Unearth the horror: Chris Condon and Charlie Adlard dig into the dread of Of the Earth

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 Marvel to launch Midnight Universe August 2026 turning heroes into nightmares Marvel’s reveals DNX 'X-Men' event details for August 2026 Jubilee and Wolverine uncover the 'Tomb of Apocalypse' in new 2026 Marvel series Marvel sheds light on August 2026 'What If...?' titles Image announces "Summer of Youngblood" in a road to 100 DC announces 'Next Level One Shot' #1 with Deadshot leading major new storyline Popular comics piracy site disappears from the internet, sparking piracy debate among comic fans Netflix developing ‘Barbaric’ TV series based on Vault fantasy hit by Michael Moreci and Nathan Gooden 2026 Eisner Awards nominations announced with DC leading Our Top Books of the Week: Dave: Destination Kill #1 (Joe Palmer) Innards #1 (Rob Guillory, Sam Lotfi) Alex:​​ Absolute Batman #20 (Snyder, Dragotta) Hidden Springs #1 (Rob Williams, Nil Vendrell Pallach) Standout KAPOW moment of the week: Alex: Uncanny X-Men #28 (Simone, Vecchio) Dave: Hidden Springs #1 (Rob Williams, Nil Vendrell Pallach) TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Alex: Absolute Green Arrow #1 (Pichetshote & Albuquerque) Dave: Ultimate Impact: Reborn #1 (Chris Condon, Stefano Caselli) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: Batman / Superman: World's Finest #51 (Dan Mora Cover) Alex: Odin #1 variants (Ward & Simmonds) Interview: Chris Condon (with Andrew Ehrich) - Charlie Adlard - of the earth - May 20 out 1. Opening hook / origin Chris, you’ve said that roadside coyote scene was the first thing you wrote, even before you knew the full story. What was it about that moment that felt like the right entry point into this world? 2. Tone and influences You’re blending eco-horror and neo-noir in a really striking way here. What’s each of your relationship to those genres—are there specific books or films that shaped how you approached them, or personal favorites that were on your mind while making this? 3. The prose chapter choice That opening prose chapter from Oilfield Graveyard: Tales of the Wildcatter Myth is such a bold structural swing. What does prose allow you to do that comics alone wouldn’t, especially in setting up the mythology? 4. The Wildcatter as a presence The Wildcatter evolves from something almost abstract in issue #2 to something disturbingly human in issue #3. How did you approach revealing it piece by piece without losing the mystery? 5. Character and transformation The grandmother’s descent is genuinely unsettling. How did you think about her transformation in relation to the oil itself, is it possession, corruption, or something more symbolic? 6. Visual storytelling and horror lineage Charlie, you spent years defining the visual language of long-form horror on The Walking Dead. When you approach a story like this, how does that experience inform your instincts—and where do you find yourself deliberately doing something different? 7. Pacing and silent storytelling Charlie, one thing that really stands out is how much space you’re given for quiet, atmospheric sequences—scenes that breathe and flow without a lot of dialogue or overt plot movement. How do you approach pacing those moments visually so they still feel propulsive, and what do you think comics can do in those silent stretches that other mediums can’t? 8. Fun / silly question: If the Wildcatter had a playlist, what’s the one song that absolutely has to be on it?