The Most Wonderful Game: Discussing Music And Saving The World With ‘The Prism’ Creator Matteo De Longis

How’s this for a premise: Earth is dying and only rock and roll can save it? That is the idea behind Matteo De Longis’ The Prism. De Longis writes and illustrates the limited series from Ablaze Publishing in which a black substance called Smoke on the Water is infecting our water. In an interview with Comicon, De Longis discusses his own musical tastes, the importance of sticky notes in his storytelling process, and how science fiction can be a metaphor for our own world.

Tom Smithyman: You must be a huge music fan, right? What is your favorite genre and band?

Matteo De Longis: I was a kid in the 90s, so I have experienced the explosion of grunge and alt-rock, finding my voice echoed by the versatility and diverse sounds of  The Smashing Pumpkins. Then, in the early aughts, I was fascinated by the progressive nuances of bands such as Muse or Tool, right around when I used to play (electric bass) in various bands.

I am currently enamored with rock that communicates the depths of space, Shoegaze, Post-rock, some nuances of French electronic rock, such as M83… I think it’s also the perfect soundtrack for The Prism.

Smithyman: You are known primarily as an artist. Why did you also want to write this story?

De Longis: As an illustrator, I have always felt a need for depth behind the images and designs I created. A cover, artwork in general are like a snapshot, but creating stories and worlds in which character must live and act, and devising mechanisms and solutions is the most wonderful game there is. I have waited long, believing I should hone my muscles and skill first. Maybe I have waited a bit too long, but I can finally travel wherever I want.

Smithyman: Since you are both the writer and illustrator, how do you approach telling the story? Does it start with a plot, then words, then images, or something else entirely?

De Longis: I take notes for plot in random moments. Sometimes I fixate on something I’ll only have to deal with two or three volumes from now!

In general, I structure the story on virtual sticky notes I can endlessly reposition. Then everything coalesces in the storyboards, sketched out on what will become the final page. Being first and  foremost a visual artist, I need to start by sketching a character, if I need them to say something.

Smithyman: From reading the first three issues, I get the impression that you approached this more as a complete graphic novel than a story told in individual issues. Do I have that right?

De Longis: You got that right. The Prism is an opus meant to be seven books, each about 180 pages long – a format that is kind of a compromise between European graphic novels and manga. With Ablaze, we have chosen to initially divide each volume to fit the typical American single-issue format, with the plan to offer collected volumes later on. I have completely trusted Ablaze’s vision both for formatting and the choice of variant covers because I think it’s important to adapt to the different editorial realities around the world.

Smithyman: In the first issue you use a Nicola Tesla quote: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.” How inspirational was this quote when you were writing the story, or did you discover it after you wrote the tale?

De Longis: It’s a phrase I found when I was already working on the story, and it seemed to perfectly resonate with The Prism.

In general, I have an immense interest in science, space, physics. I try to study and keep up with research. I am attracted to that frontier with the unknown, the idea of jumping past what is measurable and into the unknown. This is where the work of science fiction begins, leaping beyond the knowable to shape new horizons. After all, imagination and intuition are also at the root of real scientific discoveries! I have the certainty that I am able to play.

Smithyman: Smoke on the Water is a great name for the mysterious antagonist in this story. Is it a metaphor for other issues plaguing our planet, like climate change?

De Longis: Yes, the role of sci-fi is also that of detailing alternate realities in which real elements are recognizable. Creating a world with similarities to the real one – parallels – allows me to shape a more relatable, engaging story. At the same time, reality itself offers constant information that I can mediate and incorporate in my plot. Humbly, a work of fiction can help decipher reality.

The theme of climate change – an enormous danger for our future – but it is one that is still ignored by some who think it’s not urgent or real. The different reactions, the cries for help, the hypocrisy of a world that does not acknowledge the fragility of parts of humankind… all this brings me to reflect and create.

Smithyman: If you had to choose only one song to save the world with, what would it be?

De Longis: No hesitation: Tonight Tonight by The Smashing Pumpkins.

So heartbreaking yet so full of hope, hope and rebirth; how can those words and that music be ignored, both in life and in the eternal night of space?

Smithyman: “The impossible is possible tonight.” Seems pretty appropriate given the story. Thanks for taking the time to talk about The Prism.