By: Nicole D’Andria
For fans
of fan of Stranger Things, The Goonies, and The Maze Runner, Geoff Weber presents his Kickstarter for The
Scientists #1. This YA adventure has a lot of heart and began over 10 years
ago with Geoff Weber and Trent Beckett. Trent sadly passed away in 2007. Geoff talks
in-depth about the series and its importance to him after the death of his friend
and co-creator.
The Scientists follows Stuart Chen and
other prodigies who were going to a national science fair… but instead they
wake up in a strange experimental facility. Using their intelligence, these
misfits need to face off against various dangers, including carnivorous plants
and a relentless killer robot!
Geoff
Weber is the artist and co-creator of The
Scientists and he is also a magician, inventor, game designer, husband, and
father of four boys. He worked alongside his friend Trent Beckett, writer of The Scientists. Trent worked as a DJ and
was a
quarter-finalist in the ASA Screenwriter's Competition. The Scientists was the last project he worked on with Geoff before
his death in 2007.
This
Kickstarter is for the first 44 page issue of the four issue mini-series The Scientists. The cover is photographed
from a 3d paper diorama. The project has a $2,000 goal that it needs to hit by April
10, 2018 at 11:59 PM EDT. Rewards include digital ($5) and physical ($15)
copies of the first issue, a Science of Synthwave soundtrack featuring 20
original synthwave tracks ($25), a variant cover that includes 3-d glasses
($50), as well as several other rewards that you can see on the Kickstarter page.
Hear some
personal stories about the behind-the-scenes world of The Scientists from artist Geoff Weber (he’ll even email you the first 32 pages for free right now).
 |
| Geoff Weber |
Me: Can you share with us the personal story behind the making of this comic
and the unfortunate loss of your co-creator?
Weber: I began The
Scientists as a screenplay with my writing partner Trent Becket back in
2005. This was actually the third feature length screenplay that we
collaborated on together. As I began to get more interested in creating comics,
I developed an art-style I called "fast painting", which I thought I
might be able to use to create a full length graphic novel. I decided to adapt The Scientists, because I felt it would
be perfectly suited for the comics’ medium.
I had only
gotten a little ways into it when I lost my friend. It took me a while to get
back to comic-creating, but I found that continuing work on it has helped me to
maintain a feeling of connection. I wanted to finish this story as a way to
honor him. He was a really funny and talented writer and my wish is that more people
will be able to discover that, and in doing so, I will be able to keep his
memory alive.
Me: What can you tell us about the ragtag team of misfits in The
Scientists?
Weber: Part one is called “The Prodigies” and that is
exactly who you get to meet in this book. Each one has their own scientific
specialty, as well as a myriad of external pressures that many kids their age
have to deal with, such as family and school. Over the course of this
adventure, they will learn they are stronger together and are forced to
confront the pressures they put on themselves.
If you
want a more detailed breakdown, read on!
There’s
our main hero: Stuart. He has had to live in the shadow of his successful
father. People tend to second guess him and question if he has truly earned his
place. If they got to know him, they would realize that his love of science is
deep and pure. He is a great problem solver and creative thinker. His lack of self-confidence
can sometimes be a problem, but he has natural leadership qualities that shine
under pressure!
Whitney
is this southern girl who recently transferred to Stuart’s school. She has a
bit of a competitive streak and will go to great lengths to ensure that she has
outdone anyone else. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating her! She has no
problem holding her own amongst all these boys.
Spencer
is an easy-going, West Coast surfer dude with a natural charisma, which
instantly makes people look to him for leadership. It also makes him popular
with Whitney, the girl whom Stuart had a crush on back in school. This sets up
a bit of a rivalry between Spencer and Stuart; not only for Whitney’s attention,
but also for who will be the one the group will listen to when it comes to
making decisions.
Then
there’s Bently. He has been called “pipsqueak”, “paranoid”, “space case”... but
he has a good reason for his nervous and suspicious nature. He experienced some
unexplainable phenomenon at the tender age of five while living in India. His
mother forbid him from speaking out to prevent embarrassing the family over a
story people would never believe.
Matt
& Tony are two tough-talking brothers from Brooklyn who try to bully those
around them when they’re not fighting with each other. Their brusque exterior
is partly a survival tactic that they needed to help cope with an abusive
father and an environment that viewed intellectual pursuits as strange and only
for the weak.
Rick is a
bit of wildcard among the group. Nobody really seems to know much about him,
where he came from him, or what his scientific specialty is (although someone
did overhear him mutter something about woodshop once). He seems like he might
be a little too old to be here, and definitely has a bit of the “too cool for
school” bad boy vibe.
Next is
Billy. He grew up in a wealthy family, so while other kids were learning to
ride a bike, he was learning to fly a plane. His parents could afford to get
him the best tutors, but his genius and drive to succeed was something that
money couldn’t buy. It came from within him. He wasn’t just content to fly
airplanes. He designed and built his own!
One of
the more mysterious prodigies is Miles. Miles doesn't say a whole lot. He's
been described as the "Michelangelo of Math" by the media and he
prefers to let his work speak for him. People are sometimes afraid of him and
his preternatural abilities, but his family thinks he is their golden ticket to
money and fame. After proving Fermat's last theorem, the most notorious problem
in the history of mathematics, Miles is simply looking for his next challenge.
Me: What are some of the obstacles the group will be facing?
Weber: They are kidnapped on their way to a science
fair and thrust into this unfamiliar environment straight out of a science
fiction movie. They wake up wearing these space suits, with no clue how where
they are, who put them there, or why this is happening. They also worry about
who they can trust when they begin to suspect there might be a traitor in their
midst. In addition to these mysteries, they must contend with poisonous air,
carnivorous plants, and a relentless killer robot.
Me: In your Kickstarter you mention how the series will appeal to fans of Stranger
Things, The Goonies, and The Maze Runner. What about The
Scientists made you compare it to these works in particular?
Weber: The
Scientists
was really strongly influenced by those ensemble kid adventures of the 80s like
The Goonies and Stand by Me. The Scientists
was written before The Maze Runner,
but it is similar in that it has a group of kids trying to escape from an
experiment, and the reason they are there is a bit of a mystery. Stranger Things is a more recent example
of a sci-fi story led by a young cast and it also has that strong 80s
connection.
In
addition, the music of Stranger things
is a genre called synthwave that has recently come into prominence. It is a
synthesizer-based music that is reminiscent of 1980s movie soundtracks. Because
of that connection, I have partnered with an amazing group of musicians to put
together a companion soundtrack for The
Scientists.
Me: Regarding the synthwave soundtrack you worked
with musicians on, how did the musicians you worked with go about finding the
sounds that they felt fit with the comic? Are there certain tracks that go with
certain scenes?
Weber: When I first proposed the idea of creating this
soundtrack, I suggested the tone I was looking for was "cinematic"
and "sci-fi" synthwave. Each musician approached it in a unique way.
Some read through my comic and sent me songs that matched certain scenes along
with an explanation of why they felt it fit. Other artists asked me to choose a
song from several that they felt might be suitable. Another asked me to suggest
a theme that they could compose a song around; I suggested "Stronger
Together", and they are now working on a song with that title, which will
be evocative of The Goonies theme,
but with Billy Idol style vocals.
Me: You also mention in the Kickstarter that you're a ComixLaunch alumni. Can
you tell us a bit about ComixLaunch and what it has taught you about
Kickstarters that you feel helps you with your campaign?
Weber: ComixLaunch is a podcast and online course
created by Tyler James that addresses the specific needs and concerns facing
comic creators trying to bring their work to Kickstarter and build an email fan
list. This was a really helpful resource, because I could turn to this group of
experienced Kickstarter veterans and get feedback on my campaign as I was
putting it together.
Me: What do you think is the number one reason why people should pledge money
to your Kickstarter?
Weber: The
Scientists
is a really cool story and it doesn't look like anything else out there! You
will love it!
Me: What inspirational words do you have for aspiring comic book writers and
artists?
Weber: Embrace what make your work unique! I don't
have a mainstream look to my art, but that is what makes me stand out. Make the
comic that only you could make!
Me: Thank you for sharing such personal insight
with us. If you’re reading this and think you’d like to get sciency, check out The Scientists #1 Kickstarter here.
Do you
have a Kickstarter? Want to be interviewed about it and have the project
featured on "Kickstart the Week?" Let me know in the comments below
or message
me on my website.
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