NYCC 2015: Steve Orlando Releases Exclusive UNDERTOW Print

New York Comic Con is fast approaching and convention guest Steve Orlando [writer of Midnighter, Virgil, Batman and Robin Eternal] has a bit of surprise in store.

The writer will be offering an EXCLUSIVE print for sale, hand numbered and limited to 100, featuring characters from his Image Comics series Undertow. The print, which is hand run on 8.5 x 11 cardstock, with embossed letterpress, features art by series artist Artyom Trakhanov, and will be for sale for $10 each at his table in Artist Alley (Q14).

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Orlando set aside moments while preparing for next week’s massive event to share some thoughts on the series — and why you should check it out (available now from Image Comics in trade paperback):

For those that haven’t had a chance to check it out, what’s the premise behind Undertow from Image Comics?

Undertow is the first reverse Atlantis story in comics! Instead of humans being the advanced society exploring the ocean depths, in Undertow Atlanteans are the advanced society exploring the untamed, savage surface world! Just as we have not fully explored the ocean, Atlanteans, a modern, technological society that mirrors our own, have yet to fully explore the surface.

And that’s the most dangerous place for them to go! It’s a world where each moment is framed by danger, trekking across land in water-tight suits, with death one cracked helmet or puncture away.

Redum Anshargal and his first mate Ukinnu Alal lead a team to the surface anyway. They’re on the hunt for the Amphibian, a mythical Atlantean outcast that can breathe water or air. If they can find him, they might be able to use his DNA to let Atlanteans live on land. But they didn’t count on him being completely insane.

Tell us a little about artist Artyom Trakhanov’s style and how you worked together to create this world — and this print!

Artyom brings an amazing, totally fresh style to the book with his work from pencils on to colors. Living in Siberia, Artyom’s influences are totally different than many other artists, and his organic, rich industrial style is something that Undertow couldn’t have happened without. Artyom and I are truly co-creators on Undertow, and while I had the characters and events in my mind, we work together on the imagery of the book, and the designs and feel of the world, from the ground up. We love the same things! The same weird, guttural, dirty science fiction. Insane technology and Ray Harryhausen monsters. Science-pulp!

So when working with Artyom, I came to him less with design notes and more with emotional notes. I knew his amazing skill would create something unique, so we talked more about how the characters should make the reader feel. How the ship, the architecture and geography, should affect people when they see it. And then I stepped back and let him do his thing, because I trusted him to make something incredible.

Cover to Undertow: Boatman's Call TPB.

Cover to Undertow: Boatman’s Call TPB.

What’s the future hold for Undertow

More! Artyom and I have both become busier since Undertow‘s release, but we are always talking about its future and we want to bring the next Undertow story to you as soon as possible, while maintaining its on-time and artistic standards. We are our toughest critics!

BUT you may actually see the world of Undertow popping up somewhere unexpected sooner than you think…

Check out where you can find Steve Orlando at NYCC (besides table Q14 in Artist Alley) right now!

 

And want something to talk with Steve about at NYCC? Read through our interviews:

 

 

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