The Forgotten Divine
Few writers in comics today explore belief, power, and the absurdity of modern life with the precision and wit of Mark Russell. Whether he’s reimagining classic characters like the Flintstones or Snagglepuss or building entirely new mythologies, Russell has carved out a space as one of the medium’s most incisive satirists—someone who can make you laugh, wince, and rethink the world around you, often in the span of a single page. It’s probably why many of his books are personal favorites.
His latest project, THE FORGOTTEN DIVINE, created with longtime collaborator Russ Braun and launching soon on Kickstarter through Ahoy Comics, may be one of his most ambitious works yet. The series imagines a pantheon of gods who have slipped from humanity’s collective memory—deities once worshipped, now discarded, wandering a world that no longer remembers their names. It’s a premise that blends mythology, dark humor, and existential reflection in a way only Russell could deliver and Braun could bring to life.
We recently had the pleasure of catching up with Mark again to explore the origins of this forgotten pantheon, the book’s thematic undercurrents, and what it means to tell a story about relevance, reinvention, and the quiet terror of being left behind in a world that moves on without you.
Inspirations for this Story
GVN: It’s always a pleasure to talk to you, Mark. And fortunately for me, you ALWAYS have something fun and worthwhile to talk about with THE FORGOTTEN DIVINE being no exception. So, let’s get right to it. THE FORGOTTEN DIVINE explores the idea of gods who have slipped out of humanity’s memory. What first inspired you to tackle a story about divinity, relevance, and cultural amnesia?
MARK: Thank you! The Forgotten Divine is about a cult that forms around these visions or hallucinations that a random group of people start having about the same mysterious world. Some of the parties theorize that this is actually the memory of some ancient gods, but no one knows for sure what’s happening until the end when all is revealed. But what inspired the idea initially was just thinking about what a cult looks like to the people inside the cult and, of course, how impossible it is to communicate that to people outside. How the fact that this might look dangerous or crazy is often what makes it so.
Exploring the Believers
GVN: Much of your work blends satire with social commentary. How does THE FORGOTTEN DIVINE allow you to explore those themes in a new way, especially through the lens of forgotten gods trying to reclaim purpose?
MARK: This story is much more about the people who believe in the beings of these visions than the beings themselves. But one thing that I think is relevant to the world in 2026 is how people join the cult precisely BECAUSE it’s creepy and maligned. Some of the people aren’t even having these visions, they just see an opportunity to join something confrontational and weird and maybe make a career for themselves. For some people, joining a cult works out very well.
Working with Russ Braun…Again
GVN: You’ve collaborated with Russ Braun before, and your creative chemistry is well‑known. What made him the right artistic partner for this particular story, and how did his visual approach shape the tone of the book?
MARK: Russ does extremely well with cosmic or surreal worlds and visuals and, in this comic, his ability to pair the magnificence of these people’s visions with the grungy reality of their everyday lives makes it easier to understand their point of view. Why they would choose these snapshots of a world they don’t understand over their humble and otherwise unremarkable lives.
Building a Mythology
GVN: The premises suggest a world where mythology and modernity collide. How did you approach building a setting that feels both fantastical and grounded in contemporary anxieties?
MARK: We’re all constructing our lives around a mythology whether we care to admit or not. Entire movements are built around a past “greatness” that bears no relation to the reality they’re trying to recreate. We construct heroes and martyrs out of the past not necessarily because they deserve it but because we need them to make sense of our dissatisfaction. This mythology, whether it be political, religious, or social is inherently fantastical. And people choose it because the world as they experience it is not.
Following What They Don’t Understand
GVN: Many of your stories examine systems—political, religious, economic—and how people navigate them. What systems are you interrogating in THE FORGOTTEN DIVINE, and how do the characters reflect those pressures?
MARK: I don’t think I’m interrogating any systems so much as I’m examining how people get drawn into movements they don’t really understand precisely because they don’t understand them.
Bringing “The Forgotten Divine” to Kickstarter
GVN: Kickstarter gives creators a direct line to their audience. With this being Ahoy’s inaugural venture into Kickstarter, how has that platform influenced the way you think about launching THE FORGOTTEN DIVINE, and what excites you most about bringing this project to readers through crowdfunding?
MARK: I think Kickstarter was a good delivery mechanism for this story because it’s a stand-alone story and, at 64 pages, kind of an awkward length. Too short to release as a graphic novel, too long really for a traditional comic book. But the advantage is that it allows us to tell a story that is exactly as long as it needs to be. And, also, to include some pretty cool extras that readers wouldn’t be able to get any other way, including a variant cover drawn, for better or for worse, by myself!
What Will Linger with Readers
GVN: I have always known that writers are artists in their souls. That should be fun. Thanks as always for your time, Mark. Finally, without giving away too much, what emotional or philosophical questions do you hope linger with readers after they finish THE FORGOTTEN DIVINE?
MARK: Why even normal and reasonable people fall down rabbit holes and how the parts of ourselves we can’t fully explain to others, in the end, become who we are.
A Brief Moment with Tom Peyer
I had mentioned that this was Ahoy’s first Kickstarter campaign, so who better to ask about that than Ahoy EIC and friend of GVN, Tom Peyer, about this leap into the crowdfunding world.
GVN: Thanks for giving us a moment, Tom. Since this is Ahoy’s maiden voyage into the world of crowd-funding, Kickstarter style, did you have any reservations dipping your toe into the venue, and what possibilities opened up by taking that plunge with “The Forgotten Divine?”
TOM: I’m—let’s not say blissfully, more like congenitally—ignorant of anything to do with business or distribution. I show up at meetings with the smart people and try to look invested but careful, while inside my brain Homer Simpson’s windup monkey keeps banging those cymbals. Meanwhile, in the realm of things I do know about, I’m really confident about this story and these creators: Mark, Russ, colorist Paul Little, letterer Rob Steen. If we’re going to make a good and strong first impression, this feels like the way.
As Ahoy Comics’ The Forgotten Divine prepares to launch on Kickstarter, it’s clear that Mark Russell is once again tapping into the kind of storytelling that has made his work so distinctive. Sharp in its satire, rich in its humanity, and unafraid to ask uncomfortable questions about belief, relevance, and the systems we build around ourselves.
Paired with Russ Braun’s expressive, character‑driven art, this new series promises a world where forgotten gods and modern anxieties collide in ways both poignant and darkly funny. Whether readers come for the mythology, the commentary, or to see two seasoned creators at the top of their game, The Forgotten Divine stands poised to be one of Ahoy’s most compelling and thought‑provoking releases yet and a fitting choice for their inaugural Kickstarter campaign. Rest assured, if Russell’s track record is any indication, the questions raised here will linger long after the final page.
The Kickstarter Campaign for Ahoy’s The Forgotten Divine by Mark Russell, Russ Braun, Paul Little, and Rob Steen starts soon.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
