NYCC 2024: Discussing ‘Arcbound’ And The Nature Of Humanity With Co-Writer Frank Tieri

At New York Comic Con 2024, Dark Horse Comics is showcasing an upcoming new miniseries from writers Frank Tieri and Scott Snyder and artist Ryan Smallman. The series, Arcbound, is a sci-fi epic set in a future where Earth is a barren wasteland and human are forced to live among the stars. In addition to the 12-part series, which launches November 13th, the creators will soon launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to create a hardcover special edition, which will include the first story arc, interviews, and designs, At NYCC, Comicon.com sat down with Tieri to discuss the series, the campaign, and why they are collaborating on it all with Hollywood actor Tom Hardy.

Tom Smithyman: OK Frank. Pitch the book to me. Why should I pick up Arcbound?

Frank Tieri: First of all, because I wrote it. And Scott Snyder wrote it and Ryan Smallman drew it. And oh yeah, somebody named Tom Hardy. Maybe you’ve never heard of him! You know he’s young go getter trying to make his way in the industry!

He’s been actually great to work with. He’s got great ideas. And, you know, he doesn’t pull any Hollywood nonsense. You know I mean? He’s good. My theory has always been best idea wins no matter where it comes from, and he’s really the same way. So he doesn’t try to force his ideas or anything, and he really cares about the product.

Smithyman: How did his involvement come about?

Tieri: The Arcbound guys had a video game they wanted to do. And they wanted to do comic that tells the story behind the game. So they recruited me and Scott. And they always talked about Tom being attached. So then Tom came on board and it’s been great.

Smithyman: OK back to my original question. Tell me what the book is about.

Tieri: Our main character is called Kai. Earth was dying and went into space and found this element called Kronium. All of their society is run on that, their weaponry, all their machinery. But they eventually learn that mining Kronium is toxic. So in order to mine it, you had to wear and arcsuit. The problem is, when you’re in an arcsuit, you lose your humanity. You’re essentially a robot. The colonists didn’t want that, so they rebelled.

That’s where we meet Kai. He’s at a crossroads because the world the thinks exists is not what it seems. There’s more going on than he knows.

Smithyman: You mentioned a video game. Is it still happening?

Tieri: It’s going to come later.

Smithyman: What is the collaboration like between you and Scott, and then Tom?

Tieri: Me and Scott have worked on a number of projects together – most notably DC Metal. By now, we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Scott does a lot of big world stuff. I do a lot of grim and gritty action-type stuff. So we complement each other pretty well.

And Tom comes in with his ideas, and we look to incorporate them.

Smithyman: How do you meet up? Is it through Zoom?

Tieri: Yeah, we Zoom, which is hysterical. Tom Hardy is prancing around his English estate with a cigar and this and that. He’s like a fuckin’ riot! It’s very interesting the way this has worked out.

Smithyman: That’s a lot of personalities in a virtual room!

Tieri: That’s a lot of personalities! A lot of accents. There’s my accent, obviously. I sound like a cartoon character. And there’s his. Scott luckily doesn’t have much of an accent!

Smithyman: What’s the theme of Arcbound?

Tieri: What is humanity? What does it mean to be human? And that’s something that Kai will discover – what exactly does that mean? How does this journey affect him? Through it, he changes his mind about what it means to be human.

Smithyman: Does artificial intelligence factor into the story at all?

Tieri: No! No AI. No NFTs. No bullshit!

The breakout character is called Warr, I can tell. He’s basically like Juggernaut with an ax/scythe thing. He’s basically a nuclear weapon. s basically a nuclear weapon. You have to clean out an area, and they send him in and he goes to work. And he has a secret behind him too.

Smithyman: Not to get overly philosophical, but what do you want to get across to readers about the nature of humanity?

Tieri: It’s not about your body. It’s about your soul. It’s about yourself. Being in a metal body doesn’t mean you’re not human. And being in a regular body doesn’t mean you are human. That’s something that Kai will learn through the process.

Smithyman: Thanks for taking time to talk during a very busy con for you!