Photos courtesy of the authors
Do you often find yourself lamenting the lack of sexy, sci-fi hijinks in modern comics? If so, then have I got the book for you...
In the near future, space travel is ludicrously expensive and largely ignored. Enter Christine Ocampos, inventor of the Star Shot teleportation device, with a big idea: She’ll travel to new worlds, engage—intimately—with local aliens, and film her exploits for a jaded earth populace trying to find something new on the internet. Now, Chris and her merry band of scientist-cum-pornstars explore the universe, each other, and the complexities of sex in MONEY SHOT! A story about scientists having sex with aliens for the glory of mankind—and money.
Money Shot (Vault Comics) is written by Tim Seeley, best known as the co-creator of Hack/Slash; and Sarah Beattie, a comedian whose provocative comments have been known to ruffle the odd feather. If you don't find dick jokes funny you should probably stop reading, because Tim and Sarah were kind enough to entertain some serious, journalistic questions from LitReactor, most having to do with fornicating in space.
Full disclosure: my wife, Rebekah Isaacs, is the artist on Money Shot, but she isn't mentioned here once, so... no conflict!
Tim, you’ve put your own unique spin on several genre stalwarts—slashers, zombies,vampires. With Money Shot, you’ve set your sights on aliens. SEXY aliens. Why aliens, and why now?
Tim: I felt like the story was less about aliens and more about where we are as a society. There's a line in the book where Chris says "No one cares how you get there anymore, just that you get there." And it seems to me, that as the social net shrinks, there's less expectation that people act morally or play by old rules of decorum. So, in a world where we don't bother funding discovery, scientists have to do it by any means necessary. It's about the new mean age, I guess.
Do you enjoy playing with tropes? Is it a necessity in the comics industry to incorporate the familiar if you want to do something different?
Tim: Yeah, I think so. It's hard to throw people into a completely new world....you have to give them sign posts, and a rope if they need it. And I feel like I come from a sort of Quentin Tarantino side of things...my stories are often at least partially about pop culture.
Where does Sarah come into the equation? How does your collaboration work?
Tim: Sarah is our funny gun. I bring her in to blow things up. So I write a script, and then she goes through and makes it funnier, by saying shit I would never ever say.
Sarah, what attracted you to this project? How does your collaboration with Tim work?
Sarah: Well I've been friends with Tim awhile, and he had this idea for Dicks in Space that he pitched to me and of course I was interested, because, y'know, dicks in space. Also titties in space! And various other genitalia. Genitalia is my wheelhouse.
You’ve generated your share of controversy on social media, have any restrictions been put on you? Do you intend on behaving yourself?
Sarah: Yeeeah, I should probably cut that out. Or not. I like speaking my mind when it comes to my comedy and don't really think about the weirdos who actually get offended when I call them a cunt. Wait, can I say cunt in this interview? See I'm doing it again.
This is your first comics writing credit. Any plans for future projects? Is the comics industry the get-rich-quick path to superstardom it’s purported to be? Give us some career advice for the kids out there.
Sarah: It IS my first foray into comics. I am a closeted super secret nerd (tell no one) so I'm surprised I haven't done this earlier. I had no idea it was a get rich quick path though, so now I am super excited to get rich quick. I'm going to buy 57 dildos and a house.
My advice for kids is the world is terrible and horrible and everything gets worse so don't even try.
Click to enlarge. Art by Rebekah Isaacs.
The story possibilities are literally endless, with the whole (un)known universe at your disposal. How far do you see this idea going? Multiple universes? Deities? SEX with deities?
Tim: ALL OF IT.
People used to say sex robots were the future, but like flying cars, the technology still isn’t quite there. What do you think the timeline for intergalactic porn is? If alien life was discovered, do you think the logical next step would be to fuck it?
Tim: Well, I mean, depending on the biology of the other life forms, there's a pretty good chance that sex is what they're built for...same as us. We exist just to transport our sex organs around long enough to procreate. It stands to reason they'd be the same.
Money Shot: Sexually positive or positively sexy?
Sarah: Oh wow, seriously? Um, let's see, if we're doing it right it should give you a big ol' boner but still make you laugh.
The movie The Human Centipede was billed as being 100% medically accurate. What percent scientifically accurate would you say Money Shot is?
Sarah: Oh super accurate. I'm actually a dick scientist and I've run all the facts through my dick database many times.
These days it seems like every comic property is being scooped up for film and television adaptation. What would be your dream casting for Money Shot?
Sarah: Me! Just kidding. Hmm, for the lead I'd say anyone with big nice boobies, so I guess Jonah Hill or your mom. Will Smith and Bill Hader can play everyone else.
Tim: Ha, I dunno, it'll have to be some brave bastards!
Touch to make grow.
Money Shot Issue #1 is available digitally on October 23rd via Comixology and in print at your local comic shop.
About the author
Joshua Chaplinsky is the Managing Editor of LitReactor. He is the author of The Paradox Twins (CLASH Books), the story collection Whispers in the Ear of A Dreaming Ape, and the parody Kanye West—Reanimator. His short fiction has been published by Vice, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Thuglit, Severed Press, Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, Broken River Books, and more. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @jaceycockrobin. More info at joshuachaplinsky.com and unravelingtheparadox.com.
