Jamie Lee Curtis enjoyed a celebratory moment just before taking the stage at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday to promote Mother Nature, which is her first graphic novel and takes aim at the forces contributing to climate change.
“I saw this book in print two hours ago for the first time,” said Curtis, who was joined onstage by her co-writer, Russell Goldman, and artist Karl Stevens. “I’ve seen it in a PDF form, and it is thrilling.” She did not waste time emphasizing the project’s ecologically minded message: “We’re fucking the world. There is a possibility of change, but we’re going to have to do it, and I’m really thrilled to see how enthusiastic you guys are for this beautiful piece of work that Karl has made for us.” Her points were met with enthusiastic applause from the supportive audience.
Featuring plenty of gruesome violence, Mother Nature is out Aug. 8 from Titan Comics and centers on Nova Terrell, a resident of Catch Creek, New Mexico, who seeks payback against a nefarious oil company that was linked to her father’s death. Curtis explained that she initially told husband Christopher Guest that she had an idea for a screenplay and that he encouraged her to write it herself. Ultimately, the project’s team decided it would work best as a graphic novel; this marks the first time that Curtis, who is a New York Times best-selling author and is soon to release a new children’s book, has worked as a creator in the medium.
During her time on stage, Curtis noted that the timing was right for the project, given the extreme weather recently experienced by much of the nation. “It’s happening today!” she exclaimed. “We are the hottest we’ve ever been in this country this week. I mean, talk about good timing. Seriously, we couldn’t be talking about something more important.”
Curtis, who said there was a chance for Mother Nature to be adapted into a film down the road, emphasized that she doesn’t see climate change as a political issue. “I’m not proselytizing,” the Halloween actress said. “I don’t care what side you’re on. It’s happening, and there are things we can do to ameliorate it and to try to stem the tide, excuse the pun. Shit is happening, and so it feels absolutely on point right now.”
Later, a fan asked the star to recall some of the favorite successes in her life, and Curtis brought up her two daughters and also her work in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which earned the performer her first Oscar earlier this year. “The greatest moments have been things I never saw coming — my family, my personal life, my work,” she said. “If you think I saw Deirdre Beaubeirdre coming. If you think I was sitting there thinking, ‘Hmm, we’re going to make a little indie in 38 days in Simi Valley, California, for $12 million, and we’re all going to end up winning Oscars,’ you’re crazy people.”
During the panel, Curtis did not address the ongoing actors strike, which has kept performers from promoting their acting work at Comic-Con. The labor disputes involving SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild have meant that this year’s panels largely went without the big names and recognizable faces that typically thrill crowds and lead to lengthy lines for prominent events.
