Sex, Lies, And Betrayal: Mad Cave Studios Announces ‘The Karman Line’ For March 2023

Mad Cave Studios has announced their first Adult OGN, The Karman Line, dropping in March from writer Dennis Hopeless, artist Piotr Kowalski, colorist Brad Simpson, and letterer Chas! Pangburn. 

‘It’s all sex, lies and betrayal on a reality show streaming from space until the crew receives a message reading “ABORT MISSION AND GET HOME NOW”. Things unravel quickly as they find the shuttle damaged and a crew member dead. They’ll have to fight to survive and hopefully escape… While cameras record everything.’

“There’s a reason astronaut horror is so effective. You’re trapped in a tin can with the little bit of oxygen you brought with you, trusting your life to a few coworkers and their gadgets…” said Hopeless. “In an endless vacuum of death. Space is objectively terrifying. Maybe that’s why astronauts used to be so famous. Bubble-helmeted action heroes flying the hopes and dreams of humanity into the heavens. Back when you could be famous and also private. When celebrity wasn’t so invasive.

“In The Karman Line our astronauts are modern famous.  Twenty-four/7-always-on-cameras-in-your-face-paparazzi-famous. 

“Their mission is real, and just might save the human race, but only if they can keep us entertained. It’s a story about who we really are versus what we let people see and what happens when our carefully-crafted personas break down… With the whole world watching.

“I’m honored to be telling this story with Piotr Kowalski. His stark linework and devastatingly human characters perfectly echo the silent terror of space.”

“The Karman Line is the first sci-fi comic I have been working on in more than 10 years. You can imagine how overjoyed I was when I got The Karman Line’s script.” added Kowalski. “I remember my first thought was: Finally!

“You see, drawing a sci-fi comic is not an easy thing. A lot of tight spaces, futuristic equipment, corridors, airlocks, space shuttles, space suits,etc. Difficult stuff. And it becomes really difficult when your approach to drawing comics is like mine has always been. I have always believed that a comic book is very much like a movie; cut to a frozen panels, but still a movie. 

“You have the actors, film sets, specific locations, and just as in a movie your job is to make it all work. And in order to make it all work, you have to adjust your drawing style to the type of the story that was given to you. Whenever you draw monsters, vampires, surreal landscapes, dreamy visions, or beautiful girls  wielding enormous guns, you can sort of ‘ unleash’ your imagination and let yourself go; you can let your lines become shaky, untidy ,maybe even less precise than usual. But…all of that wouldn’t work when you have to draw a story like The Karman Line. Stories like The Karman Line demand a specific approach: a lot of precision and diligence. Nothing can be accidental and everything has to be planned and carefully executed – I love it!  

“So far, working on this comic has been a wonderful exercise and a chance to apply a lot of self-discipline which is always a good thing. Besides, Dennis gave me a great script. The plot offers a few surprising twists and the members of the crew have to make tough decisions. In order to convey the inner tensions properly, a lot of precisely designed body language is necessary which, again, demands a lot of precise, realistic lines. I’m sure all the hard work will pay off in the end. Hopefully our readers will enjoy reading this comic as much as I have been enjoying drawing it.” 

The Karman Line #1 is now available for pre-order on the Mad Cave site and will hit the spinner racks on March 14, 2023.