I, Claudio: The Fantasy Universe of Claudio Sanchez

The man behind Coheed and Cambria's prog-rock epic stretches the boundaries of its graphic counterparts, adding a new wrinkle

By Jonathan Zwickel
Special to MSN Music

Beneath the immense follicular explosion growing from his head, Claudio Sanchez has a lot on his mind. Sanchez's mind, in fact, holds the key to an entire galaxy. It's called Heaven's Fence, a distant interplanetary network detailed in the lyrics of Coheed and Cambria, Sanchez's immensely popular prog-rock band.

Coheed and Cambria are also the parents of Claudio Kilgannon, hero of "The Amory Wars," the four-volume graphic novel Sanchez penned as a companion piece to the band's music. The saga of namesakes Coheed and Cambria and Claudio Kilgannon are also part of Sanchez's fantasy universe. Yes, it's a big, complicated place, at least four full-length albums long by 11 full-length graphic novels wide. It's about to get bigger and more complicated as Sanchez launches his second comic book title, "Kill Audio."

Unlike the vast, labyrinthine "Amory Wars" series, "Kill Audio" revolves around one funny, fuzzy-headed little troll who is, for better or worse, indestructible. Packed with surreal scenarios, fever-dream landscapes, and ridiculous characters (a coked-out gangsta chicken, a pillow with hoop dreams), "Kill Audio" is an unusually comical peek into Sanchez's overcrowded brain. The first book in the series is set for release this October on Sanchez's Evil Ink imprint.

Sanchez recently took a break from wandering the geek orgy that is San Diego's Comic-Con to speak with us about his new project, his creative process, and the glory of self-mythologizing. As a veteran of past Comic-Con gatherings, he confirmed another record turnout ("It's like super crowded, but that's a good thing. There's a lot of interest in the medium.") and reflected on how his own work explores converging media.

MSN Music: It seems like the whole popular culture reflected during Comic-Con is still growing. You're doing your part to help with that. "Kill Audio" looks like it'll fit nicely beside the rest of your work. It has a different sensibility but it's still you.

Claudio Sanchez: Yeah, definitely. It still has a bit of a science fiction/fantasy vibe to it, but certainly more comedy. It has its musical tie. It's just been a lot of fun, between working with my fiancée [writer Chondra Echert] and partnering up with her on the writing and just seeing the work turn out that Sheldon [Vella, artist] does ... it's just been a lot of fun. The chemistry between everybody and the work that's coming out of it, it feels different and it feels very nice.