If you’re like me, you regularly check Kickstarter for new comic projects, and while there are a ton of interesting titles vying for global exposure, one has caught my eye recently: Greetings from the Maglev.
Greetings from the Maglev, from writer Mark Espinos and artist Adam Cahoon, will release its first chapter in late 2023 and is currently crowdfunding for chapter two. In Greetings from the Maglev, the world’s obsession with gasoline has led to total economic and environmental ruin. The titular maglev train may have been built as a way to usher in a new post-gas era, but it’s actually a new symbol in the ongoing battle between the haves and the have-nots. Though at the heart of the book is a deeper, more intimate personal story, Greetings from the Maglev is an intriguing addition to the post-apocalyptic vehicle-centric canon (Snowpiercer, Mad Max, etc.) due to its overt tension, vibrant artwork, and a certain weight and charm.
If you’d like to donate to the Greetings from the Maglev Chapter 2 Kickstarter, you can do so here (the campaign ends Sunday, September 22nd). We recently caught up with Cahoon to find out more about the story, and in addition to finding out more about the revenge-centric plot, we also touched on a variety of topics and trivia, including his collaboration with Espinosa, the book’s design and theme, and what’s possibly coming next.
Provided by Invader.
AIPT: What was the response to your first story/volume? Has it far exceeded your expectations?
Adam Cahoon: Well, the response to Chapter 1 was amazing. I made it in 2015 or 2016. It was my first comic ever, so it was huge for me to have Invader want to publish it and to have the funding go through. All the responses and feedback since then has been really supportive and encouraging.
AIPT: Feel free to give away spoilers, but what’s the TL;DR of volume one?
AC: Okay, so I’ll give you a quick rundown: Chris Miles is hired as a driver for a billionaire’s son across the Maghreb, a magnetic superhighway that splits the country in half. Only the wealthy can travel on the Maghreb, so they become targets for the poorer populations and gangs that live along the highway. Think Mad Max the day before society collapses.
AIPT: You two have worked together on this project and others – what was your collaborative process like and how do you think it influenced Maglev?
AC: Mark and I have been friends since long before MagLev came along, so the process was very informal. It felt like two friends hanging out together, alternating between saying, “Oh, that would be awesome if this happened…” It was Mark’s script to begin with, but he was adamant from the start that the project was his as well as mine.
Provided by Invader.
AIPT: You may be best known as a designer. How do you think that process helps you? Does it give you an advantage over other artists?
AC: Well, advantage might be the wrong word. I don’t think it’s a competition between creative people. Everyone makes artistic decisions from their own life background and personal experiences. Design plays a big role in my aesthetic and choices. I started out as a fine artist, but one of the reasons I moved into the comics world was because I found it easier to bring design elements to the forefront.
AIPT: What do you think the themes of the story are? Is it about the rich and the poor, environmental destruction, lack of social welfare, the inherent stupidity and greed of humans? All of these?
AC: Yes, they’re all good. There’s more rich vs poor conflict than the others. And revenge. There’s a lot of revenge. For Mark, Chris was a big part of it. As the female lead in “Action Story,” he wanted to give her all the thematic freedom that’s given to male characters in similar stories.
AIPT: The book is essentially a revenge story. How does that aspect affect the rest of the story and its messages and themes? Does it humanize the story as a whole?
AC: Yes, revenge comes in many forms. It’s a running theme throughout the story, but I think everything that Chris encounters along the way humanizes her and her journey and the story.
Provided by Invader.
AIPT: Your art has a Brazilian vibe to it. Are there any particular influences or inspirations?
AC: Oh, Brazil is great! I didn’t really think about it, but Terry Gilliam has been a big influence on my creative foundation. Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, etc. I don’t always know exactly what influences my work. I didn’t have anything in particular that I was aiming for, but everything I picked up along the way influences it.
AIPT: What are the benefits of working with and releasing with Invader? What is the partnership like?
AC: Invader is amazing. This is our second campaign together and they couldn’t be more supportive and enthusiastic. They work so hard to get the campaign up and running and funded. They leave everything to us and Mark and I have the final say on everything.
AIPT: I was reminded a bit of Snowpiercer while watching Maglev. Do you think that’s fair? Do you agree or disagree with that association?
AC: Ah, Lean In. I’m a Snowpiercer advocate. I don’t know if Mark was influenced by that work while he was writing it, but there are certainly similarities between the two stories. Fury Road (and the entire Mad Max series, actually) was a big similarity. I remember Mark and I talking about that work a lot.
Provided by Invader.
AIPT: Is there a favorite moment or page from the story so far that is significant or representative of what you’re working on overall?
AC: Oh yeah, page 2 of chapter 1 was a big deal when I finished it. Overall it’s my favorite page of a comic I’ve ever drawn. Chapter 2 has a prison warden that I’m obsessed with and every panel she’s in is my favorite.
AIPT: What can we expect from Volume 3? Is there a release date?
AC: Chapter 3 is the most exciting of the three. It will ultimately be the most difficult chapter to write, but it is the culmination of this story in many ways. It is scheduled to be completed in early 2025.
AIPT: Is there anything else we should know about your story, your campaign, your comics, your life, etc?
AC: If chapter 3 is the most interesting, I think chapter 2, which is currently available on Kickstarter, is the best written. In my opinion, chapter 2 is the chapter that describes the main character the most.
