Final Space Finally Concluding As Graphic Novel

A few years ago Olan Rogers teamed up with Conan O’Brien’s production company CONACO to create a new sci-fi animated series called Final Space. It was somewhat different from most American adult animated shows in that it took its lore seriously and was full of dramatic moments, not just comedy. Over the three seasons Final Space ran on Adult Swim and TBS, it gained a cult following hungry for more. Then the parent company WB merged with Discovery and you can guess what happened next.

Rogers had a six-season arc planned for Final Space. The TV series only got the chance to tell half that, and now it is unavailable on any streaming service or media format. In the meantime, Rogers has been poking various suits at WB, begging them to let him finish his story in one form or another. The circumstances didn’t make it look very possible, but as of today, we finally have some good news.

In a video released to his personal YouTube channel, Rogers said “I was ready to fight this as long as it took. That fight ended last week. Warner Bros. Discovery gave me a license to make one graphic novel. Just one. One Final Space graphic novel to finish the story.”

Can he do it in one? Sure….if it’s big enough. Rogers says the Final Space graphic novel will likely be over 500 pages long. The agreement came with a lot of other weird restrictions: Rogers can only self-publish the book, he is only allowed to sell it through his website, he can’t crowdfund the book through Kickstarter (why?), there can’t be a digital edition, and he is not permitted to create voices or animation of the characters to promote it (Rogers voiced several characters on the show).

Rogers will print 10,000 hardcover copies of Final Space: The Final Chapter and plans to deliver them in late 2024 (that’s the date for now, but this sounds exactly like the kind of project that hits delays). The book is not cheap at $125 a copy, but there is no guarantee there will ever be a second print run and the scalper prices will likely be much higher. As I type this, half the copies have already been sold. Sorry to put this pressure on you, but blame WB.