Matthew Hardy Talks War Of The Worlds: Thunder Child From Titan

Lightning Striking Again

Tripwire’s editor-in-chief Joel Meadows just caught up with writer and co-creator of War Of The Worlds: Thunder Child, out in one collection now for the first time from Titan Books…

TRIPWIRE: What was the genesis of Thunder Child ?

MATTHEW HARDY: So my co-writer, Rob Jones, is a massive fan of the Jeff Wayne WotW musical and in particular the Thunder Child song (it is a damn good song), so he pitched the idea of a Thunder Child comic to me. I’d studied Well’s novel at University so we came at a new story from those two distinct directions. This was in 2020 and during Lockdown so we both jumped on a chance to write something new and keep ourselves busy – and it just spiralled from there. 

TW: How hard was it to create a new story within the confines of what wells created ?

MH: Thankfully although Wells gave us an amazing world of Tripods and terror to ‘play in’ and we ran with that – in regards to the HMS Thunder Child itself, there is very little actually written in the novel. So we had a free hand in creating our own cast and characters. Our story sits alongside Well’s work – runs parallel to the events in the novel and obviously is tied to the ‘ending’ of both the novel and the Thunder Child itself – but is still very much its own story and we hope people embrace it for that. 

TW: How daunting was it to write something that is part of such a revered part of literary history ?

MH: Well, initially we were reluctant to delve into writing in a world that was clearly loved and revered by fans (and fans of certain properties can be very…passionate about any new versions). But the more we looked into the HMS Thunder Child – the more we realised there was a massive untold story there, a fertile bed on which we could build our own little corner of that world. 

TW: How would you describe the story in one pithy sentence ?

MH: I mean I don’t have to. HG Well’s already said everything there is to say….

“With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter.”

So we think we are safe, we think we are superior. We are not and we are going to have to fight for survival. 

TW:How did you break down the writing between yourself and Rob Jones ?

MH:I did all the good bits! Anything you hate is Rob’s! 🙂 OK, seriously, yeah this is a question that comes up a lot – and it’s not easy to answer, as Rob and I collaborate differently on every project we write. For Thunder Child, I did a lot of the plotting, Rob did the paneling and we shared the dialogue – but then Rob also plotted a lot and I panelled a lot too. There are chunks of the book that neither of us can explain who wrote them – because we threw ideas back and forth constantly. I will tell you that the horse deaths in issue 2 were all Rob. Horse fans – please direct all hate mail Rob’s way…

TW: How did artist Kevin Castianero come on board ?

MH: Kevin had done a short story for Andrew Clemson that I loved and Andrew suggested I drop Kevin a line. We’d looked everywhere for an artist that captured the emotion and chaos we wanted for the story (and that would be OK with drawing waves – LOTS of waves). Kevin threw himself into the project with so much passion. He has been integral to ensuring that the story we tell works. Whether in action set pieces or in quieter, more character driven moments. Kevin, as much as he is this grizzly Californian wild bear man, has this beautifully ‘European’ look to his artwork, and his character work and designs are second to none. 

TW: What is it about Wells’ story and characters that continues to resonate with readers ?

MH: This is another question that comes up a lot – I think the reason Wells’ work still resonates are the evergreen themes still prevalent in society today. The rise of authoritarianism, the associated loss of control and autonomy, human arrogance and how it could well lead to our own ruin and concerns about technology outstripping mankind’s ability to comprehend and compete with it. WotW still very much offers the escapism present in all good sci-fi, whilst also allowing us to raise important questions about the world around us.

Plus Tripods are so damn cool. 

TW: How did the Titan edition come about? 

MH: There were a number of factors. One of our cover artists, Norm Konyu, suggested we speak to Titan – he’d worked successfully with them on his books. At the same time, I’d bumped into a Titan editor at a convention and they said they’d be open to hearing about it. Many meetings later and we knew the book would be in safe hands with Titan. Particular thanks go to Duncan Baizley for championing the book for us – and to our editor Jonathan Wilkins, book designer Matt Bookman (such a perfect name) and publicist Julia Oprzondek – for their hard work bringing the collected edition to life. 

TW: How different is it to the individual comics you have published yourselves ?

MH: The collected edition contains everything from the individual books – as well as everything from the digital BTS books, and a few extras (we snuck a couple of extra story pages into the collection – I wonder if people can spot them?) But I still love the individual floppies – especially having the pencils on the back cover – love that touch. 

TW: How does it feel to see the story in a single volume ?

MH: Magnificent. Titan did an exceptional job with the professional look of the collection. Never thought it would come out so good. Rob and I are massively proud of Thunder Child. 

War Of The Worlds: Thunder Child is available now from Titan Comics

https://titan-comics.com/comics/2381-the-war-of-the-worlds-thunder-child/