INTERVIEW: Lucid Dreaming with Dead Dreams Writer Brittany Matter

Cover of Panels from Dead Dreams: The Lunar Chronicles #1

We all have dreams that we’ve never realized, whether due to our circumstances, our fears, or all of the above. But what if, with just a sip of a potion, you could fall asleep and actually live out those dreams? Calling on science thrillers like Orphan Black and Fringe, writer Brittany Matter takes us on a journey into parallel worlds, doppelgängers, and lost dreams in Dead Dreams: The Lucid Chronicles, a new series debuting with Zoop.

“In Dead Dreams: The Lucid Chronicles, looking to live out her dreams of becoming an actress, timid Piña Axletree takes a tonic and wakes up in a parallel world, leading a drug syndicate. Will she run back to the familiar doldrums of her reality or become a more ruthless version of herself to achieve her dreams? On the surface, Dead Dreams: The Lucid Chronicles is a story that answers the question: What if a dream launched you into a parallel world where you could live your doppelgänger’s life? The story explores how doppelgängers raised in abusive environments make different life-altering choices.”

A multi-genre writer and editor, Matter’s work “explores themes of death and rebirth, control and resistance, the cycle of violence, and overcoming fears.” This story confronts and examines the “the seemingly inescapable cycle of the adage ‘hurt people hurt people’ through doppelgängers,” something that is close to her heart as a person who grew up within abusive environments.

Working alongside artist Dailen Ogden (Wifwulf), variant cover artist Liana Kangas (Star Wars Adventures, Trve Kvlt), letterer Gabriela Downie (Harleen), editor Heather Ayres (Spitting Image), layout artist Hari Conner (Finding Home), designers Sasha E. Head (Decorum) and AndWorld Design (Fearscape, Clear), flatter Drew Wills (Wifwulf), and marketing coordinator James B. Emmett (The Deadliest Bouquet), Matter’s dark tale of dreams and doubles lives becomes reality. Here, she answers a few questions for us.

What was the inspiration for this series and how did the concept evolve over time?

I think I was unhappy with my job at the time inspiration struck, and I’ve always been fascinated with dreams and dreaming, so I combined those things, and the first character was born: Avae, an unhappy marketplace vendor selling bottled dreams. When I was developing it as a short, my editor Heather Ayres asked me where the dreams came from, and without hesitation, I had an answer, which snowballed into a miniseries about who was making these concoctions, what they could do—open a doorway to another universe—and who was buying them. At the time, I was particularly obsessed with multiverse theory and doppelgängers, watching shows like Fringe and Orphan Black, so those stories influenced it as well.

Another source of inspiration was my personal experiences with abuse during my childhood. In this story, I wanted to explore the seemingly inescapable cycle of the adage “hurt people hurt people” through doppelgängers. The protagonist Piña and her doppelgänger Matron are two sides of the same coin—they both grew up abused by their parents, which makes Piña the anxious, timid person that she is, while Matron doesn’t exactly overcome her traumatic childhood.

How did the creative team come together for this series?

Through many emails, work friendships, convention meet-ups, and a little bit of fate. I met my editor Heather Ayres while we were copywriters for a retail website, and we bonded over comics and Game of Thrones. Then, I saw Dailen Ogden’s art while editing Miranda in the Maelstrom #2, a series by Riley Biehl. I fell in love with their flowing line work and otherworldly color palettes and asked them to hop onto the Dead Dreams train. Letterer Gabriela Downie came recommended to me by Helm Greycastle writer Henry Barajas, and flatter Drew Wills came recommended by Dailen.

The designer Sasha E. Head and I volunteered at the Image Comics booth at conventions in years past, and we connected while hawking comics. Recently, AndWorld Design and marketing expert/editor James Emmett joined the Dead Dreams dream team, both of whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with on other crowdfunding campaigns.

What dead dream would you choose from the booth if you could? Would you opt for a daydream or a full lucid experience?

What a great question! I’d pick the lucid dream because it lasts longer than the daydream. Plus, to explore a parallel world, that would just blow my mind.

Ten percent of the funds raised will be donated to Kathy’s Legacy Foundation to support children and pets impacted by domestic violence. Tell us about this charity and why it’s important to you.

It’s a charity in honor of Kathy Scharbarth’s memory. Kathy was murdered by her ex-boyfriend and her story is all too familiar. Much of the abuse Kathy experienced with her daughter was eerily similar to things my mother and I faced but survived. Started by Kathy’s mother, Kathy’s Legacy supports orphaned children who have lost a parent to domestic violence and offers long-term foster care for pets, who can be unnoticed victims. The foundation’s commitment to inspiring dreams and reviving hope pulled on my heartstrings and I’m happy to bring awareness to it.


Dead Dreams: The Lucid Chronicles #1 will be available February 28, 2022.

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Wendy Browne

Wendy Browne

Publisher, mother, geek, executive assistant sith, gamer, writer, lazy succubus, blogger, bibliophile. Not necessarily in that order.

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