Take it to the ROCHE LIMIT with MICHAEL MORECI

Hernando Diaz brings Michael Moreci to the table to chat about Roche Limit, which is available in its entirety, brought back in hardcover through a Zoop campaign until July 31st.

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COMIC BOOK YETI: Greetings Michael, and welcome to The Yeti Cave! Your latest release, the full run of Roche Limit, not only features your incredible talent but also presents a story in an exploration of existence and faith. I know films like Blade Runner, Bradbury’s Farenheit 451, and 2001: A Space Odyssey were your inspiration to create Roche Limit. In what ways is this story similar to them?

MICHAEL MORECI: Well, Blade Runner is by far the easiest one, with its ties to sci-fi/noir (not to mention examinations into what makes us human). To me, 2001 is the toughest one to extrapolate, but in my mind it shares the DNA of humans being led forward—whether they realize it or not, whether they like it or not—by a being they can’t possibly comprehend. The three volumes that are the Roche Limit story all center around the power of the anomaly—what it is, what’s inside of it, and what it’s doing to humanity. And in each volume, we’re trying to get closer to it, trying to exist around it, but its force is too powerful. Once you get to Monadic, like the third act of 2001, you realize there’s nowhere to go other than where the anomaly, like the monolith, is taking us.  

CBY: I love the first page of the prologue. It's so fascinating and I think one of the most interesting things in your comic is how humans can live on a distant colony of Earth. How does Roche Limit use the concept of being "pulled apart" in its story? Where are the characters in this story located geographically or contextually?

MM: Thank you! Being pulled out is very much an underlying metaphor of the story. On the most basic level, we’re all being pulled off of Earth—that’s the broadest stroke. But then you have character being pulled apart from their relationships. Lovers, siblings, the military unit in Clandestiny, things like that. But what interests me most ties back into what I said in the previous question; our existence, our literal souls, are being separated from our bodies by an inscrutable force, and how we get put back together—by the anomaly, and through our own limited will—is ultimately the heart of the story. 

CBY: I am curious about one of your characters that caught my attention for his participation in the story. Tell us a little more about Langford Skaargred; who is this person? How did you develop his personality and background?

MM: It’s funny how salient Langford has become. To me, Langford is a billionaire with grand ambitions; he wants the stars, he wants space, he wants life, he wants the mysteries unraveled. And in a sense there’s nobility to that. But where it goes wrong, what interests and infuriates me, is how the nobility gets twisted when power gets confused for ambition. Langford’s desires within the story started well and true. He wants to realize his own humanity in a way that had never been done before. But he couldn’t be satisfied with limitations—and his desires, unchecked, not only doomed him, but doomed so many others as well.

CBY: The Plot is one of your most famous works. How do you stay motivated and find fresh ideas within the mystery and gothic horror genres, which have many established conventions and such a rich history? What inspired you to start writing?

MM: I think it’s just a matter of me needing to maintain my interest. I couldn’t do the same thing—the same genre, the same story—over and over. I have varied interests in story, in genre, even in medium, so my imagination naturally takes me to places I haven’t gone before. 

CBY: By now, you’ve participated in many interesting projects such as Star Wars, Rick and Morty, Batman, and Stranger Things. Can you share a memorable experience or turning point in your career?

MM: Honestly, Roche Limit is probably the biggest turning point. I had another with Barbaric, but I don’t think I get to Roche Limit without Barbaric. Roche Limit was kind of my proof of concept—that I could tell a genre-mashing story that went to unusual and challenging places. The same goes for Wasted Space; both share that DNA. I really want to push myself as much as possible, and Roche Limit was the start of that. 

CBY: Do you prefer writing standalone issues or long-form story arcs, and why?

MM: I hate writing one-shots, haha. Hate it. It takes nearly the same amount of time for me to go to the well and think of an idea for a story, its point, etc. for one issue as it does for me to come up with an entire arc. The juice of a one-shot is seldom worth the squeeze. 

CBY: As a writer, you involve many elements in your projects; different points of view, personalities, situations, and much more. How do you incorporate diversity and representation into your stories?

MM: Roger Ebert said movies are the greatest empathy machines we have because they allow us to experience another culture, race, gender, etc. I think the same applies to all of art, experiencing it and making it. I have fun writing different characters; I like writing different viewpoints, even if I don’t agree with those viewpoints (and writers, take note: Not all your characters have to share your ideals or be diametrically opposed! There are grays!). Plus, having different POVs enables you to have interesting conflicts—that’s what conflict, and story, fundamentally is. Two people want two different things, but they can’t both have it. What now?

CBY: My final question is about how you serve as inspiration for many new writers and creators. What advice would you give to someone interested in breaking into the comic book industry?

MM: It might sound generic, but just tell your story. Don’t worry how or where it’s going to be published, don’t worry about what people might think. You have to be true to your own instincts, and even if those instincts don’t bring you immediate success, stick to your guns. Play the long game. I’ve seen so many writers crumble under their own expectations. Expectations are the devil. Don’t have any. Just do your work, and let everything flow from there.

CBY: Michael, thank you for joining us in the Yeti Cave today! For our readers at home, please feel free to include any portfolio, publication, or social media links below where they can further engage with you and your work. We look forward to seeing what you come up with next!

MM: I’m not crazy about social media, but you can find me on Instagram and Bluesky. Also, listen to my movie podcast! My show is The Filmographers Podcast, and you can find us on all platforms, YouTube, and Patreon. 

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