Imagine working in a space where even the wildest ideas have practical applications, such as habitat 3D printing robot birds, waste-heat-capturing skyscraper cones for powering flying mountain bikes, or compost cannons. This is the world that Industrial designer, inventor, and artist Steve Mushin inhabits. No idea is too far-fetched and usually is based on some scientific principle.
Fortunately, Steve began documenting his ideas, sharing them with readers in the hopes that they would not only contribute to saving the planet but also inspire young minds to pursue the same goal. Along the way, his writings and drawings entertain both adults and children alike in his book: “Ultra Wild: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth,” recently published by Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.
In advance of it’s September 9th release, we caught up with Steve to discuss his inventive beginnings and how he has found even the wildest of ideas can have merit if applied with science. So, let’s welcome Industrial Designer, Artist, and Inventor, Steve Mushin to GVN Talking Comics.
Inspiration from “Design from the Real World”
GVN: Thank you for taking the time to share with us, Steve. Since this is our first opportunity to chat, let’s start with your beginnings, which I must admit are different than most of the creators I speak with. What first made you consider design work and inventions, and did you have other ambitions before you focused your talents on that specific career path?
Steve: Ultrawild is a sketchbook of ridiculous-but-possible inventions to rewild cities. And I’m lucky, because drawing and inventing stuff is what I’ve always loved. In fact, many of the ideas in Ultrawild have roots going all the way back to childhood experiences.
I can clearly remember the day I found a copy of Victor Papanek’s famous book, ‘Design For The Real World’. I was 9 years old, and it was in my primary school library. I was immediately taken by one of the conceptual designs in the book – a three-dimensional paper star the size of a tennis ball, that folded out of a flat sheet impregnated with seeds. The idea was to drop tens of thousands of these out of airplanes – to reverse desertification – and the concept sketches and models blew my mind.
Thinking back, I’m sure that book played a part in inspiring me to become an industrial designer. And the paper seed star undoubtedly sowed the first seeds of my compost cannon design in Ultrawild.
Spreading the Idea of Using Imagination to Make a Better World
GVN: Much of your work combines scientific and imaginative methods to address climate change and promote self-sustainability. By utilizing engineering design and innovative thinking, you apply your expertise and creativity to these ideas. What message do you hope to convey to those who appreciate your efforts and admire your exhibits?
Steve: Ultrawild is designed to be the most ridiculous and engaging science and engineering book, ever – to kickstart discussions about what’s possible, while exploring real climate science and real engineering.
It’s also designed to be the most deadly-serious book on rewilding cities, ever. It’s a genuine pitch to start rewilding every city on earth.
In Ultrawild I propose outrageous inventions, then collaborate with biologists, mechanical engineers and other experts to work out how they would actually work. There are habitat 3D printing robot birds, waste-heat-capturing skyscraper cones for powering flying mountain bikes, and the compost cannons – which are fixed to composting toilets. The idea being to produce healthy compost from our waste. Use biogas digestors to collect explosive methane gas. Then use the gas to blast compost cannon balls onto unused roads and carparks.
How far could we blast our seed-filled compost cannonballs? I’m so glad you asked. I spent a lot of time doing the math on this problem with my mechanical engineer friends Neil Faragher and Michael Santin. The answer is just over a mile. And how much forest could one-person rewild with their compost-cannonball seed-bombs? Around 1 tennis court of forest per person, per year – which I think is incredible!
Reaching a Broad Audience
GVN: Your book, “ULTRAWILD: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth,” offers an entertaining and informative exploration of how imagination and bold ideas could help protect our planet. This whimsical blend of science and “what ifs” is enjoyable for readers of all ages, including kids, teens, and adults. As you were creating this book, were young people your intended target audience?
Steve: Ultrawild is a book for all ages. But I always had a secret agenda to create an extreme and hilarious STEM resource – to explain environmental science and real engineering ideas in outrageous and engaging ways. Among many firsts, Ultrawild is I believe the first book to explore 3D printing your own edible limbs (to help with long distance mountain bike flights between jungle cities). And it almost certainly contains more methane explosions than any other science book ever created.
Happily, Ultrawild is now being used in schools across the UK, Australia, Germany and New Zealand. And no one seems too worried about the explosions or edible limb ideas (Note: see disclaimer, below). For any teachers reading this: please download the free Ultrawild STEM lesson plans, project notes, and calculations at www.ultrawild.org.
GVN: When you first conceived of this idea and started working on it, did you think at that time it would be as well received as it was, winning both the Best Designed Children’s Non-Fiction book from the 2024 Australian Book Design Awards, and the 2024 Elsie Locke Award For Best Nonfiction (NZ), or were you more concerned about a fun way of opening young people’s minds and eyes about the climate and how important it is that We find some solutions…even if they are on the wild side?
“…More Big and Fun Ideas”
Steve: I first started drawing ideas for rewilding cities about 15 years ago, while I was working as a designer at CERES Environment Park in Australia. Along with a small team of scientists and engineers, I was prototyping biogas digestors, aquaponic city farms, concentrating solar dishes, compost toilets – heaps of cool stuff. And that’s when I started drawing comedy versions of the technologies. It was those composting and biogas projects that eventually led to the compost cannon system in Ultrawild.
Back then I had no idea my drawings would become Ultrawild. But our real projects were generating a lot of interest, because they were so hopeful. And that made me realize that to combat climate change we needed more big and fun ideas than ever before. So I just kept at it.
Working with Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.
GVN: “ULTRAWILD: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth” will be reaching a new audience when it hits bookstores on September 9th through Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group. How did this collaboration come about?
Steve: It’s funny, once you create a book and put it out into the world it can develop a life of its own and start spreading itself around. Ultrawild was originally published by Allen&Unwin in Australia. But the book found its way to Lerner, who loved it, immediately wanted to build compost cannons, and so acquired the US rights. And the rest is history. I’m so excited to see what North Americans do with the ideas!
Following Steve
GVN: Thank you once again for your time, Steve. Before we conclude, I would like to give you the chance to share more about ULTRAWILD. Where can our readers go to learn more about you and your work?
Steve: If you want to build yourself a compost cannon, please download my biogas calculations at www.ultrawild.org. Teachers can also download my free Ultrawild STEM lessons. And you can follow me @stevemushin to find out about future projects (although I’m not a big user of social media – too busy drawing).
And because I suspect that compost cannons WILL BE BUILT in the US. I’ll leave you with this important warning from the first page of Ultrawild:
A Public Service Announcement
NONE OF THESE IDEAS HAVE PASSED ANY KIND OF SAFETY TEST.
The ideas in Ultrawild involve SKYSCRAPER-SIZED biorobots, LUDICROUS building modifications and the release of SAVAGE CARNIVORES into suburbia – amongst many other COMPLETELY ABSURD-SOUNDING and ALMOST CERTAINLY TERRIBLY DANGEROUS concepts that may terrify very boring people.
● PLEASE EXPERIMENT WITH THE IDEAS ANYWAY
● Please develop your OWN VERSIONS of these plans and spread what you learn.
● Please DO NOT ASK PERMISSION FIRST.
● If something goes horribly wrong, we can always say we had no idea what would happen.
(And hopefully the benefits to our planet will outweigh any UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENTS caused by early explorations.)
Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, presents “ULTRAWILD: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth” by Steve Mushin, now available where great books and wild imaginations are appreciated.
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.
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