“It’s been an honor to work with Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics to bring Piotr Petrovich Bilibin’s exciting, tragic story into the hands of readers,” Orlando said in a press release. “The creative team involved in ‘Crude’ has put together something vital, thrilling, bursting with gristle and energy. I can’t wait for you all to join us in Blackstone, a blood-rusted world never before seen, where grit and greed are the currencies of the day.”
Orlando also gave an interview to Out magazine commenting on the series’s themes. Comparing it to his earlier OGN “Virgil,” which had a more traditional narrative about an outed cop seeking revenge in the similarly homophobic country of Jamaica, “Crude” is meant more as “a chance to talk about masculinity and the lives we lead.” Orlando explained that Piotr feels responsible for his son’s death, as their poor relationship, “based more on not speaking and hiding how they feel,” was why Kiril moved to Blackstone; similarly, artist Garry Brown described Piotr’s story in the press release as a “path to redemption [that] is just getting started.”
Orlando, who is bisexual, said he has spent time living in Russia and began developing the story in 2015. However, he acknowledged the book has become timely due to following reports of gay concentration camps in Chechnya, and the Trump administration’s attitude towards LGBT people. “Now, with what we know about Chechnya, what we know about Occupy Pedophilia, it’s become more and more clear that this motivation is shockingly real,” he said.
We’ve attached the solicitation for the comic from Paste, which also has a preview of the first issue, due out April 11.
“Crude” #1
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Garry Brown
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Thomas Mauer
Release Date: April 11, 2018
“Crude” is the story of former-assassin Piotr Petrovich Bilibin getting to know the son whose true life he didn’t understand. Piotr tried to love his son, Kiril, but fear of himself drove him to keep Kiril at a distance. When it came time for Kiril to come out, he assumed Piotr would never understand, so he sought freedom in the desolate refinery city of Blackstone. He died there, forcing Piotr to retrace his son’s footsteps and investigate. But Blackstone is controlled by the massive oil refining company Petropinnacle, who employed Kiril when he died. Caught in a turf war between corporations, organized crime, and an upstart worker’s revolution that might’ve known Kiril, Piotr has no choice but to fight through the chaos to avenge his son… and maybe, finally, discover who he truly was.
