Artificial intelligence has become one of the biggest conversations in the creative world, raising questions about ownership, originality, and the future of art itself. How could it not? In a media that is designed to be made by and for humans, there’s so much at stake that most don’t understand. Now, cartoonist Jimmie Robinson channels those anxieties into Aartillery, a sci-fi adventure that imagines creativity as humanity’s greatest weapon. When a sentient AI begins sealing away the mystical gateways that fuel all human artistic expression, the Mona Lisa herself recruits three artists whose creations become literal weapons in a daring heist to steal back the world’s imagination.
Ahead of the graphic novel’s August release from Invader Comics, The Beat reached out to interview Robinson about blending action, satire, and fantasy into a story that celebrates the enduring power of human creativity in the age of AI, as its first release tackles crowdfunding on Kickstarter!
DIEGO HIGUERA: The premise centers on AI shutting down humanity’s creative gateways. We can only imagine the many things going on right now that could have inspired you to frame the conversation around AI and art as a fantasy-action heist, was there a specific moment that spurred this into action?
JIMMIE ROBINSON: It’s funny because I wrote this story seven years ago and finished the art, lettering and colors five years ago, each were both ahead of the current AI revolution. So there wasn’t a moment in current events that spurred me into this. At the time I was just making it up as an urban fantasy which I thought had a unique twist. Little did I know that AI would later become a real component in the field of art. Now it looks like I’m creating this from today’s headlines, but in reality I was ahead of the curve and didn’t even know it.
The completed story was just sitting in my art studio, in fact, I was already writing and drawing my next story idea. Just over a year ago Eitan Manhoff, the Oakland retailer of Cape & Cowl Comics, introduced me to Mike Perkins the owner at Invader Comics, who are also based in Oakland. I was born and raised in Oakland and the story takes place in Oakland, so it seemed like fate to put it out.
DIEGO HIGUERA: The story runs with the idea that all human creativity comes from an ancient power source. What does that mythology represent to you about the real-world nature of artistic inspiration?
JIMMIE ROBINSON: I was attempting to bring a unified idea that everyone in some way, no matter how small, has the ability to create something and consider themselves creators. Creativity doesn’t mean just picking up a paint brush or a pencil. The spectrum is wide and vast. The mythology I aimed for was a type of hive mind that exists, like say The Force in Star Wars. Thus, anyone who is open to that creative energy can tap into it. Some just do it easier than others. And all the great artists over the centuries contribute to that ideaspace for future generations. It’s really just another way to dress up what we call inspiration. We are all inspired and stand on the shoulders of the creators before us.
DIEGO HIGUERA: Why did you choose the Mona Lisa as the figure who comes to life and recruits the heroes? What makes her the right symbol for this story?
JIMMIE ROBINSON: The Mona Lisa is the most visited painting in the world, thus as a symbol it retains a lot of power in the world of art. Just the concept of the painting is burned into our collective consciousness. Likewise, there’s a lot of mystery around the origins of the painting, the meaning of the painting, even the smile alone has inspired other art, song, poetry, film, etc. She is a powerful figure.w
DIEGO HIGUERA: The three artists gain powers that transform their art into weapons. How did you design those abilities, and what do they reveal about each character’s personality and creative process?
JIMMIE ROBINSON: Since I was attempting to unify art for all humanity I went with areas that held different disciplines. Those disciplines define the character. The graffiti artist is a homeless character and their art is bold and larger than life. The homeless are often not seen and graffiti is often used as a medium of communication, a way of saying “I am here, I exist”. The comic artist character deals with telling stories and finer details. The illustrations in storytelling are not so much about the creator, it is more about how to convey information to the reader. The film special effects character represents creativity with technology. Manipulating existing work that transforms things into visual art. Each character has an advantage and a weakness and it’s reflected in their art and lives.
So an example of art-magic would be; graffiti art is big enough to paint a full-size car, but a spray can can’t do details, so the comic artist adds the license plate, door handles, and other features, but the car still has to operate so a special effects model is created on an iPad so the engine works. Together a get-a-way car is created right off a brick wall.
DIEGO HIGUERA: Many creators today have strong opinions about AI-generated art. Were you aiming to make a statement on that debate, or were you more interested in having people ask questions about what this does?
JIMMIE ROBINSON: Since I finished this story before the rise of AI-generated art my aim was really about what IS art and how art fits in our daily lives. I wanted to empower readers that art is everywhere and in everything. The art of being a teacher, a fireman, an illustrator, an actor, a parent, a good student… whatever. I didn’t have AI as a specific target, however what I did have was the hive mind of the internet.
The internet itself is an ideaspace full of creativity, and I thought the growth of that would actually compete with the original concept of human creativity. Suddenly, everyone around the world was tapping into the internet and inadvertently creating a new form of communal creativity. So my aim was really about those collisions of ideas.
DIEGO HIGUERA: As both writer and artist on the project, how much of your own experiences in the creative industry influenced the story’s themes about ownership, originality, and artistic survival?
JIMMIE ROBINSON: A lot. The comic artist character is literally pinned on me, I even included my actual original childhood art in parts of it. Likewise, I lean heavily on my experience in the comic industry. I even used a character from one of my series (Bomb Queen, Image Comics). I also expressly talk about intellectual property because part of the story spins off the power of actually owning a creation. I don’t want to give out spoilers but ownership or your work, at least in this story, is a main factor of artistic survival.
DIEGO HIGUERA: After readers finish Volume 1, what is the biggest idea or question you hope stays with them regarding creativity, technology, and the future of human expression?
JIMMIE ROBINSON: My biggest hope is that we all coexist. Look I’m not against AI-generated art anymore than I am against the use of photoshop, or auto-tune in music. There will be some good uses and obviously a lot of abusive usage. I just want readers, at least in this story, to see creativity in all walks of life — which includes everything from the first painted figures on cave walls to the technology we see and use today.
We can all debate what art means to each of us, but we can’t dictate what future generations will do. We currently live in a generation at the fork of the road. We have the luxury of seeing both sides of human expression today, but tomorrow will follow its own path.
DIEGO HIGUERA: Lastly what is the message you want to leave to artists and readers alike checking out Artillery?
JIMMIE ROBINSON: This is my love letter to the medium of comics. The message is not just the story itself, but the fact that this story exists at all. That I live in a time in the comic industry where I can tell a story and do it my way.
I love that comics are reaching new audiences with new genres and ideas. It’s not just superheroes, it never was, but now we are seeing a rise of creators and publishers, like Invader Comics who are taking big swings on concepts and genres. Sure my story is about creativity and all that, but the meta message is also what the reader is actually holding in their hands. A work of art that was given life and distributed to readers. Sometimes we take things like that for granted. Let’s all enjoy the art that surrounds us every day and in every way.
If Artillery sounds like your kind of sci-fi adventure, be sure to check out the Kickstarter campaign for your first chance to get the graphic novel and support the project here!
