Ahead of the final order cutoff on Monday, March 30, AIPT can exclusively reveal a behind-the-scenes look at In Your Skin, the upcoming body horror limited series co-created by Aditya Bidikar and Som, produced by Tiny Onion, and published by Image Comics.
Today’s reveal pulls back the curtain on the exciting new series, with script pages, early concept art, and process materials that showcase how this haunting, Bollywood-set story came together from the ground up.
Building a story that could evolve
For Bidikar, In Your Skin began as a series of outlines, refined again and again before a single page was scripted.
“I wanted to make sure the story worked as a whole before I started writing,” Bidikar said. “But the moment Som began drawing, everything moved. These stopped being just my characters. They became ours, and the script had to change with that.”
That push-and-pull between writing and art became central to the book’s identity. What started as a tightly structured narrative opened up into something more fluid, formed by collaboration at every stage.
Bidikar, making his long-form writing debut after years as one of comics’ most acclaimed letterers, also discovered just how elastic the medium could be.
“How much information a page can hold, how dialogue flows, how pacing works. It was all a process of discovery,” he said. “You don’t learn to write in general. You learn to write the thing you’re writing right now.”
Page 1 script.
Credit: Image
From rough sketches to unsettling beauty
On Som’s side, the process initiated with experimentation.
“The early stages were just rough explorations,” Som said. “For the opening dance sequence, we studied ’90s choreography, especially the work of Saroj Khan, to understand rhythm and movement.”
Page 2.
Page 3.
That research fed directly into the page design, particularly in the opening sequence where performance, identity, and transformation begin to blur.
“We realized one of the early sketches had a more immersive quality, so we leaned into that and built the final page from it.”
Som’s background in film and animation is evident throughout, especially in the way bodies move and interact. Nowhere is that clearer than in the series’ most striking visual idea: bodies merging, skin foldaing into skin.
“I love the idea of one skin melting into another,” Som explained. “There are no references for that, so I had to rely on instinct. I looked at ballet, at how two bodies interact, and combined that with the rhythm we had already established.”
The result is a sequence that feels both intimate and deeply unsettling.
A shared language of character and place
Set in a vividly realized version of Mumbai, In Your Skin follows Priyanka, a Bollywood superfan whose obsession with film star Ayesha Sen spirals into something far darker.
Bringing that world to life required constant communication between the creators.
“We had a lot of conversations about Bollywood references, about the characters, about the city itself,” Bidikar said. “Som brought so much of the environment. The homes, the neighborhoods, how Mumbai reflects who these people are.”
Som, in turn, drew from real-life observation to shape the characters’ body language and presence.
“I study people a lot,” he said. “For certain scenes, I looked at interviews, at how fans behave, how they hold themselves. I wanted every gesture to feel honest.”
Even small design choices carry meaning. Hairstyles, accessories, posture. Each detail reinforces the connection between Priyanka and Ayesha, while also highlighting the gap between who Priyanka is and who she wants to become.
Trust, tension, and creative chemistry
Both creators describe the collaboration as intense, but grounded in mutual respect.
“We’re both pretty intense,” Som admitted. “But we’re also friends. We know when to step back and let the other person lead.”
That trust allowed each of them to push the work further.
“Aditya trusted my understanding of Bollywood,” Som said. “And I trusted that his writing had layers I could build on.”
Bidikar echoed that sentiment.
“Knowing Som was just as invested meant I could focus on the writing. I never had to worry about whether the characters would come through on the page.”
The team behind the vision
The series is edited by Eric Harburn, whose role both creators describe as essential.
“He helped refine every script and gave constant feedback on the art,” Bidikar said. “He’s been a sounding board through the entire process.”
Colorist Francesco Segala and color assistant Gloria Martinelli bring an additional layer of depth, enhancing the book’s blend of realism and surreal horror. Designers Dylan Todd and Courtney Menard complete the package with a visual identity that ties everything together.
“It all comes together in a way that feels cohesive,” Som said. “Everyone brought something unique to the table.”
A story about obsession, identity, and transformation
At its core, In Your Skin is a story about desire and self-erasure. Priyanka does not just admire Ayesha. She wants to become her.
That idea drives both the narrative and the visuals, culminating in a body horror concept that feels as emotional as it is disturbing.
Produced by James Tynion IV’s Tiny Onion, the series fits squarely alongside the studio’s growing slate of bold, creator-driven work.
Page 2 from inks to colors and final.
Don’t miss the cutoff
With the final order cutoff set for Monday, March 30, In Your Skin #1 is one to get on your pull list now. Between its striking visuals, layered storytelling, and deeply collaborative process, it is shaping up to be one of the most distinctive debuts of the year.
In Your Skin #1 hits comic shops April 22, 2026.
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