Mark Russell on cults, creativity, and ‘The Forgotten Divine’

This week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, writer Mark Russell joins the show to discuss The Forgotten Divine, his new graphic novel from Ahoy Comics, now available to back via Kickstarter. Russell digs into the inspirations behind the story, why he wanted to explore the appeal of cults from the inside out, and how the project ultimately became one of his most personal works yet. We also discuss creativity as a form of belief, and the challenges of telling a complete story in one sitting. Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon! NEWS 'Absolute Batman' is getting an animated series, with Scott Snyder serving as showrunner Marvel clears up confusion over 'Amazing Spider-Man' #1000's two main covers 'Daredevil' is a hit, gets #1-3 reprints with new 'Daredevil: Born Again' variant covers Eliot Rahal and Mattia Monaco launch buddy-crime comic 'Crimes Against Nature' at Image Who is Fox Mask Killer? New Exquisite Corpses series promises answers 'That Texas Blood' returns with new story arc 'Hell Comes to Allison Ranch' this September IDW Dark announces horror mystery 'You'll Never Leave This Place Alive' for October Vault announces time-traveling cryptid adventure ‘Project Perseus’ launching this September EXCLUSIVE: David Dastmalchian's 'The Accessories' gives horror's forgotten sidekicks their own story Our Top Books of the Week: Dave: Escape #8 (Rick Remender, Daniel Acuna) Venom #259 (Al Ewing, Carlos Gomez) Alex:​​ Is Ted OK? #5 (Dave Chisholm) Captain America #12 (Zdarsky, Schiti) Standout KAPOW moment of the week: Alex: In Your Skin #3 (Aditya Bidikar) Dave: The Eye Collector #1 (Jonathan Ball, GMB Chomichuk) TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Alex: Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 (Deniz Camp, Javier Rodriguez) Dave: What If...? Secret Wars #1 (Alex Paknadel, CAFU) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: Iron Man #7 (1:25 Dave Rapoza Variant) Alex: The Deadman #2 (Alex Eckman-Lawn variant) & The Mortal Thor #12 (Alex Ross) Interview: Mark Russell - The Forgotten Divine Ahoy Kickstarter Link.  The Forgotten Divine digs into why people are drawn to cults and belief systems. What was the starting point for you, and what did you want to understand or say about that impulse? Rodney feels like a very grounded, human entry point into a story that quickly spirals into something much bigger. How did you approach building him so readers stay with him even as things get more extreme? There’s a real balance here between empathy and critique. You can understand why these characters believe what they do, even as things go off the rails. How do you walk that line without judging them or letting them off the hook? The preview pages have some striking bits of philosophy, like “the secret to happiness is low expectations.” How do those ideas emerge for you, and are they things you believe or more reflections of the characters’ mindset? The idea that “where you are is who you are” feels especially loaded, almost like a commentary on class, fate, and identity. Was that always baked into the concept, or did it grow as you developed the story? When we glimpse the alien world, it feels almost overwhelming, with that massive eye and the intense color palette. What were your conversations like with Russ Braun in shaping how that world should feel versus how the “real” world reads? You’ve done a lot of satire, but this feels like it leans harder into psychological and emotional territory. Did this project push you in new directions as a writer? AHOY has built a reputation on smart, risk-taking books, and this is their first Kickstarter. How does that format change how you think about the book, if at all? The story seems to ask whether there’s something real behind the visions or if belief itself is the point. How important was it to keep that tension alive rather than give clear answers? Fun one to close: If you started having Rodney’s dreams tonight, what’s the first sign you’d think, “Okay, I might actually be starting a cult”?