Pop Life

by Tom Moore

Americans In Paris:
Rex Mundi creators Eric J. and Arvid Nelson

Rich with lush artwork and moody atmosphere, the supernatural mystery comics series Rex Mundi , by writer Arvid Nelson and original artist Eric J and new artist Jim Di Bartolo, tells a tale of murder, occult secrets, and ancient conspiracies. The story is set in the 1933 Paris of an alternate timeline, where the Protestant Reformation never occurred, the monarchies and empires of Europe and Asia still reign, and the Holy Inquisition of the Church wields immense power.

Launched in late 2002, Rex Mundi #0 sold out within weeks of its release, on the back of strong critical support.

“I was utterly delighted that we had such a strong showing in the stores,” said Nelson of the reaction to the book's inaugural issue. “I think it really was a grass-roots success. I felt so indebted to every reviewer who noticed, every retailer who carried us and every reader who took a chance on us. It sounds corny, but ultimately, it was they who made it happen.”

Seeing that first issue of the book on shelves, holding it in their hands, represented the culmination of years of work and focus for the creators.

“The day Rex Mundi came out I went to a comic book store and bought a copy,” said Nelson. “It was utterly surreal, seeing my name on the cover. I felt like I was walking on the moon on my way up to the register. I had been trying so hard to get published for so many years. Eric and I had spent three years on Rex Mundi alone. Just seeing it sitting there with the rest of the week's releases was an ecstatic experience. We had been working on it for so long, I had almost forgotten that there could be a reward.”

For Eric J, that feeling of accomplishment came at Comicon International in San Diego in 2002.

“Man, I can't tell you how incredibly cool it was to crack open that first box of books the first day of the con,” he said. “That was the first opportunity I had to see the book and it was just a very, very good feeling pulling the first one out.”

Comicon 2002 was also the first time the initial creative team was together in one place. “It was just really cool that we got to hang out, the three of us, Arvid, [colorist] Jeromy [Cox], and myself,” said Eric J. “Arvid living in New York and Jeromy and I living here in San Diego , the con was the first time that Arvid and Jeromy got to meet.”

“Although we've known each other for a very long time, we only saw each other about four times during convention season,” said Nelson. “I think we would both have found it easier to work if we were closer, but e-mail really made Rex Mundi possible. Ten years ago, you could not have done what we did. We sent art, scripts, thoughts, concerns, layouts, and support instantly online. It was truly a boon for us.”

The 1930s Paris that Nelson and Eric J created in Rex Mundi -- where history deviates from what we know with the assassination of Martin Luther in 1521 by agents of the Church -- raises intriguing questions about the rest of that world. A tantalizing glimpse is offered through the front page of Le Journal de la Liberté , “Paris' leading anglophone newspaper,” an added feature in early single issues of the comic. A main headline announces a familiar sounding “war on crime,” and news stories tell of the Prussian and Ottoman empires as well as of conflict in “the Americas” and Indochina. Wil l the story visit these and other areas of this alternate reality?

“The story stays primarily in Europe,” said Nelson, “but the very end will involve Spain, which is still Muslim, so readers will have an opportunity to see another culture, even if the geography remains constant.”

The United States exists, marked by a divergence in another major historical event. “The South won the Civil War,” said Nelson. “This means that the United States is fractured into two countries, the Federal Republic of America and the Confederate States of America. Neither country could be considered an international power; in fact, they are barely regional powers. Therefore, they won't be able to affect events in Europe, which is potentially a very large problem because a cataclysmic war is brewing.

Events in the world of Rex Mundi are referred to in other editions of the “newspaper.” “ Le Journal de la Liberté was the surprise hit of Rex Mundi #0 for me,” said Nelson. “We weren't even sure if we were going to include it, because we thought it might be too much to ask people to read straight text at the end of a comic book. But a lot of people really seemed to like it.”

Eric J said that he wouldn't have traded any part of the three years leading to publication of the first issue of Rex Mundi for a different path. “It was really very sweet, and the feeling we had then wouldn't have been nearly as intense if not for the hard work that we put into getting to that point.”

Issue 14 will of Rex Mundi be out this September featuring new artist Jim Di Bartolo. Two trade paperbacks compilations are available: The Guardian of the Temple , collecting issues zero through five, and The River Underground , collecting issues six through eleven.