Exclusive: New Orcs in Space! Comic From Rick and Morty Co-Creator

Rick and Morty has become an unstoppable global phenomenon, even forcing McDonald’s to bring back their retired Szechuan sauce on multiple occasions and multiple continents. Now, co-creator Justin Roiland, is bringing his ever-popular style of nerd humor to a new front, a brand new single issue series called Orcs in Space!

Born February 21, 1980, Roiland is not only one of the genius minds behind the creation of the smash-hit adult animated series Rick and Morty, but the voices of the duo as well. That’s right, Roiland is the voice talent behind BOTH Rick AND Morty, not to mention a ton of other familiar characters from the show (Mr. Poopybutthole! for one) as well as other series such as Blendin Blandin on Gravity Falls and the Earl of Lemongrab on Adventure Time. In fact, Roiland is the voice behind Korvo, the main character of Solar Opposites, a brand new Hulu original adult animated show that he himself created. He’s even released a game with his studio Squanch Games, where he launched his first VR hit Accounting+.  After conquering the screen via both animation and video games, it seems fitting for his next project to take on a different medium entirely, although with Rick and Morty’s comic books existing this isn’t exactly his first foray into the world of paper-based storytelling.

Roiland is teaming up with writers Michael Tanner, Rashad Gheith, and Abed Gheith, writer-illustrator François Vigneault, and colorists DJ Chavis and Dave Pender with the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group to launch this new single-issue series. Orcs in Space, as the name implies, is about, well, Orcs in space, specifically three not-so-bright Orcs and the chaos their adventures cause.

“What would happen if orcs stole a ship and were flung into space? I pitched the question to Justin over eight years ago, and the idea never left our heads. Born from a fascination with orcs, who haven’t been given much of a spotlight (always the side characters—the dumb henchmen of some greater, evil force), and our love for space voyage shows like Star Trek and Farscape, we knew the combination would be exciting,” said Rashad.

Basically, the premise of the series is, “let’s take the most underappreciated creatures from the fantasy genre, and throw them into a world of sci-fi, then slam it with pop culture references,” which honestly sounds like a genre mash-up made in heaven.

Roiland remarked, “When Rashad told me about Orcs in Space , I knew right away it was a fantastic idea. Three dumb orcs at the helm of a ship far beyond their understanding. Going on this journey with them, watching them bumble around with powers way beyond their comprehension. It’s going to be fun to watch them grow and learn how to harness sci-fi to their advantage. It always felt like such a strong idea to me, and thanks to Oni Press, it’s finally seeing the light of day.”

The comic follows its three stars, are Gor, Kravis, and Mongtar, as they try to survive while everyone and everything on their homeworld hunt them down. When their planet is visited by StarBleep space bureaucrats, the orcs accidentally steal the most advanced ship in the entire fleet and then blast into the dankest reaches of the outer galactigon. Befriending the ship’s AI, D.O.N.A., the orcs must now go on the run as the universe’s most wanted criminals, leaving disaster in their wake wherever they travel.

“Drawing Orcs in Space has been a ball. The goofy intergalactic adventures of Kravis, Gor, and Mongtar are light years away from the kind of stuff I am usually drawing, so for me it is a delight… Pure escapism and fun,” said François Vignuealt. “The series brings together so many things I’ve unabashedly loved all my life, from barbarian warriors to high-tech spacecraft, and blends it all together into a weird and funky universe. Drawing this book makes me feel like a kid again! Working with the wonderful DJ Chavis on colors, each issue I am trying to create something that’s full of action, humor, and layers of detail. I can’t wait for people to get their hands on this book!”

“When I was asked to come onto this project, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Michael Tanner. “The first time I read Abed and Rashad’s initial outline, I honestly didn’t get it, but ‘a job’s a job,’ I thought. And then right before our first in-person meeting with the brothers and Justin, I reread the outline and, for some reason, this time it clicked. I really understood the humor and the point of view of their concept. After the meeting, we got to work, and crafting this series has been one of the most fun writing experiences of my career. I can’t wait for people to get their hands on this, I know they are going to love it.”

Clearly, the entire team behind the project is insanely excited, and with good reason, so far the series seems like it is going to be an absolutely fantastic read from start to finish. The forty-four page super first issue of Orcs in Space launches with variant covers by Nicole Goux, François Vigneault, and Justin Roiland on July 7, 2021, but you can find an extended preview below showing off some of the first pages of the series:

Be sure to head down to your local comic book shop on July 7, 2021, to grab the first issue of Justin Roiland’s Orcs in Space! Good luck and happy hunting!