Exclusive: Vault Comics Upgrades Wasted Space to Ongoing Series

Paste has been supportive of upstart publisher Vault Comics—check out the These Savage Shores preview we ran just yesterday—because they’ve gathered compelling, diverse talent to tell fresh sci-fi and fantasy stories that don’t feel like backdoor pitches for film and television. Names like Vita Ayala, Ram V, Dan Watters, Nick Robles, Natasha Alterici, Eliot Rahal and Magdalene Visaggio headline their publishing program, with content spanning from lesbian Viking sagas and small-town paranormal mysteries to outer-space tomfoolery and killer Brussels sprouts.

Wasted Space, written by Michael Moreci, drawn by Hayden Sherman, colored by Jason Wordie and lettered by Jim Campbell, is one of the publisher’s most popular recent launches (four back-to-back single-issue sell-outs), and today Paste can exclusively announce that Vault has upgraded the limited series to ongoing status, with a minimum commitment of 20 issues. This is big news for the creative team, obviously, but also for Vault, which has so far focused on limited series and shorter runs.

“In Michael Moreci, Hayden Sherman, Jason Wordie and Jim Campbell we have experienced the rare instance of a team functioning in concert and at the height of their creative powers,” Tim Daniel, Vault’s VP of Branding and Design, said in a statement. “Readers and retailers have responded with overwhelming support of the book. Critical praise has naturally followed in kind. Making Wasted Space Vault’s first extended series is a landmark decision we make with great esteem for the entire creative team and their story.”

Wasted Space Promo Art by Hayden Sherman

For those who haven’t yet taken the Wasted Space plunge, imagine Preacher in space, complete with jaded prophets, towering space gods and a randy blue-skinned pleasure bot. Moreci’s Roche Limit series also questioned big themes in a sci-fi setting, but Wasted Space feels like a more personal, less restrained exercise for the author.

“Sometimes, out of a lot of frustration can come a lot of joy,” Moreci told Paste. “Wasted Space was born, in part, from my frustrations over my own work—I always want to do better, I’m always pushing myself to do better, but for a stretch I wasn’t making this happen. This book was a challenge to myself—to reach a new creative height. And thanks to the creative team I’m surrounded by, and the wonderful team at Vault, I feel like I’ve reached a place, creatively, that I’m more satisfied with. Seeing it become such a critical and commercial success is a bonus I never thought possible. But I’m so happy it’s happened—for myself, for the creative team and for Vault.”

Wasted Space’s extended series commitment marks the longest work yet for artist Hayden Sherman, who we named one of our favorite artists of 2017 thanks to his raw linework and aggressive energy. Sherman previously drew The Few at Image Comics and is also working on an “Old Man Punisher” short for Marvel Comics with writer Ryan Cady.

“When I read the first script for Wasted Space I was immediately charmed by all of the characters introduced and the trouble they got into,” Sherman said. “I was itching to get into drawing that first issue, and now I’m itching to get into drawing the next 10, 15, 20, 30, however many more! This comic is a sheer pleasure to create, and I’m beyond glad to be with this team to keep the issues coming.”

The finale of Wasted Space’s first arc hits stands August 29th. Check out some exclusive concept art from Sherman below, and stay tuned to Paste for more news on the series’ extended run as it becomes available.

Wasted Space Concept Art by Hayden Sherman