AfterShock Comics is delivering an alternate US history where America and the USSR really do drop the bomb. NUCLEAR FAMILY, available from AfterShock on February 24th, 2021, is a fresh take on the Philip K. Dick short story Breakfast at Twilight where a 1950’s-era family deals with the fallout of nuclear war.
Written by Stephanie Phillips and illustrated by Tony Shasteen, AfterShock describes the comic as “Cold War-era science fiction at its most timely and terrifying.” You can check out a selection of exclusive preview images and read the full AfterShock press release below.
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Nuclear Family #1 / $4.99 / 32 pages / Color / On Sale 02.24.2021
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Tony Shasteen
Colorist: JD Mettler
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Cover: Tony Shasteen with JD Mettler
Incentive cover: Tony Harris
America, 1957. Elvis dominates the airwaves and apple pie is served after every meal. But, with the dark cloud of nuclear holocaust looming, Korean War vet Tim McClean’s major concern is taking care of his family in the atomic age.
When the first bomb does drop on an unexpecting Midwest city, Tim and his family find
themselves plunged into a strange new world, where what’s left of the Unites States has gone underground while continuing to wage war on Russia with unthinkable tactics.Based on Philip K. Dick’s short story Breakfast at Twilight, NUCLEAR FAMILY is written by
Stephanie Phillips (Butcher of Paris, Heavy Metal, ARTEMIS AND THE ASSASSIN, RED ATLANTIS) and illustrated by Tony Shasteen (Star Trek). It is Cold War era science fiction at its most timely and terrifying.STEPHANIE PHILLIPS ON WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT AND WHY SHE IS EXCITED FOR IT TO COME OUT:
“The story is about a family that seems like the ideal nuclear family in the 1950s. But, when an unexpected nuclear attack happens on US soil, they find themselves propelled into an alternate future where the US has fled into underground bunkers in an unending nuclear war. The family struggles with this grim outlook of their future, while also trying to find a way home.”
STEPHANIE PHILLIPS ON HER APPROACH TO THE STORY:
“This story is really a collaboration with artist Tony Shasteen. We have tried to create a really weird vision for this nuclear future that is unlike anything that we have seen in apocalyptic fiction to this point. We pulled a lot of inspiration from Philip K. Dick and The Twilight Zone to try to imagine what could have been for the United States if the Cold War didn’t remain cold.”
STEPHANIE PHILLIPS ON HER FAVORITE CHARACTER AND WHY:
“The family that this story is about, the McCleans, have a teenaged daughter named Robin and I really enjoy writing her. She’s sharp and witty, but also at that stage where she wants to be rebellious against her parents. Being thrown into this alternate future, Robin has no choice but to trust her parents and cooperate with them in a way that I think most teenagers are not really enthused about.”
STEPHANIE PHILLIPS ON WORKING WITH COMIC PUBLISHERS, INLCUDING AFTERSHOCK:
“It’s an exciting time to be in comics and AfterShock is definitely at the forefront.”
STEPHANIE PHILLIPS ON 3 REASONS WHY COMIC FANS SHOULD PICK UP THIS BOOK:
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Tony Shasteen’s art. Tony could draw an entire book of walls and I would buy it. Tony has created this alternate reality in such a beautiful and unique way, that I can’t wait for readers to see it.
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This story blends fiction and history to create a “what if?” scenario about the events of the Cold War.
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We really tried to create family tension to see how this family reacts to unreal and horrific scenarios. It’s really interesting to see this family of four change as they are put through these trials.
