Welcome to The New Futurists!
The New Futurists is a narrative universe featuring essays, comics, fiction, and art produced by Ben Bolling and an extraordinary group of collaborators from around the world.
We’re exploring strange new worlds and we’d like you to join us!
Since we started publishing on Substack in 2022, support from readers like you has allowed us to expand our team and the scope of the stories The New Futurists tell. We appreciate your subscription at any level— free, paid, or Visionary!
In 2024, we are proud to present digital-first publications of our ongoing features:
SOUTHERN GOTHIC is an original comics series co-created by Ezequiel Rubio and Ben Bolling. It’s a noir supernatural thriller and a road trip through 20th-century American literature. In 1955, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover coerces writers Truman Capote, Carson McCullers, and Tennessee Williams to investigate a copycat killer who is reenacting some of American literature’s most ruthless murders. But as the writers follow a trail of violence across the American South, they uncover arcane forces bent on rewriting reality to suit their own wicked purpose!
THE OMNIVERSE is an unfolding concept universe where our team of writers and artists will build a story world to share with you in real time. This ongoing feature will include short fiction, comics, maps, illustrations, and all sorts of stories. Expect Appalachian futurism, superheroes, ghost stories, cosmic horror, and the occasional recipe.
Join Luis Valero-Suarez and Ben Bolling for a tour of the Omniverse through this series of digital trading cards. We aim to capture the magic of collectable comics cards while bringing you astonishing stories from across the Omniverse!
As we announce other features throughout 2024, check back here in the “about section” for more details. Also, if you have questions, leave them in the comments below!
Is Print Dead?
No way! All of the projects above will make their way into print over the next few years, but your paid subscription to the New Futurists will give you full access to see how the sausage gets made. Maybe that metaphor seems a bit extreme, but let me tell you: watching anything go from idea to a mass produced project is a wondrous, messy procedure. I’m really excited about the prospect of bringing an engaged audience into that process. So, if you’re interested in following the full development of these projects and supporting the artists who make them possible, consider a paid subscription.
The New Futurists. Cool name, bro. What’s it mean?
Great question! I addressed our studio’s name in a post from 2022: A New Futurist Manifesto. Suffice it to say, there were some old futurists. They had some interesting ideas and also some very, very bad ones. They’re dead. So it’s high time for some New Futurists.
Shade that lid
If you’re looking to show your support for the New Futurists in a way that keeps your head warm, check out our merch collection over at beaglemans. We’ll be bringing you limited edition drops featuring art prints, clothing, accessories, and much more throughout the year. Stay tuned to beaglemans for the sickest New Futurists collections.
Visionaries and Paid Subscriptions
We appreciate every one of you who subscribes to this project.
Paid subscribers are able to comment on all posts here at The New Futurists. Posts go into The New Futurists vault one year after they appear, so your paid subscription allows you to view our entire archive of stories. Also, in 2024, all paid subscribers will receive a signed Omniverse ashcan publication (more details on this front soon)!
In 2024 VISIONARIES-tier subscribers will receive all of the paid subscriber benefits described above along with the most astonishing rewards I can dream up including the following:
TWO limited edition art prints
TWO limited edition merch items
Soon after signing up for a paid or VISIONARIES subscription, you should receive a private email with a form to collect your shipping information.
If you sign up later in the year, Visionaries rewards will be sent retroactively for the calendar year in which you enroll. We continue to brainstorm ways to make the VISIONARIES tier an awesome, unique, and interactive experience, so stay tuned!
TO BE CONTINUED…
One of the most exciting things about Substack is the potential for change as this space grows and evolves. I look forward to creating a community with all of you around these projects, many of which I’ve been working on for years! Thank you for checking out our work. The future’s calling!
