Look at your bookshelf right now. What’s on it? Some novels you haven’t touched since that book club you joined after college, maybe a framed photo of your partner, some cherished action figures from the 1990s Toy Biz X-Men line that have no value otherwise.
Now look down at the next shelf, the one sagging under the weight of the thick tomes atop it, bursting with oversized reproductions of tales from Chris Claremont’s X-Men, Grant Morrison’s Batman or, because you’re a sicko, Todd McFarlane’s Spawn.
The omnibi.
The omnibus collection is, in many cases, a comics fan showing you their final form, that their love for a series or run is so deep, they’re willing to keep collecting it first as single issues, then as trades, then as annotated editions perhaps, and finally as dictionary-thick hardcovers.
Vault Comics has taken one look at your bookshelf and asked, “Why not us?”
Today (Sept. 13), Vault has launched a Kickstarter for a 672-page, deluxe omnibus of Wasted Space, its 25-issue series by writer Michael Moreci, artist Hayden Sherman, colorist Jason Wordie and letterer Jim Campbell.
For those unfamiliar, here’s a quick synopsis of the series, which originally ran from 2018 to 2021: Billy Bane is a prophet who got it all wrong, and the galaxy has been burning ever since. All he wants is to waste away in the darkest corner of space with his best pal Dust, a supercharged Fuq bot. But when a new prophet comes calling, Billy is summoned to save the galaxy he’s at least partially responsible for destroying. Too bad he couldn’t care less.
Wasted Space is purported to be the first of a “small selection” of Vault Kickstarter projects, for which it is partnering with comics marketing pro Jazzlyn Stone, who has a track record of getting such things funded.
For more on the Wasted Space omnibus, ComicsXF talked with series co-creators Moreci and Sherman.
Dan Grote: Comics fans love an omnibus making their bookshelves sag a little. What omnibi do either of you have in your collection?
Hayden Sherman: Brave and the Bold, Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 is currently my reigning champ for biggest boy on my bookshelf. I love it so much. Runner-up after that is a fat hardcover collection of early Dark Horse Aliens comics. Not quite as beefy, but so very good.
Michael Moreci: I’ve got lots — Simonson’s Thor, Kirby’s Fourth World, Byrne’s Fantastic Four, Claremont X-Men, Wolfman/Perez Teen Titans and more.
Dan: Let’s go back in time. It’s 2017. “Despacito” is inescapable on the radio. People are losing time to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. New England wins the Super Bowl. Again. And two dudes from Montana want you to make some comics for them. How did you all come to be in the Vault business?
Hayden: I was just a month-ish out from graduating college when an email hit my inbox asking if I’d like to draw a little miniseries called Wasted Space. I’d only drawn two books at that point, and was still getting my comic-industry-sea-legs under me, but when they sent over the script for issue 1 I was completely smitten. It was so fun! The voice of it all was confident and distinct, with great timing and weird aliens. Just a blast. I got lucky that it turned from a miniseries into the massive run that we’re collecting now. Very very lucky.
Michael: I was introduced to them by Tim Daniel. I remember pitching them a book that wasn’t Wasted Space, which Adrian [Wassel, Vault editor-in-chief] rejected. And I thought, “That son a bitch!” But we became fast friends nonetheless, and in the end, Adrian was right — because the next book I pitched was Wasted Space.
Dan: Michael, from Wasted Space to The Plot to Barbaric, what is it about working with the Vault folks that’s made them a landing for so many of your comics?
Michael: Creative freedom is paramount to me. There’s nothing more important than having the liberty to tell the stories I want to tell and with people I want to tell them with. Vault not only has a tremendously talented staff — Adrian is simply one of the best comic editors ever — but they place the same premium on creativity, risk-taking and pushing your artistic boundaries. It’s a relationship and partnership I’ve always wanted, and I get that with Vault every time out.
Dan: You got to take Wasted Space from a five-issue miniseries to a story five times that size, the dream for lots of creative teams but also the record for a Vault series to date. What was the moment you realized, “Hey, we can really expand this out and keep it going?”
Michael: Pretty early on, to be honest. This book really crackled, at least for me, from the start. It has a voice, it has a particular and unique point of view, and that’s hard to come by. Having it, though, makes you realize you’re onto something special, and from the moment I saw my words on the page with Hayden’s art and Jason’s colors — two more unique, terrific voices — I knew we had some magic.
Dan: Hayden, since Wasted Space began in 2018, you’ve become quite in demand, working with folks like Sean Lewis, Christopher Sebela, Zac Thompson and Scott Snyder. How did you go about juggling Wasted Space with other projects?
Hayden: I’m usually drawing two books at once, so having Wasted Space run for as long as it did was super comforting. For about four years I could always rely on our crazy sci-fi book. Meanwhile, I’d go out and draw whatever else I could alongside it. Books like Thumbs, Cold War, Mary Shelley: Monster Hunter, Angel & Spike and Chicken Devil were all made over the course of Wasted Space’s run. As for how I manage to keep two books going: a thorough schedule. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And my will always wants to make more comics, so I make as much as I can responsibly.
Dan: As the artist who worked on the series, what is the vibe that looking at it in an oversized format gives you? Do you see things in it you hadn’t before?
Hayden: Oh absolutely! Yes. Yes. Yes. I see a lot of stuff that I have half a mind to fix, too. But out of respect for younger Hayden, I’m leaving everything just as it is. Taken as a whole, it really makes me appreciate how I grew as an artist over the course of my time on those 25 issues. You can really see me figuring things out in there. But, aside from that, seeing it all in a big omnibus just gives me a lot of pride. We really made that thing, the whole team and myself. We really did it, and there it all is. It’s nuts.
Dan: Besides a big-honkin’ book, what are some extras people can expect from this 672-page monster?
Hayden: My favorite extra is the holiday special, hands down. I guess it might not count as an “extra” exactly, but damn I love that little book we made so much. Wouldn’t be Wasted Space without it. So if you missed that, look forward to it!
Michael: We’re going to have some process stuff, and I think Hayden’s way of working — seeing his creativity stretch and stretch and stretch on every page — is absolutely fascinating.
Dan: Where will YOU display your Wasted Space omnibus?
Hayden: My brother built me a replica of Billy’s blaster from the comic, so it feels only right that the two should go together. So, wherever the two can fit, there shall they be!
Michael: Oh, this is going on a shelf on its own, alongside my Legion figure, so everyone can see it. I’m so proud of this book, and having it all in one gorgeous volume is really a special achievement in my career.
And for more on Vault’s Kickstarter plans, we chatted with Vault CEO and Publisher Damian Wassel:
Dan: What made Kickstarter the right platform through which to fund these books?
Damian Wassel: Everyone who publishes books dreams about being able to create the kinds of incredible deluxe hardcover books we all cherish on our bookshelves. I’m talking about those luscious, giant books that feel like they’ll last a millennium, but could also be framed and mounted on a wall. Kickstarter helps make that possible for publishers like us. Another dream for any publisher is finding new readers for the books we love and have shepherded into the world. And Kickstarter is a forum for one of the coolest comics communities on the planet. Probably the coolest thing about Kickstarter is that it’s an incredible market maker. It helps people and companies trying to make big and awesome things find fans, and it helps fans find big and awesome things they love. So, that’s why we’re coming to Kickstarter. And, we’re excited and grateful to be here.
Dan: Why was it important to bring an extra hand, Jazzlyn Stone, into the process?
Damian: Short answer: When you’re trying something new, you want to work with and learn from the best. In this context, that’s the inimitable Jazzlyn Stone. Long answer: Running a campaign is nuanced and complicated and time-consuming and almost paralytically high-intensity. So it really really helps to have someone who’s been there, time and time again, shepherding successful campaigns through the tricky moments, making sure folks keep their focus, and the project connects with the community in the right way.
Dan: Apart from the obvious metric of the campaign fully funding, are there other things you’re looking at to determine whether and how to continue this program?
Damian: Excitement, really. We’ve never done anything like this before. We’ve never made a giant deluxe hardcover edition. It’s a big step, and we’re looking to see people get excited about it, as we continue to grow as a publisher.
Dan: What factors into deciding which books get picked for the program?
Damian: As we think about this, we have lots of questions to answer. Has the book already found all of its audience, or is there more out there to find? Will it find the right audience on Kickstarters? Are the creators excited about connecting with a new audience? Is there something new or different we can offer that we’ve never offered before with this book or project? And so on. Not all the projects we have in mind are as straightforward as the Wasted Space Cosmic Collection. We have some other things in mind that will really enable us to bring whole new kinds of experiences to the fans of Vault books.
The Wasted Space Deluxe Omnibus is live on Kickstarter.
Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts WMQ&A: The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
