Magnetic Press announces Black Box Chronicles, a new sci-fi anthology
Magnetic Press has announced the upcoming premiere of their first original production in partnership with Horrible Future: Black Box Chronicles, a science-fiction anthology that spans multiple generations in mankind’s expansion into space and beyond the stars. Developed by Horrible Future founders Mark Schey and Chris Northrop, the anthology serves as an introduction to the sprawling drama and high-concept fiction that will be explored in a multi-media plan that includes print, digital, audio, video, and interactive elements.
Black Box Chronicles is set in the future age known as The Great Outward Expansion wherein mankind has not only left earth to colonize other planets but other star systems as well. Humanity’s natural instinct to explore is given free reign through exponentially advancing technology, reaching new plateaus of knowledge faster than anyone could have imagined. But regardless of how much data and processing power civilization achieves, there remains one barrier that can only be crossed in one direction: the one separating life and death. But one Scavenger believes he may be able to solve life’s biggest mystery by assembling scraps of data from a variety of Black Boxes recovered from several centuries’ worth of spacecraft that all share a secret connection, one that may answer the question of what happens in our final moments when we pass into “The Great Dark.”
Told by a creative team of some of the comic industry’s most talented artists and writers, this collection of 15 interconnected short stories set the historical groundwork for the Black Box Universe. Horrible Future founders Mark Schey and Chris Northrop have gathered a roster of seasoned talent from around the world, including David Mack, Michael Avon Oeming, Zach Howard, Eryk Donovan, Marco Fodera, Gavin Smith, Toru Terada, David Messina, Giovanni Rigano, Drew Moss, Christian Dibari, Taki Soma, and Mario Alberti.
In addition to the anthology, a world-building Art Book entitled Black Box Design Space will be released featuring an encyclopedic look at the various devices, locations, and technologies that make up this new future setting. Fully illustrated by concept artist Shane Molina, this supplemental volume will further immerse readers into the world of Black Box through rich cutaway schematics and lore that add further dimension and layers to the mysteries explored in the anthology.
In addition to the anthology and encyclopedia, additional supplementary content is in development, including original music by one of the fictional characters, longform prose short stories, and tabletop roleplaying materials using Magnetic’s D6MV System based on the classic D6 System by West End Games.
Black Box Chronicles will debut on Kickstarter on Tuesday May 16th with special limited hardcover editions of both the anthology and the Design Space art book. The campaign-exclusive hardcover edition of the anthology will feature artwork by David Mack, while the general trade paperback edition will feature artwork by Shane Molina. A limited, deluxe slipcase set will feature both hardcover books inside a blue foil-laden slipcase with magnetic closure. Other campaign exclusives will include resin miniatures of some of the ships and drones featured in the series, a deck of premium playing cards featuring design motifs and artwork from inside the universe, and other unlockable bonus items that will be revealed at launch.
As a child of the 1980s, I grew up in a time where cartoon movies were a joy for not only the kids but the parents. This tradition continues on to today as many of these films usually leave a few jokes only parents will understand. Then there are those animated pictures that they are made for children. One of the most memorable movies, that I can watch today, and I would still make me feel the same way, is Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, a sobering cinematic classic about humanity, the dangers of pollution, and our connection to nature.