The inspiration behind HUXLEY

Dear backers,

As we head towards the release of HUXLEY, I wanted to take a moment to share a bit about what’s inspired me as both an artist and author on this journey.

Growing up, I was surrounded by the incredible work of visionaries like Doug Chiang, Ralph McQuarrie, Syd Mead, Masamune Shirow, Juan Gimenez, Moebius, Yoji Shinkawa and Katsuhiro Otomo. Their art didn’t just shape my tastes, it defined the way I think about design, storytelling and world-building. Whether it was the clean, industrial beauty of McQuarrie’s Star Wars concepts, the gritty, mechanical elegance of Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell, the mind-bending scale of Otomo’s AKIRA, or Hayao Miyazaki's timeless and deeply meaningful films, these creators sparked my imagination in ways I’m still chasing today.

Their books and prints have always been a part of my workspace. Even now, my office walls are filled with their art, a constant source of inspiration and a reminder of the power of visual storytelling. Every line, panel and concept in HUXLEY is built on the foundation these artists laid before me. Some personal favourite books of theirs would be: 

OBLAGON and SENTURY 1/2 by Syd Mead
Metabarons by Juan Gimenez
The Analysis of Ghost in the Shell from the 1995 anime
Moebius 4: The long tomorrow
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Roman Album
Master Artworks: Metal Gear Solid 4
Rakugaking by Katsuya Terada
The Art of Princess Mononoke and all the other Miyazaki films
AKIRA CLUB book along with the main AKIRA volumes
Star Wars Sketchbook by Joe Johnston
The Art of Episode 1 along with most of the others from the films

Creating HUXLEY has been my way of channelling that lifelong passion and bringing together everything I love about sci-fi, dystopian worlds and the mechanical beauty of imagined futures to tell new stories. I’m beyond excited for you all to dive into this universe soon.

Thanks for being part of the journey!

Ben Mauro