The adage “War is hell” is seemingly meant as a stark reminder of the social, economic, and spiritual price of armed conflict. Steve Thompson and Gonzaio Ruggieri, however, clearly took it as a challenge.
That’s the only real way to explain Ill Vacation, their brand-new OGN releasing next week via ComiXology. Spanning four chapters, Ill Vacation focuses on Bob and Mary, “two young soldiers who want to help their country and its war effort.” But they’re not selling war bonds — rather, the pair “volunteer to take an experimental drug and are left behind to defend an island in the Pacific.” What follows is is a strange journey complete with floating eyeballs and strange creatures from the sea as Bob and Mary face “their past trauma and nightmares [turned] into reality.”
And in that way, Ill Vacation fully engages with the “war is hell” adage, as Thompson and Ruggieri show us the depths that mankind’s willing to go to beat its enemies (even if that means using your own citizens as the worst sort of cannon fodder). But the story is also a deeper exploration of Bob and Mary themselves, and through that deeply personal lens, Ill Vacation asks even grander questions about humanity, suffering, and the true scope of our experiences.
Ill Vacation drops in full on June 17. In the lead up, Thompson was kind enough to answer a few questions via email. That includes the “conspiracies” that inspired the story, the author’s relationship and goals with readers, and some stand out moments/panels. Then, just after the interview, enjoy some exclusive preview pages from Ill Vacation‘s second chapter.
Courtesy of ComiXology.
AIPT: Where did the idea for Ill Vacation come from, and how much is it inspired by “conspiracies” like MK Ultra? I feel like MK has created a genre of stories about our relationship and connection to the government/leadership.
Steve Thompson: Hi! Yes, I did have that in my mind when I wrote the comic script, along with the results of some research on chemical experiments done on soldiers during WWII. I was shocked by the way they conducted them, often without much in the way of safety, and I couldn’t believe the unfairness of using a nation’s armed forces for testing biological weapons. Rather than name a specific drug from a trial in the real world, I made one up, but the parallels are intentional. Bob and Mary receive these injections and then proceed to have a perfectly normal, “getting to know you” conversation before it kicks in, so we get a chance to know more about them before the effects are felt. I felt this was important to make a statement about these experiments being done on real people. The ending, without spoiling, really shows what I think about that!
Courtesy of ComiXology.
AIPT: Which of our protagonists, Bob or Mary, do you feel most connected/aligned to? Do you feel a dash of guilt for making these people suffer at all?
ST: I feel connected to both of them and experience genuine guilt for all their adventures, but they take it in their stride! They don’t panic and go to pieces, they try to solve problems and deal with past traumas in ways that make sense to them. As characters, I gave them the tools to use their intelligence and skills and to try and do the right thing where possible. In answer to the question, I feel guilty, but I hope people will see their underlying strength and resilience. All drama needs to put its characters through tough times, though. I just hope the story endears people to them.
Courtesy of ComiXology.
AIPT: What was it like working with Gonzalo? How much of his wonderful, totally bonkers art allows you to do what you do from a narrative/writing perspective?
ST: Gonzalo isn’t just a master of line but of color, too. I love the way each chapter emphasizes different colors from the palette he uses and the way they get more vibrant and wild as the story progresses. I’d do a review and sometimes a partial rewrite of each chapter script before I’d send them to Gonzalo. Based on the previous chapter, I might change a monster’s description to better fit his style or specifically to see how he’d tackle it, and he’d never let me down; they always looked awesome! From a narrative perspective, Gonzalo would suggest different panel layouts to me from what was on the script page, and they’d always flow better the way he did it!
Courtesy of ComiXology.
AIPT: How much of your approach here is being confrontational with readers — are you trying to push them and their understandings/perceptions in a way that isn’t always so readily facilitated in the direct market?
ST: This is a fantastic question. Absolutely, I’m being confrontational with readers. I’m hopping about in time and space and leaving things unsaid and trying to capture a fragmented, furious, supernatural event by moving things at a rapid pace. The choppy nature of it, where things are thrown at you before you understand what they are, is definitely confrontational, but I also hope it places the reader perfectly in the confused minds of our main characters. My other hope is that it’s re-readable. You can skip through it in one reading and get everything we’re trying to say, or you can read it a few more times, at a measured pace, and maybe take in a few different themes and meanings or even just luxuriate in the art and let yourself get swallowed up in that. Thanks to Gonzalo, every page has something going on!
Courtesy of ComiXology.
AIPT: Why was it important and/or necessary to release Ill Vacation as a graphic novel and not just 4 separate issues/4 separate chapters?
ST: I think it reads better in one sitting, which is my main thought on that. Four, stand-alone issues mean monthly breaks if you’re waiting for it to come out. By design, it’s a single piece, and the chapter breaks are more an excuse to put in some beautiful Gonzalo full-page spreads rather than necessary breaks between events.
AIPT: Is there a moment that stands out for you in this book — a page/panel/etc. that speaks to the very heart of your story and what you’re trying to do here?
ST: Yes, and it’s the first page! I tried to jump right into the story, Bob is shouting above an engine whine and his superior officer is shouting louder and they can’t hear each other properly but they’re leaving for some unstated reason but you know it can’t be good and he’s left Mary in charge even though Bob is the senior officer. It’s meant to be chaotic and rushed, so the reader knows something is up just from the things left unsaid, and that also sets the tone we were going for with everything else. I think it’s fun to throw the reader into an already developing situation. Maybe it’s confrontational like your previous question was asking, but I like the energy of it!
Courtesy of ComiXology.
AIPT: Is there anything else we should know about Ill Vacation, comics, fear, war, etc.?
ST: Only that I hope you enjoy our war/horror/thriller book, and let us know what you think. If Gonzalo and I can find the time, I’d love to do a prequel based on the two German investigators from Ill Vacation, Elvira and Per, who have a past as supernatural investigators. It’d be a trip to exotic places around the world, and once again, based on some real-world events but given a narrative twist. And, of course, with beautiful Gonzalo artwork!
The following images are all courtesy of ComiXology.
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