Scott Hoffman Interview: Warm Fusion

Today I’m joined by returning guest musician turned comics writer Scott Hoffman. Scott has been on twice before promoting his other projects Wag and Nostalgia and he’s got a new book hitting shelves with DSTLRY called Warm Fusion, a futuristic sci fi/horror about a bleak New York future and the pitfalls of biotech gone wrong. We talk about the motivations behind this exciting new book, getting ready for a Spring Tour in the UK with his band the Scissor Sisters, and a unique vinyl record collaboration associated with the book with DJ Hi-Tek of Die Antwoord. From the publisher DSTLRY, the next-generation publisher redefining creator-owned comics and collectibles, is thrilled to announce Warm Fusion, a new sci-fi horror mystery series by writer Scott Hoffman (Nostalgia, Wag, member of pop icons Scissor Sisters) and artist Alberto Ponticelli (Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Orc Island). The series will debut this December, plunging readers into a nightmarish vision of New York City as biotech corporations unleash atrocities to rival the serial killers stalking the night. Half a century into the future, New York City has been devastated by crime, ongoing storms, residual radiation from a terrorist attack, and genetic mutations spurred by the medical innovations created in response. After a series of murders rip through the city’s brothels, an escort named Vin Young, who cosplays as the Brothers Grimm’s Snow White—and is one of the generation of deformed victims—pursues the killer, or killers, reluctantly joining forces with Jarrod Hannover, the lone cop assigned to the case. The two eventually arrive at a biotech megacorp developing a cellular metal called Warm Fusion—a pioneering technology meant to replace prosthetics limbs—and soon confront the sociopathic scientist Nicholas Fleischer, his monstrous alter-ego, Mr. Barnaby, and the hideous monster that he’s been secretly developing. Warm Fusion combines the visceral body horror of David Cronenberg with the dystopian urban sprawl of Blade Runner, offering a chilling experience for fans of sci-fi benchmarks including Videodrome, The Thing, and RoboCop. “Warm Fusion is a deep dive into the grotesque possibilities of biotechnology and its impact on humanity,” says writer Scott Hoffman. “Alberto Ponticelli’s art is transportive, blurring the lines between flesh, machine, and everyone caught in the gutters between. This is an evolution of the body horror classics I watched growing up, and perfect for a time when humanity is obsessed with (and achieving) provocative new levels of post-humanism.” PATREON We have a new Patreon, CryptidCreatorCornerpod. If you like what we do, please consider supporting us. We got two simple tiers, $1 and $3. I’ll be uploading a story every Sunday about some of the crazy things I’ve gotten into over the years. The first one dropped last week about me relocating a drug lord’s sharks. Yes, it did happen, and the alligators didn’t even get in the way. Want to know more, you know what to do. Our episode sponsors COMICS OVER TIME Make sure to give a listen to our friends with Comics Over Time. Arkenforge Play TTRPG games? Make sure to check out our partner Arkenforge. They have everything you need to make your TTRPG more fun and immersive, allowing you to build, play, and export animated maps including in person fog of war capability that let’s your players interact with maps as the adventure unfolds while you, the DM get the full picture. Use the discount code YETI5 to get $5 off your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices