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SYFY WIRE Invader Zim

Exclusive: Bees, Dib, and doom descend upon Oni Press' new Invader Zim Quarterly 'Dib's Dilemma'

By Jeff Spry
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Certain doom is descending upon Earth this fall as Oni Press presents the latest Invader Zim Quarterly titled Dib's Dilemma, starring our favorite insane Irkian extraterrestrial sent to conquer the planet and enslave the human race alongside his nacho-loving, malfunctioning robot servant GIR.

Written by Sam Logan and injected with the pure addictive lunacy of Warren Wucinich and Fred C. Stresing's frenetic art, Dib's Dilemma is an oversized issue dropping into our world on Sept. 23 — and SYFY WIRE is delivering a special exclusive preview accompanied by mad musings from its Zim-tastic creative team.

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The wacky plot finds millionaire Max Beesworth, owner of the productive local honey mine whose golden nectar is the source of his sweet success, hosting a CRYPTID CHALLENGE. Anyone can participate and present a cryptid creature, whose veracity will be judged by none other than acclaimed scientist and noted skeptic Professor Membrane!

To complicate this strange event, Dib has finally captured Zim and will finally prove to the world once and for all that's he's an actual interplanetary threat. Well, unless Gir gets completely covered in bees, and mistaken for the dreaded Beeboogoat, a zombie goat made entirely of buzzing bees.

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"This is one of my favourite issues yet," Logan tells SYFY WIRE. "I love Dib's man-of-science dad, Professor Membrane, and he's front and center in this story.  We also got to create a new rival for Membrane: a cryptid-obsessed billionaire honey magnate named Maxwell Beesworth. He uses his fortune to fund some deeply, deeply unscientific cryptid hunters, which drives Membrane crazy.

"Warren and Fred really knocked it out of the park with the art in this issue. Beesworth's freaky wilderness lodge home is a baffling monument to his twin passions. Cryptids and honey go together like peanut butter and lighter fluid. It's great to see so much renewed interest in Invader Zim. I honestly think these characters are timeless. They're ready to scar a whole new generation."

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When Wucinich was asked if he wanted to draw an Invader Zim issue Sam Logan was writing about cryptids, he immediately agreed without even reading the treatment.

"Who would say no to drawing cryptids in ZIM-world?" he explains to SYFY WIRE. "Also, I knew Fred would be coloring, and Fred always makes my art look so freaking good. Contributing to the ZIM-verse has been wild. I’m thankful the big ZIM honchos have been so open and welcoming to my artistic input and ideas over the years. Every time I finish an issue I’m like, ‘Well, that was the weirdest thing I’ve ever drawn,’ but then the script for the next issue comes in and I’m like, ‘Well, this is going to be the weirdest thing I’ve ever drawn.’" 

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Colorist Fred Stresing has loved seeing new readers coming to Invader Zim since Enter The Florpus was released on Netflix last year. 

"The nearly double-sized quarterly format has been great for telling expanded stories -- now there’s twice as much Zim, Dib, and GIR to go around," he tells SYFY WIRE. "Oh, and bees. This issue has a LOT of bees. Sam and Warren are amazing to work with, and I know I’m going to be a part of a great issue of comics whenever they’re involved! They did not disappoint here. This issue has it all: Zim. Dib. Bees. And also GIR is there! For maximum immersion this issue, it is recommended you read it at an apiary. Bee suit optional."

Now buzz into our exclusive preview for Oni Press' Invader Zim Quarterly #2: Dib's Dilemma in the full gallery below.