By: Elena Mart

By night, Vincent Chin channels his creativity into sci-fi storytelling, crafting Space Trip, a graphic novel that merges elements of urban resilience with speculative space adventure.

Chin’s artistic path appears to reflect themes found in his story—a blend of resistance, endurance, and the pursuit of identity by those often overlooked.

For Chin, world-building serves not only as an escape but as a method of expressing lived experiences. His approach to storytelling reflects a desire to amplify underrepresented voices and celebrate individuality in a world where conformity often dominates.

A Journey from the Streets to the Stars

At the center of Space Trip is Steve, a protagonist from Chinatown NYC whose roots remain a vital part of his interstellar journey.

The comic introduces Steve’s 1990s childhood, showing a boy navigating urban streets, often bruised by life and environment.

Steve’s father, a scavenger of mechanical scraps, teaches him how to identify potential in discarded objects—a practical lesson that later parallels Steve’s broader mission.

Rather than relying on wealth or access, Steve learns to build, adapt, and survive, turning scarcity into innovation.

This ability to transform the ordinary into something new becomes a defining element of Steve’s future in opposing a powerful syndicate known as The Nine.

The Struggle Against The Nine and the Cling

Two decades later, Steve is a grown man at the forefront of a rebellion. The Nine, a mysterious organization, engages in ethically questionable genetic experiments that create engineered soldiers.

These experiments also lead to the emergence of The Cling—alien parasites that feed off hosts to fuel a collective hive-mind.

After discovering a black-market operation linked to The Nine, Steve assembles a diverse team: a cyborg mechanic, a rogue hacker, and a defector from within The Nine.

Their mission? To locate Prisoner 5056, a woman with a mysterious past who may hold the information needed to challenge the status quo.

Rebellion, Resourcefulness, and Reimagining Power

At its core, Space Trip explores broader ideas beyond traditional sci-fi tropes. The story investigates the intersection of resistance, creativity, and survival in the face of systemic control.

The Enhancer Gene, a central element of the story, functions as a metaphor for exploitation—specifically how institutions may alter or suppress individuals for strategic gain.

Likewise, The Cling symbolizes conformity and the loss of self within larger systems.

Steve’s team, however, resists this loss of agency. They’re not outfitted with elite weaponry or conventional power. Instead, their strength comes from adaptability—repurposing microwaves into warp drives and transforming subway tokens into tools of resistance.

This inventive spirit reflects Chin’s personal experiences and his belief in the power of creativity as a means of pushing back against limitations.

A Visually Textured World

The comic’s artwork complements its themes with dynamic shifts between gritty realism and imaginative sci-fi.

Scenes from Steve’s youth feature detailed urban settings—stoops, graffiti, and handmade repairs that suggest both hardship and inventiveness.

As the narrative transitions into the future, the visuals evolve into a surreal landscape filled with neon-lit spacecraft made from salvaged parts and sprawling alien marketplaces.

The Cling are rendered as haunting, biomechanical figures—a visual manifestation of urban decay fused with science fiction horror.

Why Space Trip Resonates Now

Space Trip is more than a traditional science fiction story; it offers commentary on resilience and creative resistance. Chin’s background informs a narrative that values ingenuity and individuality over uniform power structures.

In a time when cultural narratives often favor polish and perfection, Space Trip speaks to the power of the handmade and the value of the underdog.

Much like a defiant mixtape echoing through alleyways, this graphic novel captures the raw energy of those fighting for recognition and agency.

For readers navigating their own challenges, Space Trip offers a story that acknowledges adversity while celebrating imagination.

Chin’s creative journey—from skilled tradesman to graphic storyteller—underscores the belief that resourcefulness and persistence can help shape new worlds, even in the face of systemic resistance.