Blade Runner Editor Interview

As we reach the end of Blade Runner 2029 and the first year of Blade Runner Origins, we sit down with Blade Runner comics editor David Leach to look back at the first three years and look forward to what’s coming next!

David, it’s been a whirlwind few years for Blade Runner comics, since the launch in 2019, what have been your particular highlights?

David: As a life-long Blade Runner fan, I was delighted to be a part of the Blade Runner project, so getting told I was editing the comic was perhaps the first of many highlights. Others include, holding the printed copies of the first issues of each of the series in my hands; talking to Syd Mead about using his artwork for our variant covers; seeing and meeting cosplayers dressed as Ash (that was amazing); people coming up to me at conventions asking me to sign the comics or GNs; holding the Artist Edition of Blade Runner 2019: Los Angeles are a few that come to mind.

Detective Aahna ‘Ash’ Ashina has been on an incredible journey through the arcs of Blade Runner 2019 and Blade Runner 2029, can you share anything about where she goes next?

David: Blade Runner 2039 is the third arc of the Ash saga and all I can tell you is that it’s going to be epic. Over the past two series we’ve watched her age and grow as a character, something that Michael Green, Mike Johnson and now Mellow Brown have always been keen to explore. We’ve followed her across 20 years of her life, and that’s rare in a comic book world, so all I can tell you is this chapter is going to be a profoundly dramatic journey.

What are your thoughts as we come to the end of the first year of Blade Runner Origins?

David: I can’t believe it’s been a year already. The journey that Perkins and Mellow have taken us all on has been gripping, to say the least, and I’ve had several gasp out loud moments during the year. That coupled with Fernando’s peerless artwork has made this book a joy. I can’t wait to return to this one!

The Blade Runner comics artwork really captures the aesthetic of the original film, neon lights, and rain-soaked grimy streets. How did you find artists to compliment the series?

David: This part of the project has always been my favorite. Finding the right artist to bring the world of Blade Runner to life. I feel I keep lucking out with the artists too, first Andres Guinaldo, then Dagnino and now Enid Balam. I go looking for an artist with a unique voice, with a style of drawing that’s different from the rest. The trouble is that to find those artists takes months, I look for artists who don’t just do super hero books, I need them to be able to create characterful backgrounds, to make the environments feel real, it’s a real skill and so far these guys have it!

A new comics series spun out of the anime series Blade Runner: Black Lotus will be launching in August, for anyone who’s not seen the show, can you explain the background?

David: Black Lotus follows the adventures of Elle, a prototype Nexus Replicant, created by the Wallace Corp who sets out on a quest to find out more about her mysterious past and to discover who she is.

What are you excited about introducing readers to in this new series?

David: It’s Elle herself, she’s such an interesting character. So far the Blade Runner books have all focused mostly on human protagonists, with Replicants playing a leading but not lead role. This time we have a Replicant character, unlike any we’ve seen before, who takes center stage and it’s her experiences and attitudes that drive the saga.

And finally, are there any other aspects of the Blade Runner universe that you’d like to explore?

David: The world of Blade Runner is so rich and full of possibilities. I’d love to explore the world outside Los Angeles, like Tokyo, or some of the other mega-cities still left on Earth, or maybe go off-world and see Kalanthia.

Blade Runner: Black Lotus #1 is on sale August XXX – pre-order from Forbidden Planet; direct from Titan Comics; or digitally.