Matt Dillon: Taking a trip to Genome Island
Genome Island, Image courtesy of Matt Dillon
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Matt : Genome Island is a sci-fi comedy web comic series. It tells a story of a remote island theme park that's filled with genetically engineered zoo animals, and they use a CRISPR-like technology. They can selectively breed any creature imaginable. And while it might look amazing on the outside, the park is being dangerously mismanaged by its eccentric billionaire CEO.
Matt : It's kind of like a workplace comedy but it's also about the guests who suffer through their vacation there. It explores things like mental health. It explores things like love and acceptance. It explores topics like gene editing and being responsible scientifically but it's also just kind of a crazy ride.
Matt : It's got Disney-esque things about it, like the charming art style, bright colours, adult humour that is still appropriate for kids. It is for everyone. And I think that's important because the ethical questions that we're being asked, I think we need to bring these questions to the forefront of mainstream media and truly really start having a dialogue so we can move forward in a meaningful and knowledgeable way.
Sally: And what do you think that comics and science art can do that I suppose traditional science communication, like documentaries on the telly, podcasts like ours can't do? What kind of niche do you think that you are able to fill?
Matt : Well, because it's fiction, people won't take it extremely seriously. It allows an entry point into the mainstream, or people that wouldn't normally listen to genetics podcasts. And I think comics and cartoons have always historically made everything much more accessible to the public and work in little bits of truth in the fiction.
Sally: Jurassic Park has had such a massive influence on people's understanding of genetics, particularly when it comes to like de-extinction and bringing back extinct animals. Was that something that you watched growing up? I mean, it has to have been an influence on your comic, right?
Genome Islanders
The guests of Genome Island enjoying a relaxing drink at the local beach bar… Image courtesy of Matt Dillon.
Matt : Absolutely. Jurassic Park was such a huge part of my life. It was probably one of my favourite movies as a child. It still remains one of my favourite movies. But as I started to understand more about genetics in my adulthood, I realised there were so many questions that needed to be asked pertaining to our real lives, but also in a fictional sense because, you know, fiction and real life tend to intermingle most of the time. Especially as a writer, I can't stop thinking about the future and the big questions like the responsibility of science.
Sally: And what's your background with science? Because you're obviously an amazing writer, amazing artist. Did you do science at school, at university or has it just been something that you've just enjoyed picking up along the way?
Matt : I've been a backyard scientist since I was a little kid. Turning over rocks, looking at ant colonies.
Sally: Yes, I am with you on that!
Matt : Big bug fanatic! I've always considered myself an amateur scientist.
Matt : The idea behind Genome Island, the reason why it even popped into my head was because I love drawing creatures and mutants, I always have. And I felt like I could create Genome Island, which was a great story, but it also gave me an outlet to create all these creatures, to invent new species and mix and match, make hybrids, and just explore all that fun fantasy stuff like zombies and pirates and dinosaurs and all that stuff.
Matt : It was such a grab bag of everything, and I think that's really why I've stuck with it for so long and why it's become such a passion project of mine, because I truly enjoy creating it. It's so much fun and I hope everyone really enjoys reading it as much as I love creating it!
Sally: I've enjoyed reading it. I have found it hilarious. Would you visit Genome Island if it existed? You gotta be expecting that question.
Matt : Yeah and I've thought about it and yeah, absolutely.
Matt : And I would probably be on the board, making decisions about how safe it should be. Because as I think about all the things that could go wrong at the park, that I actually don't end up putting in the comic because it's actually so dark, it's too dark for my comic... So, you know, if it was a real place, I would have to be on the board making decisions to keep this park really safe and ethical and responsible.
Sally: What are the sort of criteria that, for you, if this was a real life island and you were sat on the ethics board, would you want to satisfy to make sure that it's okay to go ahead with the technology?
Matt : You know, I'm actually not sure because I don't even know if I would think the park should exist in the first place in terms of like - should creating creatures or modifying creatures, or just in general, just messing with DNA in that sense, should it be used for entertainment and capitalistic gain?
Matt : And my personal belief is no. It should always be to help people like cure diseases and research, things that could help and make people and animals alike suffer less in this very questionable world. I would say no, I wouldn't want it to exist in this state. I don't think it's good for entertainment.
Matt : You know, Genome Island is not about instilling fear or making people more anxious about it. The story is going to come to a point when we realise that it's not gene editing that's the problem. It's the humans behind the gene editing.
Matt : So if you put a responsible person in charge at Genome Island, it could flourish. It could thrive, it could be educational. But you put an eccentric villainous mastermind behind the technology and yeah, it's gonna be crazy!
Kat: That was Matt Dillon, and if you want to catch up with the action on Genome Island, just follow the links in the page for this podcast at GeneticsUnzipped.com, or search for GenomeIsland on Instagram or Webtoons.
