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Space Bastards' Intergalactic Postal Service delivers a hardcore package of mayhem
Injected with a rowdy cocktail of hyper-violent sci-fi thrills and a wicked sense of humor, a new limited-edition hardcover anthology titled Space Bastards is burning up the comics scene featuring an all-star roster of talent — and SYFY WIRE has an exclusive peek at this provocative indie project.
This shotgun blast of interstellar action was created by Eric Peterson, Joe Aubrey, and Darick Robertson, whose artwork has splashed across the pages of such iconic books as The Boys, Happy!, and Transmetropolitan. Space Bastards Volume 1 is the debut edition of an oversized series that's been more than five years in the making. A love letter to the types of hell-bent hardcore sci-fi comics they loved growing up, it also showcases art from Simon Bisley (2000 AD, Lobo), Boo Cook (Elephantmen), Clint Langley (ABC Warriors, Slaine), Colin MacNeil (Judge Dredd, America), Glenn Fabry (Preacher, Hellblazer), and more.
The outrageous premise is set in the far future as mankind has finally colonized the cosmos. Unemployment and despair are at their apex, and most of society's most basic services are unreliable. This is where the Intergalactic Postal Service (IPS) steps in, an outlaw organization that offers the best-paying yet most dangerous blue-collar jobs in the universe.
Operating like a mad-dog, cutthroat version of Uber, people and goods are delivered by renegade Postal Carriers who are highly encouraged to maim and kill one another and rip off deliveries. Every time a parcel changes hands in the ensuing scramble, the monetary reward for delivering it ramps up. Surviving couriers who complete the final delivery are the only ones who are paid. Needless to say, this job will kill you!
"It’s a dream come true working on Space Bastards," Peterson tells SYFY WIRE. "It’s the most important story I have in me, and I get to work on it with my absolute favorite people. I wish I could go back to my pre-adolescent self and say ‘Dude, hold on.’”
Four volumes of Space Bastards have already been produced, with the first volume available for purchase only on Kickstarter (fully funded) or at special events. Subsequent editions will be released quarterly, spotlighting a rotating roster of artists, all offering their twisted vision of this chaotic universe.
"Not to self-aggrandize nor state the obvious, but this book is starting on a seriously strong footing," Robertson tells SYFY WIRE. "It's one of the largest pencil/inked/designed projects I've ever created. This book reeks of 2000 AD."
Volume 1 delivers a shocking inauguration into the savage Space Bastards world via the astounding art work of Darick Robertson in a striking 44-page opener. This sensational salvo is followed by a self-contained 28-page descent into the origins of the Intergalactic Postal Service from the mouth of its brash Postmaster General Roy Sharpton, then rounded out by a fully painted 28-page story with art by Simon Bisley giving a down-and-dirty look at some of the most unsavory corners of the universe.
The book's kick-ass ensemble cast features a disgruntled former accountant, a death row inmate, a divorced real estate agent, an alien immigrant, a raging alcoholic, a retired privateer, a former executive assistant, and many more crazy characters in their new lives delivering packages for the IPS under the volatile leadership of Postmaster General Roy Sharpton.
“Space Bastards is the craziest script I’ve ever worked on," Bisley adds.
Check out our exclusive 8-page preview of Space Bastards Volume 1 in the full gallery below, then tell us if you'll support this worthy indie project and pick up a premium copy for yourself.
