So, I'm here working on a nonfiction comic book about Antarctica. But the nerd in me can't help but notice how Antarctica feels so sci-fi. Star Wars is the most obvious correlation...Antarctica = Hoth, McMurdo = Echo Base, helicopters = x-wings, snowmobiles = speeder bikes (okay, okay, I know those were more of an Endor thing, but you get the picture). I know that sci-fi is often inspired by actual science, not unlike how my own work is inspired by actual science.
I shouldn't be allowed to use Photoshop, Nov 2016
Instead of calling Antarctica very "sci-fi", I would wager that it's more appropriate to call sci-fi very "Antarctica". The Dry Valleys of Antarctica have been compared to the surface of Mars, polar gigantism produces marine invertebrates 100s of times larger than their tropical cousins, and thousands of meteorites have been collected from this continent's pristine, icy terrain, not to mention all the telescopes.
NASA satellite dish (covered) Nov 2016
I guess what I'm getting at is...experiences that take you out of the everyday are incredibly important to creative work (and, I might argue, a healthy existence). I'm not suggesting that everyone try to visit Antarctica. But learning a new skill, building something, meeting a new group of people, cooking a new type of food, visiting a new town/city/state/country...all these things can add a little something. I'm definitely aware of limitations - budget, access, opportunity - many of those factors are why I create the comics that I do; to give people access to a place, process or perspective. And, maybe selfishly, to give myself that same access.
Seriously, stop letting me use Photoshop, Nov 2016
Cheers, Maris