One of my favorite things to do during my planning period at school is to read comics. If I’m caught up on all of my grading, planning and other duties, it serves a couple purposes for me. Aside from the cathartic release from getting lost in kids funny books, it inevitably creates conversations with students and colleagues alike, and at times, I’ve slowly converted some new readers! However, I love the reactions of people who come in, see what I’m reading, and react while picking up copies (I have a zone printer in my room). My favorite book to see people react to was Money Shot. Not only because I got to shout SPACE PORN at school, but I got to talk about the batshit crazy world Tim Seeley, Sarah Beattie, and team have created.
Money Shot Comes Again (Vault Comics)
By: Tim Seeley, Giselle Lagace, Badilla Z, Crank!
Releases: April 26, 2023
While I wrote about this book the day I saw it pop up in Previews, what pushed me to talk about this book today is twofold. First, in a recent email from Vault Comics (whom I still want on their press list!) Tim Seeley discussed the path it took for the initial Money Shot arc to see the light of day. There were two sections which really got me thinking.
“The idea for the series came to me one night while watching a Vice News piece about science funding with my lovely wife. The piece described cuts to academic study of everything from physics to vaccines, largely due to a shift in priorities during the notoriously science adverse Trump administration. My wife, in a stroke of brilliance said "They should just do porn in the lab to make money."
I remember my initial thought on this book was “Trump made science need OnlyFans.” It is absolutely hilarious to me, that this is the actual origin story of the book! Additionally, I’ve seen that Vice news piece, and while the Biden administration has shifted some funding back to academic science, I still think we live in a world where Science OnlyFans may tragically become an inevitability. The other thought I remember having, is wanting to know what made Vault Comics willing to take on such a WILD title. Thankfully, that is also addressed by Tim in the email.
I had just done a non-comics gig with Vault, and figuring them to be kinda hip young dudes, I mentioned it to Adrian Wassel over beers and tacos. And he said..."Yes, we'll do it." No deliberation. No concern about the politics and satire. No worry about that dirty word 'porn.'
I absolutely love that Vault had balls of steel to put out such a charged title amidst a variety of political and printing challenges. This is one of the reasons I absolutely love independent publishers. Seeing the truth and utility of a story, and being ready to publish it regardless of the consequences. Bravo to Vault comics for such an amazing decision, because this degenerate is absolutely in love with the call!
The second reason I wanted to write about this, is that Vault has made it extremely economically viable for you to get caught up on all things Money Shot if you have not read the initial 15 issue series. Right now, you can pick up each Trade physically for about $15.99 a piece (which also gets you the eBook), or you can pick up each eBook for $3.99 a piece!
Ultimately, you know I’ll be screaming about this book next week, whenever I can finally get it in my hot little hands. I know I’m getting the A and B cover, and I’m hoping to snag at least one of the “naughty” variants, because I’m excited to see how new artists bring one of my favorite, absolutely absurd universes back to life because I’m ready to come again too.