Broken Frontier

JENNIFER DELK: Oh, well, I went to the San Francisco Art Institute for a year, and one of my instructors there was Jane McGonigal, who was a co-head of the game. So she actually brought it up to our class before it started, and asked if any of us wanted to join in the project.

BF: How did you decide to approach this as a story? What was your narrative approach to the project?

JD: Just pretty much "how everyday people are going to cope with this change." How such a small thing could create a ripple effect. In a big city like San Francisco, average people might not come into contact with the price of oil because of our public transportation system.

BF: You have a group of characters who have found themselves increasingly isolated as transportation systems have broken down. A more recent installment ends on a hopeful note: "I still think it'll get better." Have we seen the worst, or is there a truly nightmarish situation ahead for these people?

JD: It seems like things are going to get better. People are learning to get jobs without using gasoline. People are learning to farm, so that'll ease up on the food situation. And the government's trying to bring in food by any means necessary. So it's not a great situation, but it's a hopeful one.

BF: Some say science fiction tries to predict the future, others say it tries to prevent it. Which are you trying to do?

JD: Well, I'd like to say this is an attempt to prevent the future, but the way things are going, it's very much likely to happen.

BF: Has doing this project made you more fuel-conscious?

JD: The whole thing came to my attention some time ago. I was watching a program on-- I think it was The Discovery Channel-- talking about how peak oil was going to happen in 15 to 40 years. That's always been a concern, but doing this project has underlined, for me, how close we are to it.

BF: You're in an area that's very influenced by the tech industry. As close as you've gotten to this issue, do you see technological solutions to the peak oil problem on the horizon?

JD: We certainly do have the technology for it. We have seen technologies coming out in recent years that directly deal with this issue. The problem is marketing, or it being covered up by other companies for various reasons. The real challenge, once these products are introduced, will be phasing out all the oil-based products.

BF: Would that really be a concern? I mean, if they're really more expensive to produce and use, and the alternatives are cheaper and right there, wouldn't the market take care of that for us?

JD: Well, I would really like to buy an electric car, but I wouldn't want to have to go and buy one so soon after getting a new car myself. And I know a lot of other people who would be really reluctant to give up their own car for various reasons-- either it's new or they've put a lot of time into it. If there were a way to compensate people for getting electric cars, especially at first, that might overcome resistance.

BF: Something like a tax credit, you think?

JD: Something like that.

BF: So the message of this comic is "we will survive." It doesn't purport to have all the answers, it doesn't even say something else won't be coming over the horizon tomorrow, but it does say that people are coming together, banding together, and that's what's important. Is that a fair assessment?

JD: Yes. I'm a firm believer in the idea that if people don't come together, they won't be able to survive. If there is any way we'll be able to overcome any sorts of hardships or obstacles, it's by everybody co-operating.

BF: Thank you very much, Jennifer!

Transcribed from an audio interview. Jennifer's comics can be seen on her Livejournal (full Livejournal) (tag: comics).