Mind Control Meets Technology in Vault Comics New Series MINDSET

Mind Control Meets Technology in Vault Comics New Series MINDSET

Vault Comics has announced a new sci-fi series that they describe as a “psychedelic sci-fi thriller,” titled MINDSET. The new series comes from writer Zack Kaplan, with art and colors by John J. Pearson, letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and designed by Tim Daniel.

The publisher describes MINDSET as a series that follows four grad students who inadvertently discover mind control. With this new power at their disposal, they put this ability into an app and aim to free billions of users from technological addiction. Vault describes the series as “a cautionary tale about how idealistic dreams are corrupted, how our own minds are locked in an existential battle with technology, and perhaps, how we might win it.”

Read the full synopsis below:

“When an introverted tech geek from Stanford, with dreams of changing the world, accidentally discovers a form of mind control, he and his friends do something unexpected – they put the science into a meditation app to help users break their addiction to other manipulative technologies and platforms. But after their rags-to-riches rise, a wake of murders, and a series of mind games, their Mindset app replaces all rival social media and achieves a cult following of a billion users, and they must ask the question – are they helping people or controlling them?” 

Kaplan talked about the series in the press release and teases a dark journey with plenty of twists and mystery, saying:

“MINDSET is a mind-bending sci-fi thriller about four wide-eyed grad students who discover mind control and put it in an app, and a dark journey that follows, twists and turns, murder and mystery, love and heartbreak through the absurd world of overnight technopreneurs and social media empires, but the series is really about a dilemma I think we all feel today.

How do we use devices, social media and apps to connect with each other and feel influential without allowing the technology to influence the very choices we make and thoughts we have? We believe the timing for the story couldn’t be more socially reverent, since we’ve increased our dependency more than ever on technology, but as Silicon Valley tightens its digital grip on our behavior, mind control exists right now.”

Pearson added by detailing his creative process in the art and how he aims to give the art its own narrative, saying:

“I set out to factor in a range of divergent approaches to the art to reflect the nature of the story, mixing traditional and digital approaches in a tactile way. The artwork isn’t merely an extension of the story, it’s substantial and distinct, with its own visual narrative. We’ve developed a story where we’re dealing with themes surrounding social media, misuse of power and mind control, all very much in a post-truth context.

The questions that I’m pushing throughout the series with the art reflect and subvert these themes, making the viewer question what they’re seeing and the reliability of the art presented to them, alongside (and at times against) the narrative. It’s aiming to be much more than simply an illustrated thriller, I want it to be a tangible experience with the reader as an active participant, with us leading them through a story that they can revisit time and again.”

MINDSET #1 will be available at your favorite local comic shop and digitally in June 2022. Check out the covers and short preview below:

Source: Vault Comics