Whether it’s through popular songs like Foo Fighters’ “Learn To Fly” or Leonardo DaVinci’s prototype aviation machines, mankind has been enamored with flight. We have watched birds take to the air for millennia and we have attempted to mimic them for almost as long. Even mythology speaks of Icarus and his ill fated flight to freedom. Many fictional characters throughout the years have, through gadgets or superpowers, taken to the blue skies for one reason or another.

But what if the majority of people, rather than a few, gained just such an ability? What if, instead of walking, you could fly across the room? This is the scenario that Bizarre New World is bringing to the masses. At least that’s the plan, provided the good citizens of this planet help its Kickstarter campaign get off the ground. See what I did there? Yeah, I probably only amuse myself. *sigh*

Continue below for more info and to see the Kickstarter video.

Hello and welcome to our exclusive look at a great upcoming graphic novel & anthology entitled Bizarre New World! Created by Skipper Martin, Bizarre New World brings together more than fifty creators from all across the globe. The entire process is Martin’s brainchild which he’s spent countless hours and money from his own pocket over the last nine years to bring to life.

We are privileged to have the opportunity to reveal the first of 28 all-new stories created exclusively as part of a Kickstarter campaign whose goal is to collect the entire nine-year arc of Bizarre New World into a hardcover edition, and finally get it into the hands of the public.

The best part about the story we are debuting here is that one of our own is responsible for scripting it! This little eight-page tale is called The Morning After — quite the appropriate name once you read it. So here we are offering you the chance to read this exclusive story for free! How cool is that? Just keep on reading and I’ll give you more information!

This fun little story does our geeky hearts proud, and comes to us from Bizarre New World creator, Skipper Martin.

Towards the beginning of 2008, Skipper ran a contest on his website in conjunction with the release of a recent BNW story, Population Explosion. The winner of the contest would receive a custom-built light saber from Advanced Light Weaponry (a prize that made perfect sense in the context of the book).

The winner, Frank Wilson, was chosen, and the saber was shipped to him in Texas, with a request that he send back a picture of himself holding the saber to be posted on the website. It wasn’t until a year later that Skipper finally received the picture, along with an explanation of the delay…

Bizarre New World: Population Explosion
Written & Created by Skipper Martin
Pencils by Christopher Provencher
Colors by Wes Dzioba
Lettering by Ellen Everett
Cover Pencils by Tone Rodriguez
Ape Entertainment
Cover Price: $6.95; On-sale: now

By far, the coolest perk I’ve experienced with this whole “internet reviewer” gig was when creators actually started emailing me requests to review their comics. Me personally. When I got my very first such email, I was all at once shocked, nervous, and elated. I had finally arrived! Forget that I wasn’t making money doing it. Pfft. Who needed money? This was something MUCH more important”¦ MUCH more substantial.

People were giving me their comics.

How many years had I waited for that very thing to happen? To no longer have to go searching for the coolest stuff on the racks”¦ to actually have it come to me!

Well, come to me it has, folks. The first must-read book of 2008 just got dropped in my lap and I couldn’t be happier.