While Baron continues to work on his novels, Rude will, after finishing some other work, move on to another character of his, The Moth (pictured at left.)
Rude made it clear the decision had nothing to do with Baron, who he refers to as his creative partner:
And no worries--Mike and I still love our beloved creations, and are still the best of friends. We know we'll always be there for each other to hear about the latest going's on in our lives. Most important, Baron is my partner, now and forever. Mike remains a creative and brilliantly unconventional writer, for whose talents I was perfectly paired with as we set out to test the waters of independent publishing. Working closely together, we forged our combined talents issue after issue, always with the same verve and creative push that marked our very first meeting on the campus steps of Madison Wi.He further comments that "And partners--we will always remain...'until the day Nexus returns to serve humanity once again.'"
Nexus was with multiple publishers over the years, starting with First Comics and ending at Dark Horse, at least for the time being. The science fiction space opera has a very loyal fan base, who are sure to be sad to see it pass.
Rude, who doesn't do work for hire much these days, has a distinctive artistic look and an ability to echo the work of Kirby, Romita, and others from the Silver and Bronze Age. His storytelling chops are beyond question, and it's exciting to see him so committed to creator-owned work. Rude had this to say about coming back to The Moth:
So many untapped story possibilities have remained dormant too long for the Moth and his circus cohorts.
No sooner than I did announce my fervent desire to return to The Moth, than did my highly regarded art book publisher, Jaunty John Fleskes hear my plea, and offer to revive publishing for theall new and (hopefully)continuing adventures of The Moth.
Along with writer Gary Martin, we'll go on to chronicle his saga 'till death do us part-or infirmary sets in!The enthusiasm jumps out from the announcement, not unlike one of Rude's characters. There are no exact dates lists--a smart plan that gives Rude and Martin some wiggle room if there's a need to delay the start of the series. This should be one to watch, especially if the creator-friendly Dark Horse reprints the original issues or allows Rude to do so, to help build interest.
