Paul Pope is relaunching after a decade-long comics silence with new shows, books, and fresh takes on AI.
A career retrospective just opened at New York’s Philippe Labaune Gallery. Pope’s expanded art book, PulpHope2: The Art of Paul Pope, lands this fall. Alongside it, the first volume of his self-published sci-fi epic THB is also coming out.
The moves are part of what Pope calls “a number of chess moves” to reintroduce and “rebrand” himself. 
Pope has kept busy off the public radar, holding a hefty pile of unpublished work. He says graphic novels take years of locked-down work compared to traditional comics.
“Making graphic novels is not like making comics,” Paul Pope said.
“You’re basically writing a novel, it can take years, and you work with a contract. No one can see the work, so it can be very frustrating.”
Pope’s known for sticking to ink and brushes, mostly avoiding digital. But he admits he’s open to AI tools — mostly for research and story structure.
“I don’t think it’s better, to be honest. I think any tool that works is good.”
“I’m less concerned about having some random person create some image based on one of my drawings, than I am about killer robots and surveillance and drones.”
Pope warns AI could replace popular comic artists. He says storyboarding, animatics, and comics jobs could be at risk of automation within a few years. But he believes humans hold the edge in true invention.
“Machines can replicate what humans do. If you’re trying to draw like Jim Lee, you might get replaced.”
“But machines can’t replace the human invention of something totally new.”
He points to legal fights over AI training on artists’ work and warns enforcement will be tough in some countries. Pope prefers thoughtful ethics over hype.
Pope also confirmed the next big chess move: Battling Boy 2 is coming, but first, THB will drop.
The relaunch is underway with Boom Studios’ Archaia imprint and new collaborators. Pope as art director recruited designer Steve Alexander (Rinzen) for PulpHope2. The gallery show came from connections with Philippe Labaune.
This fall marks Pope’s return with new editions, collections, and fresh content — positioned at a tense moment for comics and creative AI battles.
Image Credits: Paul Pope/Archaia
Image Credits: Paul Pope/Archaia
Image Credits: Paul Pope/Archaia
