Tate Brombal Talks The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos

Tate Brombal Talks The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos

Dark Horse Comics previously announced the charming series coming from James Tynion IV, Tate Brombal, Isaac Goodhart, Miguel Muerto, and Aditya Bidikar titled The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos. As one of the many titles coming from the partnership between the publisher and Tynion’s Tiny Onion Studios. This partnership already is seeing success as the debut issue of The Oddle Pedestrian Life oF Christopher Chaos sold out ahead of its publication in late June.

The series follows a teenage mad scientist named Christopher. Although his brilliance leads to the ability to defy logic, it has served as a doubled edged sword as these abilities also alienate him from others around him as fear creates a wedge that leaves Christopher isolated and alone. Something big is about to change Christopher’s life in a BIG way and the question remains. Does a world full of monsters, heroes, and cults create a world he can fit into, or is this just a new wave of danger that creates a new set of problems for the young mad scientist?

Tate Brombal took some time to answer our questions about Christopher Chaos. Check out the full Q&A below and keep an eye out for additional printings of the killer new series’ debut issue!

I have yet to hear anyone share anything but excitement to see Christopher Chaos coming to print. What is going through your head to finally be able to walk into a comic shop and see it on the shelf?

It is always the best feeling seeing your book on the shelf and holding it in your hands. These things exist for so long inside your head, then in your notebooks,  then digitally on your computer, so when you finally get to hold them in your hands it just feels all the more real. And I really can’t wait for people to pick it up and experience it, too!  

It took only the first issue before we absolutely fell in love with Christopher Chaos’ character. As a writer, what was your favorite and most challenging part of writing the character?

I’m so glad to hear that, thank you! For Christopher, honestly, the most surprising part was how much of myself I ended up bringing to the character. That wasn’t my intention when I started out, but as I really dug into the character and searched for his heart… I ended up finding a lot of my own. And the important things I wanted to bring up and focus on with character ended up being things that I struggled with growing up.

Obviously, I’ve pushed Christopher much further in every direction, but finding that piece of myself I could bring out in him was a great experience. That also makes it very challenging and uncomfortable sometimes!! Lots of messy feelings and difficult subjects to broach with him. But that makes it all the more special and important, I think  

Apart from the characters. The world you and the creative team have crafted is equally appealing. What can you tell us about your creative process when bringing together multiple genres and merging them into the world you wanted for this story?

It was incredibly collaborative with the whole team. We knew we didn’t want to pull back from the horror, but we also wanted to hit the classic coming-of-age and high-school drama beats. What really cinched it, though, was Isaac Goodhart’s artwork. He can move through genre and tone like nobody else, and he handles comedy so deftly! The book definitely became funnier (and sillier) once I saw what he was capable of. For example, Peggy is somehow hilarious and endearing, and that’s all because of Isaac.  

For those who have read Christopher Chaos, we know some bad stuff happens and you all do not hold back when we delve into the darker parts of the series. How important was it to take this deep-seated approach to the horror elements in the series?

It was very important. We wanted to reflect very real themes and experiences from the real world, so we knew we couldn’t hold back or soften them. Especially when dealing with Otherness, we wanted the horror elements to reflect and heighten some of the experiences people on the outskirts of society face. The goal, as always with art, is to hopefully capture some of that experience, some of that feeling, and impart it to our readers. It’s a difficult, delicate balance, but if you hold back too much, you’re only hindering that connection.

Lastly, speaking of horror, if you were forced to choose to enter a horror universe, which one would you choose?

SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN, of course!! I’d be a horrible monster hunter, but maybe I could be a crimson mask. Spending most of my days in the library recording all of the monster hunts and hot gossip to my heart’s content.