Image Comics revealed more details about Finders//Keepers, the final title in the first wave of one-shots from The Horizon Experiment. The imprint, which is spearheaded by writer/editor Pornsak Pichetshote and editor Will Dennis, offers the opportunity for diverse creators to play with form and genre in exciting ways. Finders//Keepers brings together writer Vita Ayala with artist Skylar Patridge, colorist Jason Wordie, and letterer Becca Carey, to tell an adventure tale in the vein of Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider.
Ayala spoke about tapping into the adventure genre, stating:
“I’ve always loved action-adventure stories, but the archetypal protagonist and most of the traditional setups weren’t really ever going to work for people like me. Working on The Horizon Experiment, I knew I found a way to open that world up to anyone who wanted a shot of being the hero! What a thrill to get to be on such an amazing team, on one of the most fun projects of my career!”
When the title launches in January 2025, it will focus on Ines Guarua, a Puerto Rican archeology student that plans to steal an artifact from a museum so that it can be returned to its origin. The press release also teases a curse that threatens Puerto Rico if the artifact is not returned.
In the press release, Pichetshote discussed about the anticipation for the one-shot, stating:
“Out of all the projects announced as part of The Horizon Experiment, Finders//Keepers has generated the most anticipation, and I’m not surprised. Nothing has made me want to come back to comics editing more than the prospect of working with Vita Ayala, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped they’d be interested in joining in. Skylar Patridge is a superstar that still manages to grow in exciting directions with every new high-profile project, so I knew their working together was going to be special. They delivered and then some.”
Alongside the interior art, Patridge is set to provide the main cover for the issue. Tula Lotay will provide two variant covers as well, capturing the swashbuckling nature of the series.
Patridge spoke about the sensibilities that drew her to the book, stating:
“Finders//Keepers is a dream project—narratively, artistically, and thematically—and The Horizon Experiment has provided a much-needed stage to tell stories like this. It’s rare that a project aligns so perfectly, and working with Vita, Pornsak, and Will to build and shape this world has been both gratifying and deeply inspiring. Add to that the incredible work of colorist Jason Wordie and letterer and designer Becca Carey, and it truly feels like hitting the creative lottery.”
Each installment of The Horizon Experiment offers a pilot for new series in their own specific genres, allowing audiences, retailers, and the publisher to decide if more issues are in demand. As of this story, only one title has launched so far, The Manchurian. The Chinese superspy story was written by Pichetshote and illustrated by Terry and Rachel Dodson. Next week (just in time for Halloween), The Sacred Damned launches from Sabir Pirzada and Michael Walsh with a story of a Muslim John Constantine. Then, African werewolf tale Moon Dogs by Tananarive Due and Kelsey Ramsey and comedic horror story Motherf*ckin’ Monsters from J. Holtham and Michael Lee Harris launch in the last two months of the year.
Learn more about The Horizon Experiment during the “Image Comics Presents: Breaking Ground” panel at New York Comic Con this Sunday, October 20, from 11:00 a.m–12:00 p.m. EST, which features Pichetshote as a speaker.
The Horizon Experiment: Finders//Keepers #1 will also be available across digital platforms, and in comic shops in January 2025.