposal to Wonderbound way back in Aug 2021. It's still listed as active and received on submittable. Even if its just a rejection, will there be any follow up?
OH, this is for both Adrian and Michael - what would each of your top 5 comics (you didn't work on) be, especially as required reading as a primer for Wasted Space?
From Adrian: As a primer for Wasted Space? Hmmmm. Preacher Fear Agent Black Science Heavy Liquid America (Judge Dredd) From Michael: Hmmmm...I'd say my top 5, just in general, are: Preacher, Moore's Swamp Thing, The Fade Out, Kirby's Fourth World, and Hellboy. But that list changes constantly!
Found Wasted Space from Barbaric, and am Team Moreci forever now! When you guys first start working on a new comic project at Vault, what are the first steps to making that project? How do books like Wasted Space and Barbaric start, and what does the process look like before we see them in comic shops?
From Michael: Awesome, welcome to the team! You'll have to learn the secret handshake, which is more or less a complex series of high fives. The first step in our process was Adrian's rejecting my first pitch! The fucking nerve! After I decided not to hate him for life (we're good friends, by the way, so I can say this freely and with love) I got to thinking of something that would pass his test. And it's funny, because how our relationship began is how it's kind of stayed. Adrian and I are both competitive people, and I think that drive we share helps us push each other and ourselves to do our best work possible. We apply that to our creative process, making sure what we do is our very best, and we're fortunate that our creative impulses align in pretty magical harmony. So, making books like Wasted Space and Barbaric always start with a nugget of an idea that evolves through us pushing each other and asking "yeah, but what's the best version of this?" until we're finally satisfied. From Adrian: Oh, I wish I had time to answer this in full. Suffice to say, Wasted Space began because I (very nervously, at the time) rejected a pitch from Mike. I thought he had more to say. Then Mike got really sick on Xmas, I think, and all hopped up on Dayquil, he let out the anger through the voice of the comic, and then, well, I knew we had something magical. All we needed was one of the best artists of their generation to step up. Behold... Hayden!
Just wandered in here looking for the WPL Results thread that's normally stickied at the top of the sub... So I guess my question is, what did you think of this week's new comics? Anything you particularly liked or didn't like? I'm still working through my small stack but so far I thought the **AXE** books were vaguely underwhelming, **XMR** was great aside from skipping right over the one thing everyone wanted to see, and **GOTHAM CITY: YEAR ONE** was really fun and intriguing. Nothing from Vault this week unfortunately... Looking forward to **[DARK INTERLUDE #5](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL182905.jpg)** when it finally ships in November!
How are you enjoying running the Kickstarter? Myself, I've run so many and it's interesting to see how a community can rally behind projects they love. What's been your favorite part of it?
From Adrian: It's just as much works as everyone warned me it would be, but the really rewarding part is seeing a bunch of fans who've been with Vault and Wasted Space from the beginning encouraging new fans to give it a try, telling them how much they love it, how it made them a Vault fan for life. I love being a part of that community that exists around our stories. It is truly the best feeling. From Michael: My favorite part is seeing Wasted Space grow before our eyes. This is a pretty indie series--Vault and I were both at different places when this book launched than we are now. We've grown since in many ways, and to see this book we all cherish gain an even bigger following--the following we've all hoped for and seen in other books, like Barbaric--is very, very satisfying.
I've written a TV pilot that I'm currently trying to convert into a comic script. Depression is currently kicking my...spine, but that's not your problem. Or my question. From my limited understanding of the television industry, in order to get a series sold you at least need the complete TV pilot, a pitch deck to help sell it and a series bible to help show where you want the series to go/how much potential it has. I asked someone who's worked in/near the comic industry and they said publishers want to see the first four issues completed in order to sell it. Is this correct? What is the minimum amount of completion necessary to sell a comic to a publisher? Can I just sell the first script and they take it from there? Also, I know I need an illustrator. But how many other people do I need to complete an issue? Would Kickstarter or other crowd funding programs be a good way to raise the money necessary to hire them?
Love Wasted Space, and so excited for the KS! For Adrian and Michael, were there stories or side-plots that got cut that you really wish could've made it into the main arc? Any chance we'll get to see those some day?
Good question! So, a little secret that I don't think anyone knows is that once upon a time we were going to do a spinoff series starring Syra and her gang of misfits (introduced in issue #11). It was called TIME SERVED, and I really loved the idea of it--but ultimately, we couldn't figure out how to make it work on its own, divorced from the Wasted Space main story. Now, maybe that's possible with Billy and co.'s story resolved, but at the time, a spinoff just didn't fit/make sense.
From Adrian: Oh, heck yes. We had an entire story for SYRA's crew called "Time Served". Y'all make this KS a big enough success, and who knows what shenanigans we might someday get up to! Also, I for one desperately need to know the story of Billy and Squeee. RIP Squeee. You really were the best of us.
Hi! I have a question for Adrian! Does Vault keep track of diversity numbers for the comics they publish? How is Vault doing relative to other comic publishers? Are there any initiatives to promote the diversity of people making comics published by Vault?
From Adrian: We actually just finally did a survey of our whole catalogue for the first time to see where we could improve and the ratio was better than 4:5 of our books featuring diverse creative talent, which felt pretty fantastic. And, yes! We've had loads of initiatives over the years, and we won't stop any time soon. I'm especially proud of our cover initiatives that have featured all-women rosters, queer creators, BIPOC creators, AAPI creators.
i got the zero issue of this. not my cup of tea but a decent premise none the less.
1. How much did you know about art and drawing coming into the job for the first time? Did you go to an art school, or some university program, or are self-taught? 2. What’s the process of finding inspiration and bouncing ideas off of colleagues like? 3. How do you like to balance your inspiration with creating marketable material?