FCBD Interview: Matt Kindt Talks About The Valiant: 4001 A.D. FCBD Special

The most ambitious Valiant event yet starts right here on Free Comic Book Day with a shocking new vision of the future in 4001 A.D.! The war for the fate of the 41st century begins here with an exclusive, never-before-seen prelude to the blockbuster comics event of the summer by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt and superstar artist Clayton Crain. 

FCBD talked with writer Matt Kindt about the Valiant: 4001 A.D. FCBD Special and what fans can look forward to in this incredible series!

Don't miss out on this comic! Get a FREE copy at your local comic book shop on May 7th, 2016!

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Free Comic Book Day: For those who might be new to 4001 A.D. and RAI, give us a quick rundown of the story?

Matt Kindt: Set in the year 4001 A.D., the story enters the world of “New Japan.” New Japan is an immense floating satellite that orbits Earth and is completely self-contained and self-sufficient. It’s also the size of a small continent. Our hero, Rai, is tasked with keeping order and protecting its citizens. The problem is that Rai was created by a self-aware A.I. called “Father” that has turned into a bit of a despot. Now Rai is torn between his allegiance to New Japan and the “father” that created him.

Free Comic Book Day: What has been your favorite part of 4001 A.D. to tackle? Who has been your favorite character?

Matt Kindt: I love all of the world-building that’s involved. New Japan started as kind of a blank slate. I attacked it the way I used to draw my “dream house” when I was a kid. I’d diagram the entire thing out and let my imagination run wild. But instead of indoor pools, bounce houses, and a garage for my hydrofoil...New Japan has entire sectors dedicated to re-creating these massive spaces like an 1800s-era Manhattan, a dinosaur zoo, giant mushroom farms, and robot-battle coliseums. When building the world, there really was no limit – and having Clayton Crain on art to fully realize all of these crazy ideas is really the key to the series’ success. As for my favorite character, I’d have to say that’s Lula, the teenage girl, whose eyes we get to see this crazy 4001 A.D. world through. I think she really ended up becoming the heart of the series, and she is a great foil for Rai and Spylocke, who are the story’s over-the-top action heroes. Lula helps keep them real.

Free Comic Book Day: How does your FCBD intro story with Rai lead into the main 4001 A.D. series?

Matt Kindt: On the surface, it serves as a nice introduction to the entire 4001 A.D. world and New Japan – showcasing all of the great things that make the universe and this series tick. But there’s a twist: We see how amazing New Japan is, and at the same time realize that all is not right with it. Plus, something has gone wrong with the most critical protector of New Japan, Rai. Rai’s relationship with New Japan and Father has critically changed. Roles are being reversed, which is the perfect set-up for 4001 A.D. #1 ...Rai is cast out of New Japan, and now he has to fight to get back in and save it from itself.

Free Comic Book Day: How will 4001 A.D. shape or influence the rest of the Valiant Universe and its characters?

Matt Kindt: We’re going to get our first real look at a lot of familiar characters from the rest of the Valiant Universe. To date, Rai has been a pretty insular series, focusing mostly on New Japan. We haven’t seen much of Earth, so we’re going to see what the situation is down there, and catch up with some pretty crazy 4001 A.D. versions of some of my favorite characters. The entire world of 4001 A.D. is going to be established in a big way. In some ways, we’re doubling the size of the Valiant Universe. We have present-day Valiant and now we’re getting 4001 A.D. Valiant, which is something I’ve been looking forward to seeing for a long time.

Free Comic Book Day: Tell us a little bit about 4001's artist, Clayton Crain. What type of style is he bringing to 4001 A.D., and how does it help shape the futuristic world that you've built?

Matt Kindt: He’s really critical to the series. Our creative relationship isn’t a typical one. We’ve had a lot of long conversations about the story, characters, and direction of the series. As an artist myself, I’m very aware that when you’re drawing a script, you end up obsessing over every small moment. You’re thinking about the characters even more than the writer has, simply because you’re spending so much more time on the page and in each panel. You end up falling into the world. And that’s the great thing about working with Clayton. Since he’s been so open to talking with me, I’ve been able to really tap into his sensibilities and ideas about the world we’ve been making. He’s really helped make it twice as rich as it would have been otherwise. Clayton adds things, like the rings that Lula wears. He came up with an idea of where her rings came from and why she’s wearing them. That inspired an entire scene that really fleshes out her character, and makes her all the more real. That doesn’t happen unless the writer and artist are really working together and collaborating. Our relationship has been essential to everything that’s on the page.

Free Comic Book Day: What other titles would you compare to 4001 A.D.? “If a comic reader likes _______ , they should pick up 4001 A.D."?

Matt Kindt: I’m not sure if there’s a specific comic I would or could relate 4001 A.D. to. I think the things that influenced me when I was writing it were generally books by Arthur C. Clarke, Asimov, and Philip K. Dick—my holy trinity of sci-fi writers—along with the short stories of JG Ballard. Mix in a dash of James Bond and Zatoichi – if that’s a recipe that sounds good – and you’ll like 4001 A.D.!

Free Comic Book Day: Tell fans why they should pick VALIANT: 4001 A.D. FCBD SPECIAL first on Free Comic Book Day and the 4001 A.D. series afterward?

Matt Kindt: The VALIANT: 4001 A.D. FCBD SPECIAL has everything you need to know about 4001 A.D., so you can hit the ground running when the series comes out. It’s a great place to start. If you like that short story, then you’re in for a real treat.

Free Comic Book Day: What initially got you interested in comics?

Matt Kindt: My older brother was in to them, but he wouldn’t let me touch his X-Men books for fear that I’d ruin them. So I had to start collecting my own. I would fall asleep reading them. And to my brother’s horror, I’d be sleeping on piles of comics ( thereby ruining them.) I suspect that sleeping on my comics as an 8-year-old changed my life forever-and for the better.

Free Comic Book Day: What is your favorite part about Free Comic Book Day?

Matt Kindt: Being a part of it! This special with Valiant is my first Free Comic Book Day content! I’ve never done a FCBD signing before, so I always end up just taking my daughter to grab some comics. The thing I love about FCBD is seeing big crowds of curious readers grabbing everything, and getting hooked on new books they’re just discovering.

Free Comic Book Day: Where do you plan to spend Free Comic Book Day?

Matt Kindt: I’ll be signing my local shop (Fantasy Shop) in my hometown of St. Louis.

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Take a special sneak peek look inside 4001 A.D. #1 (MAR161791) which is available on May 4th at comic shops!

Click on the preview pages to get a closer look!