Local Brooklyn production studio and media company {group theory} is tapping into the borough’s art scene with its recently launched comic imprint, THIS IS IT, which focuses on speculative fiction comics, physical media, and traditional artwork.
THIS IS IT was founded in 2023 by filmmaker Ben Nabors during the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. With film projects stalled and eventually abandoned, Nabors began searching for new ways to tell stories, leading to the creation of the imprint.
“It was really frustrating, because it felt like things out of my control were dictating what I got to do,” Nabors said.
Writing comics for THIS IS IT — beginning with the multi-volume sci-fi series Translunar — marked Nabors’ first venture into a medium he had long admired.
“I think it can tell a story in a way nothing else can,” he said.
THIS IS IT currently works with three creative teams, with Nabors emphasizing long-term collaborations with artists discovered through existing relationships and cold outreach alike. Among them is Paul Pope, who designed a variant cover for Translunar.
“An artist is kind of like an actor, where you are trying to give them ideas in your script that lead them to their own ideas in finalizing the work on the page,” Nabors said.
Though developing a comic series differs from filmmaking, Nabors has carried over elements of his film background, including the use of pitch decks and visual presentations to guide artists through a project’s tone and direction.
All three of the imprint’s current titles — Translunar, Frontierra, and Dream Feeds — are speculative works shaped by Nabors’ interest in horror and science fiction. Dream Feeds, the newest title in the lineup, examines celebrity culture and technology through stories centered on a start-up that records and uploads dreams for monetization.
“I get so excited about these little twists of reality,” Nabors said. “Speculative fiction or science fiction is such an excellent way to assess what we’re doing today.”
While digital editions are available, Nabors also hopes to capitalize on renewed interest in physical media as generative AI becomes more widespread.
“We want something that’s going to be really beautiful in the band, feel good, and you want to hold it or give it to someone,” he said. “I think that’s kind of how we have to compete.”
Artists working with THIS IS IT also primarily create artwork using traditional media rather than digital tools. Dalts Dalton, the artist behind Dream Feeds, hand-drew, inked and painted pages before they were scanned into the final book.
“Ink performs in ways that digital ink doesn't,” Nabors said. “We seek to preserve that in the work that we're doing. I feel that in the work that I read, when it looks like it was made rather than generated, conjured, or prompted.”
Although Nabors said he has nothing personal against AI-generated imagery and stories, he wants THIS IS IT to serve as a platform for human-made art.
“I still want to tell stories, and I still want well-told stories told to me,” Nabors said. “So I'm going to continue to seek out people who are doing that, and I hope audiences do that too.”
By engaging directly with Brooklyn’s comics and arts community, Nabors has found an audience for the imprint. Through tabling at conventions such as the Brooklyn Independent Comics Showcase and connecting with bookstores as an independent publisher, he has built relationships with readers, creators, and vendors alike.
Nabors believes part of the appeal of carrying THIS IS IT comics in Brooklyn shops comes from the imprint’s local roots and its collaborations with local artists and writers.
“I think that matters to people,” Nabors said. “That there's a person behind it, and that person lives here.”
