In LaGuardia, I will often get notes about the kind of alien lifeforms Nnedi would like to see in the background - in this case, the Sea Sheep are real Earth creatures that we are repurposing as alien people.

I knew that we wanted a universe that felt familiar yet futuristic: Self-driving cars (not flying cars), sleek tablets and huge holographic projections, but also brick and mortar schools and paved roads. So, the entire process is collaborative, but there was a real sense, for me, of a world emerging as the pages began to come together in issue one. James adds dimensionality and mood with his brilliant coloring, and the letters and sound effects make our story come alive in the mind of our reader. Nnedi creates universes with her words: wild, transformative realities that I do my very best to bring to life in the line work. Tana Ford: Comics work best when they are a full-on collaborative effort.

Samantha Puc: What can you tell our readers regarding the world-building in LaGuardia ? How much of the process was collaborative and how much was already laid out prior to scripting, illustrating, coloring and lettering the story? LaGuardia‘s release is particularly timely in the current sociopolitical environment in the U.S. Ahead of the first issue release, Okorafor and artist Tana Ford answered questions about the series, including its inspiration, its characters, and its world-building for The Beat. As her pregnancy progresses, Future begins to change and the secrets she hides are brought to light. In trying to survive together in the U.S., Future, Letme and others are forced to battle travel bans, discrimination and interrogation. When Future arrives at her grandmother’s tenement, the New Hope Apartments in the South Bronx, she and Letme become part of a growing population of mostly African and shape-shifting alien immigrants already living in the building. When LaGuardia #1 from Dark Horse/Berger Books hits shelves next Wednesday, readers will encounter a new story set in the same universe as best-selling author Nnedi Okorafor’s Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novella series, Binti. Set hundreds of years in the future in a world where aliens have come to Earth and integrated with human society, LaGuardia follows pregnant Nigerian-American doctor, Future Nwafor Chukwuebuka, who returns to New York City from Lagos with an illegal alien plant named “Letme Live” smuggled in her luggage.

Duck! Second Chances by Tana Ford