The grownups killed the world. To escape destruction, Henry built The Forever Home. Inside, his family enjoys existence, protected by the poisonous elements outside. One catch: their time is compressed. For every twenty minutes they live, one hour outside passes. Nothing should ever cross the threshold.

Writer Christian Ward is having a moment. He’s about to launch his new artworld horror, The Patron. Event Horizon: Inferno currently rages on the stands, with the previous Event Horizon: Dark Descent premiering as a trade paperback next week at San Diego Comic-Con International. And, this fall, courtesy of Oni Press, he launches maybe his most personal and mature work yet, The Forever Home.

The Forever Home is his Cocaine Bear. The premise alone should hook you, and once you crack its pages, the comic delivers on its promise. It’s always a joy to have Christian Ward on the podcast. He’s a theme-forward storyteller, and as such, the perfect Comic Book Couples Counseling guest. We get into it!

First, we discuss why this year’s San Diego Comic-Con is such a critical moment in his career. We look at the road behind him and the road ahead. We talk about The Forever Home’s dystopian present, the family tragedy bubbling within, and how it confronts tribalism.

The Forever Home #1 arrives in shops on September 9th. It’s written by Christian Ward, illustrated by Sammi Kivelä, colored by Jason Wordie, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Continue this conversation with Christian Ward by visiting his Website and following him on Blue Sky and Instagram.

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