THOUGHT BUBBLE MONTH 2025! The last time we talked with Dave Cook his first Killtopia cyberpunk series had just been collected and published by Titan. With the second arc Killtopia: Phantoms launching last week with the first issue on Kickstarter here what better time to catch up with Dave and chat about what we can expect from the new series, just why 2025 has been such a hard year for comics crowdfunding, and the talent involved in the Killtopia Nano Jams anthology…
ANDY OLIVER: Killtopia: Phantoms #1 kicks off the second arc for the book. Where are the characters in their lives since the last time we saw them and what’s the starting point for this new storyline?
DAVE COOK: The Phantoms arc spans eight single issues and takes place five years after the events of Killtopia #5. Without spoiling the first arc, Neo Tokyo is a very different place now. The Killtopia bloodsport and its economy of toxic fandom and hype are long gone, and the bloodsport’s Mechs are now living and working alongside humanity.
The arc stars Bloody Mary, who was being positioned as the new face of Killtopia, and the bloodsport’s next big star. However, Mary fought alongside the first arc’s heroes to save the planet and bring Killtopia crashing down. In short; she knee-capped her own chances of fame and fortune for the greater good.
And now, five years later, Mary works with an elite police unit called Phantoms, which has been formed to catch a mass mind hacker who starts terrorising Neo Tokyo on Halloween night. The hacker uses their manipulation to make people see their worst fears come to life, believe obvious lies, and worst of all, to puppeteer people to unknowingly commit crimes on their behalf.
This is an analogy for how we’re often coerced into feeling angry or afraid by those who stand to gain from it. To help her make sense of the world, and to feed her hunger for the hunt, Mary joins Phantoms Unit to help catch the hacker and become a beloved hero again. She’s also working through a great deal of pain and regret, caused by events I won’t spoil here.
As for where Issue #1 starts, we kick off with Mary and her cop partner Hab as they investigate a shady Yakuza drug operation. From there, things get pretty wild in a way only Killtopia knows how. And as for the rest of the Killtopia cast. Those who died in the previous arc are still very much dead (sorry readers!)
We largely wanted to focus on our new cast, but I can tease that there will be a few appearances by returning characters – who are all in very different places since last time. The less you know going in, the better. Trust me!
AO: Who are the creative team for Phantoms, and what do your collaborators bring to the story?
COOK: On art we have returning Killtopia artist Clark Bint, who continues to blow me away with his intricate line art, warped perspectives and trademark style. Clark’s work on the first arc helped to give the world of Neo Tokyo a tangible, lived-in quality that was rich with detail. The city felt alive as a result, like a character in its own right.
In Phantoms, I’ve stepped back even more to let Clark jazz with his artwork. He lets rip in ways that continue to astonish me whenever new pages land in my inbox. Thanks to the mind hacker’s ability to manipulate and terrify their victims, Clark and I agreed to lean into our love of horror and the abstract, which has made for many trippy, warped moments of psychological horror. We want you to keep guessing if what you’re seeing is accurate, or the result of the mind hacker’s schemes.
On colours we have new colourist Emma Oosterhous, who has hit the ground running with issue #1. Emma’s colours are also mind blowing. When we’re firmly in reality, her colours capture the neon soaked vibe of the first story arc. When we’re in horror territory, the colours really ramp up to set a dark mood, or moments of psychedelic disorientation. Seriously, Clark and Emma are a dream team.
And on letters, we’re joined once again by my long-time collaborator, Micah Myers, who has forever been a joy to work with. Together, I feel we’ve achieved something very special with Phantoms.
AO: We’ve spoken in the past about the social commentary in the pages of Killtopia. With that in mind can you give us some thoughts on the types of themes you’re exploring in this new arc?
COOK: Aside from pop culture influences, like Ghost in the Shell 2: Requiem and Cowboy Bebop, Phantoms was heavily inspired by real world issues and events. I briefly touched on the theme of disinformation, which we explore in many ways throughout the arc. It’s that terrifying fact that these days, seemingly intelligent people can be tricked into believing obvious lies, or into abandoning their beliefs and morals entirely. How did we get here and how do we fix it? Is there a way back at all?
Much of the plot was informed by my own thought processes over the course of the post-COVID world we find ourselves in. I received my first mental health diagnosis and course of medication a few years ago, and this directly informed a plot trope where Neo Tokyo’s citizens take a steady diet of ‘neural’ pills to keep the mind hacker out of their heads. I won’t spoil any more about this theme, but it’s a huge part of our plot.
Killtopia: Phantoms art and colours above from Clark Bint and Emma Oosterhous
Mary constantly regrets killing her own career, and wonders how different her life could be today if she hadn’t helped to destroy Killtopia. This was inspired by my own musings after turning 40 a few years back. I often found myself tracing back past decisions that influenced where I am today. I lamented what I should have done differently, ways I should have been better, times I should have been kinder, and so on.
But those things are done now. We can’t go back, we can only move forward. The world and the future is ours to shape. Will we continue making bad choices, or will we do our best to leave something good behind after we’re gone.
Heavy stuff for sure, but it wouldn’t be Killtopia without daft moments of humour, explosive action, and plenty of absolute nonsense thrown into the mix. We have plenty!
AO: This year also saw the successful funding of the Killtopia: Nano Jams anthology with an amazing cast of indie creators. Can you tell us a little bit about that project, those involved and the kind of stories to be found in its pages?
COOK: Nano Jams was a huge project created by many, many incredible people. It was the first Killtopia short story anthology centred around the theme of ‘media.’ So essentially, how might today’s television, music, video games, devices and social media evolve in our warped, wild cyberpunk world of Killtopia.
Killtopia: Nano Jams cover by Kim Hu
At over 100 pages, Nano Jams collects over 20 stories featuring the talents of such incredible contributors as Skylar Patridge, Stipan Morian, Jason Loo, Gustaffo Vargas, Liana Kangas, Steve Gregson, Alex Moore, Lucy Sullivan, Kim Hu, Simon Birks, Yishan Li, Laura Helsby, and many, many more.
We’ve got stories that touch upon the damaging effects of device dependency, the pressure of chasing influencer status, an Amazon Alexa-style device that develops a god complex, bizarre high tech punishments for criminals, and much more. It’s very relevant today and full of incredible talent.
AO: The first volume of Killtopia was picked up by Titan last year. How have reactions been to the book from the new audiences it has reached through that?
COOK: The collected hardback omnibus contains Killtopia #1-5 and includes lots of new bonus material. The Titan deal has helped us get Killtopia out into comic stores and online retailers worldwide, and the reaction has been incredible.
It’s always incredible when readers in other countries send me photos of the book in their local store, or to let us know that they enjoyed their copy. That kind of interaction always helps to keep me going, so if you’re one of those people, thank you so much!
AO: What kind of rewards will be available on the Killtopia: Phantoms Kickstarter campaign?
COOK: As this is a new story arc, we decided to keep the number of reward tiers light, to avoid overloading people with options., However, you will be able to add on lots of classic rewards from the first arc’s Kickstarters, and a few new goodies as well. Some of the classic rewards are strictly limited edition, in that, they’re all I have left from the first run and many of them won’t be getting made again. So this is your last chance to get several of our old rewards.
We have a new Phantoms tee designed by the awesome artist Darren Vogt, a new Clark Bint art print, and returning art prints from Frank Quitely, Tula Lotay, Caspar Wijngaard, Sebastian Piriz, Lucy Sullivan and more incredible guests. On top of these, you can also add-on Nano Jams, back issues of the first arc, and copies of my other comic series BPM: Beatdowns Per Minute, Ninja Baseball Spirit, Bust and Deadliner.
AO: It’s been a strange year for comics crowdfunding with a lot of projects that previously would have reached their targets very quickly really struggling, in some cases, to get over the finish line. What do you think have been some of the biggest and most unexpected challenges for crowdfunders of late?
COOK: You’re spot on that it’s been a strange year. The biggest issue I’ve seen online lately is rising postage costs, thanks in part to Trump’s incredibly stupid and self-defeating tariffs. It’s getting to the point where the cost of posting a single issue is likely more than the price of the book itself (depending on what you charge).
That’s a big problem, as it’s likely that some backers will be put off by this, which means hitting your Kickstarter target could be a larger hill to climb than before. This is before you even factor in that people simply don’t have as much disposable cash as they once did, thanks to rising costs, inflation and wages not rising in kind.
‘Mutuals’ from Killtopia: Nano Jams by Amy Chase and Darren Vogts
On top of this you have resign print costs, and new hurdles in the path of people trying to promote their crowdfunders online. Thanks to Musk nuking Twitter’s algorithm, it’s becoming harder to stand out online.
As always, creators should try and stay positive, promote where they can, and keep the faith. It’s tough out there, but you’re absolutely not alone!
AO: You’ll be at Thought Bubble this month. What will punters be able to pick up from you at your table this year?
COOK: I shall indeed! I’ve had my head down working on Phantoms for some time, while still juggling my full time job. That means I don’t have too many new books on my table. However, I will have copies of Hello Darkness #13 from Boom! Studios, which is a zombie special featuring my latest horror short with artist David Cousens. It’s a satire that rips into the likes of Warner Bros. for trying to cut staff by introducing AI into their creative processes. It was inspired by the Screen Actor Guild strikes and stands in solidarity with anyone who has (or could have) their livelihood threatened by the technology.
I’ll also have Killtopia: Nano Jams, Killtopia #1-5, BPM: Beatdowns Per Minute, Ninja Baseball Spirits, and copies of my two video game history books, about the beat ‘em up and run ‘n’ gun genres, respectively.
The less you know going in, the better. Trust me!
‘Schadenbeast Kill’ from Killtopia: Nano Jams by Nick Bryan, Steve Gregson and Fabiana Marques
AO: And, finally, what else can we expect from Dave Cook in the coming months, comics or otherwise?
COOK: Since taking about six months off writing last year, my approach to life has been to slow down, enjoy life more and stress over chasing success in comics. So after I finish up the script for Killtopia: Phantoms #8, I may take the rest of the year off, before returning to work on our third Killtopia series. It’s a whole new series that’s set a long time before the events of Killtopia #1. I’m also slowly working on a structure for a third main Killtopia arc as well.
For a while, after Killtopia #5 production ended, I was keen to not be ‘the Killtopia guy’ and explore new ideas. But to be honest, I realised that the tropes of the first arc are so ‘stretchy’ that they could be applied to many more stories. Plus, I didn’t appreciate that we’ve created an IP that people enjoy, which is a hard thing to engineer. The fact we got there organically told me that I should maybe double down on Killtopia and expand this wild thing that we’ve made in new ways.
Watch this space for even more Killtopia projects down the line! Thanks so much for the great questions, and for taking the time to speak with me. It’s massively appreciated!
Interview by Andy Oliver
Back the Killtopia: Phantoms Kickstarter here
Dave Cook will be at Table B15 in the Comixology Hall at Thought Bubble.
Thought Bubble 2025 runs from November 1oth-16th with the convention weekend taking place on the 15th-16th. More details on the Thought Bubble site here.
Read all our Thought Bubble 2025 coverage so far in one place here.
Poster by Ng Yin Shian
