BOOM! Studios: TAKE 10! is an interview series asking writers and artists about their new series or graphic novels.
Visionary writer Michael W. Conrad (Wonder Woman) and Eisner-Award-winning illustrator John J. Pearson (Mindset) team up for a brand-new, boundary-pushing sci-fi saga at BOOM! Studios with IN BLOOM. Coming to comic shops in December 2024.
43% of the cells within a healthy human body belong to something other than the human host. Microbiomes, invasive bacteria, fungal and viral agents, and something else. Something…more.
When the BLOOM finally happened, humanity was changed forever, transformed by the symbiotic fungal megasystems that infected their bodies. Some of the affected grew new body parts, some found their personalities changed in radical new ways, while others reported contact with an intelligence that was not their own.
In this bold new world, Agent Spears finds himself investigating a series of mysterious murders, a chain of violence that leads him to a terrifying question on which the fate of every living being rests.
1. What was the most challenging aspect of working on this series?
Michael W. Conrad: In Bloom is a concept that’s lived in my head for so long that there’s an immense pressure to get it right. The idea itself is quite broad, and is made to house a number of stories, many of which I’m ready to tell. In this way the biggest challenge for me has been to not do too much, and to understand that if people like this, we just might be able to spend more time in this world.
John J. Pearson: The scope of the world that Michael had written is expansive, so developing a visual approach to world-building has probably been the most challenging, but also the most enjoyable aspect. There’s already a host of “freaky mushroom people” floating around in popular culture, so finding ways to make something that is visually striking without signifying something already existing has been a beautiful puzzle to play with.
2. Could you explain the title?
MC: You know, there was a brief time in my life when I was transitioning from work in the mental health field to writing full time. During this period I became a barber (which frankly should be considered a branch of mental health) and I would put together these playlists. After someone complained about my dusty old music (like Nirvana and 90’s punk/hardcore tunes) I took a swing at a more contemporary playlist, with an emphasis on hip hop, which seemed to be the preferred music of my clientele. I thought I made an amazing and fresh playlist, but on day one, some kid in my chair was like “Damn, I love the throwbacks on this! Takin’ me back, big time!” I realized then that my understanding of time was changing as I aged.
In Bloom is an ancient song of my people; but it’s also the term folks in our story use to refer to a great change in their biology.
3. What is the elevator pitch for the series?
MC: The microbiome of humanity contributes almost half of the genetic material of an average human, and it has woken up. All the flora and fauna of our guts, the bacteria and fungi are In Bloom and demanding their host bodies to do whatever it takes to preserve the future of species. In Bloom is a story about life, death, and all things in between.
JP: It’s a contemplative body-horror mystery, getting the reader to reflect on society in its broadest terms, our individual places in it and our relations to those around us. Plus it’s a cool as hell gross-out detective story, imagine if David Cronenberg and Billy Wilder co-directed a weird cyberpunk movie with freaky plant people.
4. What does your writing and drawing space look like?
MC: I work in the darkened corner of an unfinished basement in the Pacific NorthWest. There are a number of spiders who frequent the area, but I try not to disturb their space.
JP: I share a studio in the center of Leeds with three others, all working on comics or comics-adjacent projects, so it’s a great environment to be in. I split my time between my drawingboard and digital workspace, depending on what approach I’m using, as well as petting my dog (spider-man) when he’s in the studio with me.
5. What was your biggest inspiration for In Bloom?
MC: Initially Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Day of the Triffids, Blade Runner, and other totally aligned pieces of media. Now it is John’s art. John joining as co-creator and artist changed so much, and has been a magical fuel for my imagination.
JP: There’s a melting pot of visual influences for the art, everything from brutalism to first hand research from the flora and fauna of Yosemite. I’m a big fan of classic American illustrators like J. C. Leyendecker but also mixing that with painterly approaches to comics, like Bill Sienkiewicz and Dave Mckean, so my style can have a level of fluidity to match the emotional storytelling from Michael.
6. What are you reading now and what’s on your pull list?
MC: I’m really into Black Hole by Charles Burns, Junji Ito of course, and The Sickness by Lonnie Nadler and Jenna Cha. For recent novels that I’ve enjoyed, I would point to Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica and Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, I read both around the same time and loved them equally for very different reasons.
JP: I’ve been re-reading a lot of Erik Svetoft (SPA is a masterpiece), Alex Graham’s The Devil’s Grin, andI’m also eagerly awaiting Jim Mahfood’s Savage Street Vigilante. I’ve been working my way through Asimov’s Robots series as well as a number of Ursula K. Le Guin’s sci-fi novels.
7. Describe your ideal way to sit down and read a comic or graphic novel.
MC: Ideally? While being showered in praise for my work and rewarded handsomely for telling stories. Either that or on a cool sunny fall day not too far from the people who care about me.
JP: On my sofa with a stack of unread comics, a nice cuppa and a record playing in the background.
8. What is your favorite writing/drawing snack or drink?
MC: I rarely snack while I write, mainly because I don’t find my basement appealing as a dining area. For drinks, it depends on the time of day.
JP: Black coffee, always.
9. Who would you cast in your dream movie or TV adaptation of the series?
MC: Hmmm, maybe Tom Hardy as Agent Spears, and for Agent Pollack either Mia Wasikowska, Kristen Stewart, or Timothee Chalamet.
JP: Maybe Joaquin Phoenix as Agent Spears, Agent Pollack could be Jamie Clayton
10. What piece of advice would you give to the main characters? What about the villains?
MC: I would remind the main characters that main character status doesn’t negate the possibility that they are the villain. I would also suggest they mind their hydration and maintain a healthy sleep schedule.
JP: I’d tell Agent Pollack they need to cut down on the snacks.
IN BLOOM #1 will be available on December 11, 2024 at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.
