INTERVIEW: Michael Avon Oeming on his trip into the bizarre world of the unexplained
Image: Blue Book Vol. 1: 1961 features art by Michael Avon Oeming. Image courtesy of Dark Horse / Provided with permission.
Comic book creator Michael Avon Oeming is reveling in the wondrously bizarre world of UFOs, alien abductions and the occult — and fans are digging his adventures, especially in the month of October, a perfectly fitting time for creepy, otherworldly pop culture. But the stories, some of which he’s written and some of which he’s drawn, come with a disclaimer: These journeys into the unknown are meant to be a fun celebration of the “truly weird” rather than an exposé of what actually lurks in the shadows. Reader discretion is advised.
The acclaimed comic book writer and artist has two projects from Dark Horse that are currently keeping readers enraptured and looking toward the skies (or behind their backs) for life beyond the supposed safety of this world. First up is Blue Book, which features Oeming’s art and James Tynion IV’s stories, all based on “real-life” encounters between humanity and “truly weird” extraterrestrial phenomena.
The Blue Book series originally appeared on Substack, and now Dark Horse has built a Vol. 1 trade paperback, which includes the first five issues. This newly released volume, subtitled 1961, centers on the supposed abduction of Betty and Barney Hill in New Hampshire. This case is legendary amongst believers and gave the world a whole new vocabulary on what “could” happen during an extraterrestrial episode.
Yet another project for Oeming is Project Monarch. For this one, Oeming serves as writer-creator, with Victor Santos as the artist, and the trade paperback hits bookshelves Oct. 18. The graphic novel follows the adventures of filmmaker Stanley Bowman, who has staged multiple conspiracy theories in order to keep a controlling secret society happy and content, but now his career of spreading fake news has caught up to him, thanks to a worrisome request to create an occult film that intends to control all of humanity.
Recently Oeming exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox to talk about the new projects, the dangers of conspiracy theories and what kind of “truth” can be found in these artistic retellings. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
With Blue Book and Project Monarch, one might guess that you have a fascination with the possibility of extraterrestrial life and unexplained phenomena. Is that true?
I’ve definitely been interested in UFOs and psychic phenomena all of my life. It’s the sort of house I grew up in. We had ghosts, my mother and aunt had [a] UFO sighting together, and we often told or retold these stories to each other. Other than a few spooky feelings, I’ve not had any experiences myself, but growing up around those who have really affected me, I’m fascinated by the whole field. Though I’m still a living embodiment of Fox Mulder’s office poster: I want to believe. I’m still trying, but in the meantime there are great stories and experiences waiting to be told.
How do you create art for historical figures who actually lived? For example, how did you render images of Betty and Barney Hill? Look at photos of them?
When it comes to the historical figures like Betty and Barney Hill, or Kenneth Arnold, I start with the photos and if I can, read about them, their experiences and personalities. With Betty and Barney, I spent a lot of time with them and their experiences outside of their contact story. I began to understand “my version” of them, largely built on family members of their generation. I became very close and attached to our Betty and Barney. I think James really found the human part of their story, and I think it reflects in the book. I still feel attached to them, and I hope that wherever they are, they approve.
In Project Monarch, you also talk about conspiracy theories in a satirical, almost X Files kind of way. Why are these theories so fascinating? Are they also dangerous, perhaps leading people down a rabbit hole to other theories?
When I began writing Project Monarch way back around 2013 or so, the conspiracy field was a very different place. While it always had its problems, it was primarily populated with open-minded very humanistic thinking. The “they” in conspiracy talk was about protecting all of humanity from various forces (greed, alien, corporations, cults) trying to control us and the world. The field was very much in the middle of left or right, never being married to either side. Free thinking and outside the box “what ifs” were the standard.
Starting around 2015, that started to change to very specific kind of divisive politics. I think by [the] time the Pizzagate episode culminated in a man showing up at a pizza parlor with a gun to “free” sex trafficked children, I realized things had really changed. It was getting dangerous. I had to do some massive re-writing because glorifying something that has become ugly and dangerous, I didn’t even recognise it anymore.
In America, it became very nationalistic and violent. Now let me emphasize this is not the whole field; it certainly isn’t everyone, but it went from a subtext in the field to becoming a huge part of it. If you want to understand more about his change, follow the work of Brent Lee, an ex-conspiracy theorist who opens up about his experiences, beliefs and why the new extremist movements drew him out of the field.
Besides the obvious, what are the differences between being an artist on a project like Blue Book and being the creator on a project like Project Monarch?
Oh man, working on Monarch [and] Blue Book is so much fun because I get to try different things. My art in Monarch is much more cartoony, expressive and experimental. Victor Santos, who does the bulk of the art really takes it and the action to the next level. Blue Book is much more about body language and fluid storytelling, tip-toeing between sequential and almost journalistic illustrator styles. Both projects taught me more about lettering and coloring, skills of which I’ve finally become comfortable with after tracking the blue tones of Blue Book and colors and letters of Monarch.
Will there be more stories in the Project Monarch and Blue Book worlds?
Blue Book definitely continues. We are on to our third arc at this time. We’ve already done stories about Kenneth Arnold, the creation of Project Blue Book, Maury Island, and I was just drawing legendary physicist Stanton Friedman today. There is room for more Monarch, too. We have a definitive ending, but we left a door wide open for more.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Blue Book #1 and Project Monarch are both available from Dark Horse. Click here for more information on Blue Book. Click here for more information on Project Monarch.
