Posted in: Comics, Comixology, Dark Horse Comics | Tagged: comixology, nostalgia, Scissor Sisters, Scott Hoffman . Danijel Žeželj

Meet The Cast Of Scott Hoffman & Danijel Žeželj's Nostalgia

Scott Hoffman is to make his comic book writing debut with a new digital comic book series, Nostalgia, drawn by Danijel Žeželj.

Published Fri, 16 Jun 2023 10:57:12 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Scott Hoffman is to make his comic book writing debut with a new digital comic book series, Nostalgia, drawn by Danijel Žeželj and to be published in five weekly chapters digitally on Comixology Originals, beginning this week. It's currently topping the Amazon comics new release chart and the 19th best-selling comic on Kindle overall. And will, presumably, be published by Dark Horse Comics at some point down the line. Scott Hoffman is perhaps best known as the co-founder of the rock/disco/glam/pop band Scissor Sisters. Alongside Jason Sellards, aka Jake Shears, Scott co-wrote and produced the music, and from 2001-2012 the band toured worldwide. They are best known for songs like their disco cover of Comfortably Numb and I Don't Feel Like Dancin with Elton John.

A noir adventure about a futuristic rock star that takes cues from Hoffman's own life as a musician, Nostalgia is coloured by Lee Loughridge, letters by Steve Wands, is designed by Rian Hughes and edited by Greg Lockard and Will Dennis. And you can meet the cast, right here.

Craig Mancini aka Craig Mantis aka Nostalgia – Nostalgia, a former musical superstar in a dystopian future, spends most of his days watching news feeds and replaying, reanalyzing, and reevaluating his past. He lives alone in his lavish penthouse, hiding away behind a string of pseudonyms and avoiding a world that he feels has left him behind. His instrument of choice, the Orb, allows him to share his memories as songs through technology that he and his former collaborator, Lexi, created in their younger, more optimistic days.

Lexi – Lexi is the brains behind Nostalgia's groundbreaking technology, now spending her days as his roadie despite having not been on the road for years. Tough, but now relegated to a paid position as his friend-for-hire and yes-person, she's one of the few people he still lets into his life.

Nathan aka Nautilus – Nathan is a young hacker and fan of Nostalgia, inspired not just by his music but also his revolutionary past. After appearing out of nowhere, Nathan meets Nostalgia on the outskirts of town and reveals a past connection. He's unpredictable, an aspiring revolutionary himself, but Nostalgia feels the urge to show him a better life.

Fran, Dead Sky Sports and Entertainment – Fran has been with Nostalgia from the beginning, managing him from his days as a young bedroom musician all the way to his superstardom. She has since expanded her business into a multi-faceted entertainment conglomerate, but still stubbornly hopes for Nostalgia's return to the spotlight.

SYNOD – The SYNOD is a mysterious hacker organization led by the shadowy Alain. They intimidate the public through feed breaks (message bombs sent to interrupt news and television feeds) and hope to inspire a new generation to question authority and, specifically, the technocratic monopoly controlling their lives.

Elena – Elena is a floating bot and Nostalgia's personal bodyguard. Loyal to the end, there's only one thing she's commanded to put above his own life, and that's his beloved car.

"I culled a lot of ideas from my personal experience and the incredible 12 years I spent in the band Scissor Sisters (2024 brings the 20th anniversary of our first album!)," says writer Scott Hoffman. "I also studied writing at Columbia University and am a big reader and fan of comics. Part of my intention with Nostalgia is to bring back my own nostalgia for an era of comics that I feel close to, particularly the 90s subversive Vertigo days—edgy, somewhat literary, more adult."

Nostalgia takes place in a dark future that mirrors our current anxieties and divides, from politics, to climate change, and what our future world may look like. When a mysterious package with an image of a shell on it arrives at the unlisted address of Mr. Craig Mancini his interest is piqued. Mancini, also known as music performer Nostalgia, begins to reminisce about his past, ditches his tech and goes to meet the mysterious stranger behind the parcel. This encounter blows his mind and takes him down a path unraveling all that he knew to be true. The series explores what it means for artists to share themselves with the world. It's also about how we look at our past and redefine our own stories, and how art is a way to transfer our lives and memories to other people. Most importantly, it examines the idea of fame, connection to the world, and where connecting to other people will ultimately take us, especially considering the dangers of being so connected and constantly inundated with the inner workings of other peoples' lives.

"Nostalgia is a beautiful project, one of the best I ever worked on," says Danijel Žeželj. "I'm happy, proud and honored that I've been invited to it by Scott and the rest of the team." Here's a preview of the first issue.