What Inspires Centralia?
Happy Friday! Excited to announce we're on day 4 of the Centralia VOL 2 Kickstarter less than $300 away from 50% funding!
Folks have asked me about how I created the story of Centralia, so today, I want to talk about the themes and inspirations that make up the world and story.
The Setting
The story takes place in the year 2050; a distant future, but not so distant that it feels alien. Phones are still tangible rectangles, cars still drive on the ground. Modern technology is more deeply-enmeshed with everyday life; what is ground-breaking for us in the present is now mundane, and people live comfortably alongside technologies once thought to be intrusive. In Centralia, sleek skyscrapers loom high over bustling streets packed with strangers, while magnetic elevated SkyRail train tracks weave vein-like throughout. At night, starless skies are flush with the hazy colorful glow of the city, an endless artificial twilight that seeps through the windows of every home. In a society that prizes and caters to the individual, people still yearn for that most basic desire of belonging, of community; and while businesses are happy to offer solutions, they too ring hollow and leave us feeling more lonely than before.
When it comes to the visual design of Centralia, I take a lot of inspiration from my own experiences living in urban settings. Growing up in the Bay Area, my big city was San Francisco. Since 2016, Los Angeles has been my big city home, and I pull a lot of inspiration from both places!
The Genre: What is Cyberpunk?
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of sci-fi that juxtaposes high-tech urban settings, often with futuristic technological and scientific innovations, with themes of societal collapse, decay, and dystopia. The protagonists of cyberpunk stories are typically marginalized loners living on the fringes of an oppressive society. Popular examples of Cyberpunk stories include Bladerunner, The Matrix, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and the aptly-named Cyberpunk 77.
To be honest, when I set out to tell the story of Centralia, I didn't start with genre in mind! I think that's what sets Centralia apart from other entries in the realm of cyberpunk, where many creators start with a vast library of cyberpunk media to reference from, and build the world and story from there. While many great works can be inspired by existing media, pulling from the same major popular staples in the genre can cause cyberpunk stories to feel a little... samey. I also couldn't help noticing that the "marginalized protagonist" often did not resemble the actual marginalized people in our society. When the majority of cyberpunk creators are statistically white, male, and straight, the diversity of stories begins to dwindle, and as a female creator who is deeply involved in queer spaces, I find myself repeatedly alienated. The aggressive, solitary and violent nature of subcultures in cyberpunk stories did not reflect my lived experiences in subculture spaces. In Centralia, I wanted to focus on the persistence of community in an oppressive society, not its destruction, which brings me to the comic's core theme...
The Beauty of Human Connection
When I began working on Centralia, I was lonely. Social media was still a fairly new thing-- while it helped me keep in touch with high school friends who'd scattered to the wind, as well as new college friends who I worried might find me too weird, it felt shallow. I don't vibe with hyperbolic depictions of people chained to their tablets, or living in their smart phones like tiny literal prisons; I grew up on the early internet and formed many friendships on obscure message boards and artist hubs like DeviantArt. But the old, weird internet feels increasingly distant, and today's social landscape is dominated by corporate interests that would rather keep us frustrated. Lacking. Wanting. All culminating into a persistent sentiment I see among my friends and strangers both on and off the internet, in statistical reports and think pieces in droves-- we're lonely.
When Midori arrives in the city of Centralia, she's alone, too. Thrust into a crowd of indifferent strangers, she feels invisible. Desperate for belonging, she sets off in search of a mysterious missing girl who may hold the key to her past, and perhaps to a family waiting for her. But unlike your usual cyberpunk protagonist, Midori is optimistic and friendly. She's fierce and spirited, but she's not cynical.
Her newfound friend Grey, on the other hand, is fluent in the language of isolation and secrecy that pervades Centralia-- keep your head down, don't make waves. But beneath the carefully-crafted veneer of a black-clad, chain-smoking, motorcycle-riding tough guy, he's as awkward and lost as the rest of us. Completely unaffected by his grumpy demeanor, Midori forms an unlikely friendship that becomes a core piece of Centralia's story.
A cyberpunk story isn't complete without an underground resistance, and Centralia's Switch is yet another example of the power of community. Here, the marginalized members of society gather not only as a rebellion, but as a found family.
This too is where Centralia is special-- many cyberpunk stories paint the underside of society as grimy, cruel, where it's "every man for himself". But as someone who moves through many subculture and queer communities and is more at home with the weirdos than polite society, I find these stories miss the communal spirit of marginalized spaces.
Throughout Midori's search for belonging, her developing friendship with Grey, and her involvement with Switch, Centralia 2050 shows us that the warmth of human connection survives even in the stark chill of dystopian society.
The Inspirations
Lots of readers are curious about the inspirations for Centralia. Visually, I'm inspired by a lot of the cyberpunk staples I mention before, as well as my experience living in cities. I'm a huge fan of the works of Satoshi Kon, creator of incredible animated works like Paprika, Tokyo Godfathers, Millenium Actress, Perfect Blue, and Paranoia Agent. Kon's unique style so beautifully captures his character's expressions, both subtle and exaggerated, in a way that feels undeniably human. His stories capture the interpersonal and internal conflicts of characters in a way that feels genuine, and have been a great influence on how I portray the characters of Centralia.
I'm also a huge fan of psychological horror, especially survival horror games of the '90s and 2000's. While Centralia isn't a horror story, surreal moments and otherworldly vibes can't help but sneak in from time to time!
Most of all, I'm inspired by my own experiences and the lives of people around me. I love reading autobiographical novels and comics, listening to people tell their stories on podcasts, and just hearing about, well people! I think that's what helps me give dimension to the characters of Centralia. I'm less inspired by characters from other stories, and more so inspired by the complexity, diversity, cruelty, beauty and indomitable spirit of my fellow humans.
And I think that about covers it for now! For my next Kickstarter blog post, I'll be diving into each of the main characters of Centralia; whether you're a longtime reader or new to the series, it should be a fun read! Until then, I'd love to hear your thoughts about the inspiration and themes behind Centralia, and if you have any topics you'd like me to explore in future blog posts!
Til then,
~Michelle
Get Centralia 2050 VOL 2 on Kickstarter!