An Interview With Wells Thompson About ‘MechaTon’

Writer Wells Thompson is one of the creative talents behind the comic series MechaTon (2023-Present). He is currently beginning a Kickstarter campaign for issues 4 and 5 of the series. Also he is a co-creator of the horror comic, Descent into Dread (2020) from Caliber. Thompson is also a contributor to the comic review site Comic Book Yeti.

Benjamin Hall: What makes MechaTon different from other giant robot narratives?

Wells Thompson: I think a lot of Mecha shows/manga/comics tend to be very self-serious. I grew up on Gundam and Big O and Evangelion and…you get the point (Big O [1999-2001]). I love those stories, but they’re blanketed with this guise of ennui that can sometimes feel at odds with the larger than life action that drives the plot. MechaTon was made, first and foremost, as a love letter to the fun. There are still crises and challenges the heroes face, but we wanted the comic to have a distinctly fun, self aware vibe.

Hall: Is MechaTon taking inspiration from the cartoon Megas XLR (2004-2005)? Cause there seem to be similarities there, and you do mention shows like it on the first kickstarter campaign.

Thompson: Yeah, MechaTon definitely wears its influences on its giant mechanical sleeves. Megas XLR wasn’t a conscious influence, but once someone brought it up in an interview during the first campaign, it made me realize how much we took inspiration from it. There’s definitely some character archetypes and tonal choices that came from the show, and the general plot of “idiot gamers find and use advanced technology they have no business having” is pretty similar. That said, MechaTon takes at least as much from Scott Pilgrim, Transformers, Power Rangers, Murder Falcon, and Pacific Rim as Megas XLR (Murder Falcon [2018-2019] and Pacific Rim [2013]).

Hall: How many arcs do you have plans for after this current arc finishes with what is hopefully a successful kickstarter campaign?

Thompson: We have two more arcs planned out and then who knows. It’s definitely the kind of story that could spiral out of control forever and be all the better for it, but we’ll see when we get there!

Hall: Do you have a plan for an end point should you need to wrap things up early?

Thompson: Nope! But that’s the great thing about Kickstarter, no one gets to cancel us except the readers. We’re working with Scout to get the book out to the direct market (and we’re so happy to be publishing with them!), but ultimately, we have almost total control over the story and where it ends. And where it ends, at least right now, is issue 15.

Hall: Do you feel that this comic speaks to real world concerns in a way that might motivate some to actual action? In other words, do you think the story might spark someone to look into helping their community more?

Thompson: I certainly hope so! I don’t want to overstate the importance of a comic, but the forces that work against Derek and Leah are real world problems: bad bosses, aggressive cops, oppressive ideologies, as well as the occasional big nasty bug. If our little group of misfits encourages people to stand up for themselves and their neighbors, I think that’s a positive thing.

Hall: What is it like to work with your creative team on MechaTon? 

Thompson: Working with (Co-writer) Dalton Shannona and (artist) Fernando Pinto is an absolute dream. Dalton and I have been friends for a long while and we really bring out the best in each other (writing wise. We also argue until 3 in the morning about Superman, so there’s that.) Nando brings an incredible style and energy to the project that, I think, really makes it what it is. We ask him to conceptualize and draw some really hard stuff and he nails it every time like it’s nothing. I really don’t think I could ask for a better creative team!

Hall: Who is your favorite character to write? Also is this due to ease of writing or relatability?

Thompson: Oh god, you’re making me choose. They’re all so much fun for different reasons. Derek gets to do the cool stuff and make the dumb puns so that’s always a joy. Leah is self centered to the point where I think everything she does is hilarious, In’Za, a character we’ll be introducing soon, is the ultimate fish out of water, which makes her naturally appealing.

Gun to my head though, I think I enjoy writing Hex the most. It’s not that they’re easy to write or even super relatable, it’s that they’re so different from me in so many ways and yet they’re ultimately the voice of reason in the group. They also basically don’t belong to this genre: a non-binary vegan crystal witch in a sci-fi comic that has to deal with the shenanigans of their girlfriend’s idiot brother whose hand is attached to an alien super-weapon…to me, they’re the most compelling of the bunch!

Hall: Thank you Wells Thompson for doing this interview!

MechaTon #1 has a release date of March 29th, 2023 from Scout’s Scoot imprint.