The interstellar adventure Full Tilt Boogie returns with the third and final chapter in 2000 AD, landing on shelves this February 5th. Created by writer Alex de Campi (Madi) and artist Eduardo Ocaña (Messiah Complex), the series delivers planet-conquering battles, prince-rescuing mishaps, and ramen-fueled escapades in a space opera like no other. In an exclusive interview with AIPT, de Campi opened up about the influences, challenges, and humor that shape the series, which has been described by The Hollywood Reporter as “Saga meets The Last Airbender.”
The story follows Tee, a bounty-hunting teenager, her wisecracking grandmother, and their loyal cat as they traverse a galaxy teeming with sacred knights and undead warriors — all while accidentally igniting a cosmic war. Despite the pop culture comparisons, de Campi is quick to clarify the real inspirations behind her work.
“I always love when people think up comps for my work because it inevitably involves something I’ve never seen,” she shared. “In this case, I have not seen a single episode of The Last Airbender, and jeez, I think I read the first 12 issues of Saga and then just forgot to read more! My actual influences were space opera anime like Gatchaman, Space Battle Cruiser Yamato, Knights of Sidonia, and Cowboy Bebop. Maybe a little of the genre deconstruction from Madoka Magica and the big working-class energy of Planetes.”
Find the first part of ‘Full Tilt Boogie’ in 2000AD this week.
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For de Campi, the key to the series’ charm is its careful balance of humor, adventure, and emotional resonance. “Growing up on classic space anime, I learned how good the stories were at being vast and exciting space adventures while also being great at very small things, like characters’ emotional arcs and interpersonal relationships,” she explains. “There wasn’t the fear of sentimentality that I sometimes see in Western space opera. And there’s always plenty of humor.”
The series’ emotional core is strengthened by its intergenerational crew, with Tee and her grandmother at the helm. For de Campi, that dynamic hit close to home.
“When I started writing the book, I was at the age where I was starting to take care of my own mother,” she recalls. “I wanted to explore what it looked like to have a family like that, where the young one was having to be the head of household rather than being a kid. I’ve always thought it the most terrific cheat that kid heroes in stories are orphans. Most people aren’t orphans, so I like looking at what happens to us as messy humans with complicated relationships and families we just can’t abandon.”
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Of course, not all family dynamics are as touching as Tee and her grandmother’s. Enter Prince Ifan, a hilariously self-centered royal whose entitlement knows no bounds.
“He’s such a jerk,” de Campi says. “Oh my god, so shallow. I’ve met saucers with more depth. The important thing to remember about Ifan is he has never done anything wrong in his whole life. The bad things that keep happening to him are because he is being unfairly persecuted, let down by others, and cheated out of his place on the Luxine Knights. He will not grow. He will not change. And that is a promise.”
Artist Eduardo Ocaña plays a crucial role in bringing the series’ expansive universe to life. De Campi describes their collaboration as one built on mutual trust and creativity.
Courtesy Rebellion
“Ed and I met years and years ago while working on a series for Humanoids together, and we’ve stayed friends ever since,” she says. “We always wanted to do another series together, and when 2000 AD asked me for an all-ages series, he signed on immediately. Ed is absolutely in charge of all the stunning visuals, but we collaborate closely on the story.”
Crafting a sprawling universe filled with sacred knights, undead warriors, and intergalactic warfare posed its challenges, but de Campi approached it with a focus on storytelling clarity.
“Like any of these things, you create the whole world and make sure it makes sense, and then you write bits of it on cards and dole those cards out to readers slowly but surely,” she explains. “I tell you just enough to understand what’s going on and then a little more the next episode, then a little more, et cetera.”
With the final arc of Full Tilt Boogie approaching, de Campi hopes readers take away one simple thing: joy. “The world kinda sucks right now, so I just hope I can give readers a fun escape from it for a little while. That’s all.”
As for what advice Tee might offer to aspiring bounty hunters (or ramen enthusiasts), de Campi doesn’t hesitate: “Cash or GTFO! Don’t accept credit, don’t accept checks, and don’t hand over the bounty until the money is in your account! Also, don’t ignore the ‘check engine’ light—and if you do ignore it for, like, a year or so, do not take your ship to the mechanics on Ceres VI because they’re all crooks, even if you really want to go to that epic biryani place next to the shipyards.”
With its mix of thrills, heart, and humor, Full Tilt Boogie promises readers a wild, satisfying ride to the very end. And if Alex de Campi had to pick just three essentials for a spacefaring adventure aboard the titular ship? “Ramen, Cat, and Grandma, obviously.”
Full Tilt Boogie’s final arc begins on February 5th in 2000 AD.
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