DF Interview: Pornsak Pichetshote launches The Horizon Experiment at Image Comics; first up, ‘The Manchurian’ one-shot

By Byron Brewer

A Muslim exorcist, a reverse Indiana Jones, and more. The Horizon Experiment consists of one-shots created by comics, film and TV superstars, providing new POVs on popular genres and acting as pilots for new series. It starts with The Manchurian, which follows Calvin Low, an elite James Bond-like spy working for the MSS (Ministry of State Security), China's equivalent to the CIA. He's embedded in America to work on covert missions in this country in China's best interests.

I had the honor to speak with my friend, founder and overseer of The Horizon Experiment and writer of The Manchurian one-shot, Pornsak Pichetshote. Along with artists Terry and Rachel Dodson, Pornsak is first at bat in the HE rotation. Join us in our discussion about HE in general and this first one-shot The Manchurian in particular. 

Byron Brewer: Pornsak, I must say, this Horizon Experiment you are helping oversee is both puzzling and exciting. Before we tackle The Manchurian, the first of these books which you yourself will be writing, can you explain the Horizon Experiment and its origin and goals?

Pornsak Pichetshote: Sure! A couple of years ago, I wrote a comic called The Good Asian – a crime noir starring a Chinese-American detective which got awards and attention by showcasing how a book focusing on a Chinese-American lead provided a new perspective on the familiar genre of historical noir. So many readers kept saying they wished there was more stuff like this, I realized that so did I. But there was only so much I could do as a solitary writer working off my own experiences, so I brought in some of the best writers I knew across many different media to do it too.

The result is The Horizon Experiment – five one-shot pilots for future series, depending on how well the one-shots do. Every creative team was given the same challenge: Introduce a protagonist of color in a story set in a popular genre where each character’s background is integral to the story being told.

Byron: Can you give us a spotlight on the coming Horizon Experiment books that will be following The Manchurian and perhaps their creative teams?

Pornsak Pichetshote: First up in October, there’s The Sacred Damned by Marvel Studios (Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight) and LucasFilms (Star Wars: The Bad Batch) writer Sabir Pirzada and the best horror cartoonist currently working Michael Walsh (The Silver Coin, Universal Monsters: Frankenstein). It follows a Muslim John Constantine.

Then, in November, Moon Dogs by the American Book Award, NAACP Award, Shirley Jackson Award and LA Times Book Prize winning novelist Tananarive Due (The Reformatory) and blazing hot newcomer Kelsey Ramsay (Dark Spaces: Good Deeds) follow East African werewolves in Miami, exploring the experience of being a minority within a minority.

December sees Motherf**kin’ Monsters by the writer and co-executive producer of the Emmy-winning The Handmaid’s Tale, J. Holtham, and maverick indie cartoonist Michael Lee Harris (Black Hitler, Choco Leche) in an Evil Dead for black nerds.

Finally, in January we launch Finders / Keepers by acclaimed comics author Vita Ayala (New Mutants, Wonder Woman) & fan-favorite illustrator Skylar Patridge (Absolute Power: Ground Zero, Supergirl), a book about a Puerto Rican reverse Indiana Jones who steals from museums to bring artifacts back to their native cultures.

Byron: Wow!… What is the inspiration of The Manchurian? Is this book itself one which you have been wanting to do for a while? What is the appeal of the genre for you?

Pornsak Pichetshote: The Manchurian is by myself and comic book royalty Terry and Rachel Dodson. It follows a Hapa (half Chinese, half Caucasian) super spy running covert missions in America for China. I’ve been obsessed with Chinese espionage for a while now and the many integral ways it’s different from Western espionage. I’ve been a fan of spy stories for the longest time, and The Manchurian gave me the chance to provide a completely different take on it, while tapping into my love for TV shows like The Americans and The Equalizer.

Byron: Pornsak, in our discussions prior to our interview, you had a fascinating bit of information essentially defining how Chinese espionage works. I am sure our readers – and especially fans of James Bond and similar works – would enjoy hearing it. Would you explain?

Pornsak Pichetshote: The FBI describes Chinese espionage (which is essentially corporate espionage) using the "thousand grains of sand" analogy. For example, if America wanted to steal sand from a beach, they would send an elite frogman in the middle of the night to sneak onto the beach and grab what they needed. But China would send a thousand tourists in broad daylight to walk on the beach and then at the end of the day, each of them would empty out their boots until they had as much sand as the frogman stole. Chinese spies aren’t 007s. They’re regular good-natured people who want to see their country prosper, offering up three pieces of information when they probably should only be revealing two. They’re gossips who commit no crimes and thereby can't be charged or arrested with anything. But what happens when one of them is in trouble or in over their heads?   

Byron: Introduce readers to Calvin Low and how Chinese espionage relates to what he does?

Pornsak Pichetshote: Calvin Low is a new type of Chinese spy – a highly trained one known as a Manshu – or Manchurian as it translates to English. His job is to be a fixer – to fix any problems a Chinese spy might have, whether they’re in unrelated trouble or just in over their heads – so they never risk exposing themselves or breaking the law. Unlike other Chinese spies, Low has been trained to do whatever it takes to help the good people who are going out of their way to help China prosper. In his eyes, he’s very much a white knight helping good Samaritans out. Those Samaritans just might not have America’s best interests in mind.

Byron: If by chance The Manchurian spins out of The Horizon Experiment as its own title, can you give us some hint as to what we’d be looking forward to in the life of Calvin Low?

Pornsak Pichetshote: I feel like the entire one-shot is full of hints as to where Terry and I would love to take Calvin, so people will just have to read the one-shot to find out. But Terry and I have talked about how this one-shot is our Casino Royale, and we’d love the potential follow-up to be more Goldfinger – for people who appreciate a good Bond analogy.

Byron: Talk about the awesome art of Terry and Rachel Dodson.

Pornsak Pichetshote: It is in fact sheer awesomeness. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many amazing cartoonists at this point, but Terry and Rachel are the first artists I’ve worked with where the art looks exactly like what I see in my head when I’m writing it – just 1000 times prettier. The only reason I can give to that is I’ve been a fan of theirs for so long that I think in Terry and Rachel Dodson panels. Everything here is exactly what you’d expect from them: beautiful people in gorgeous locales doing action-packed things, but they’re both still pushing themselves and trying new things out in their approach. So this book is simultaneously more grounded than what they’re known for doing, while also giving them permission to push themselves further in terms of their technique executing it all.

Byron: Pornsak, what other of your projects, inside or outside comics, can you tell readers about?

Pornsak Pichetshote: Unfortunately, my next project is still pretty much under wraps, but I’m hoping to be able to talk about it in the next month or two, so be on the lookout!

Dynamic Forces would like to thank Pornsak Pichetshote for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. The Horizon Experiment: The Manchurian one-shot from Image Comics is slated to be on sale September 25!

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