I’ve recently teamed up with my bud Kane Lynch to co-create a new YA scifi project! Real Einsteins is a fast-paced time travel adventure with the whimsical teen vibe of a classic Archie comic. It’s also a story with real emotional stakes that raises serious questions about how to do the right thing in an inequitable world.
9th graders Glen (he/him) and Harrison (they/them) are childhood besties, kindred spirits in fending off bullies and dreaming up fantastical sci-fi inventions. When Harrison befriends a group of quirky sophomore punks, Glen worries his best (and only!) friend is drifting away. Harrison attempts to bridge the divide by sharing Glen’s latest invention with the group--a teleporter they could use to beam into a sold out concert. The dumpster-diving punks manage to make the machine a reality, but when Harrison and Glen test it out, they find themselves transported not only across town, but 20,000 back in time! Things get even weirder when they stumble into a conspiratorial meeting between prehistoric people and nine-foot-tall reptilians! Can these young geniuses survive the perils of the ice age, ancient aliens, and mend their strained friendship while figuring a way back to the 21st century? Can Glen overcome his personal biases to become the kind of hero he needs to be?
Real Einsteins draws on our mutual love of conspiratorial sci-fi in the vein of the X-Files and the Illuminatus Trilogy married with the teen soap opera of Archie comics along with the more dramatic queer punk edge of Love and Rockets. For the first time ever I’m collaborating on every stage of comic making. We’re cowriting the story, co-creating the characters. I pencil, Kane inks, and we both chip in on the colors! It’s a totally new experience to work this way and I’m super happy with the results! If you like what you see, you can check more of Kane’s excellent work and comics here.