The Afterlife Inc. board of directors. Art by Ash Jackson and Nathan Ashworth.
"A Company You Can Believe In!"
— The Afterlife Inc. corporate motto
Afterlife Inc.
is an ongoing comic series written and created by Jon Lock, and illustrated by a rotating cast of artists. It has been published online and in print since 2011.
Afterlife Inc. is about a con-artist named Jack Fortune who dies, discovers an afterlife in chaos, and decides to take over and run it like a business. A mysterious Calamity has wiped the former ruling body from existence, creating a power vacuum in which Jack's new business model can thrive. Now, with an unlikely assortment of angels and allies at his side, Jack strives to modernise the afterlife while dealing with the dark secrets at the heart of his brave new world.
Afterlife Inc. is part of the Big Punch Multiverse, which includes Cat And Meringue and 7STRING.
Afterlife Inc. contains examples of:
- Celestial Bureaucracy: Pretty much the poster child for this trope, although Afterlife Inc. is generally a caring, if slightly bloated, heavenly corporation.
- Celestial Paragons and Archangels: Angels aren't all that special. There are billions of them, after all, and their power level varies greatly between individuals. The seven archangels, on the other hand, were immensely powerful beings that ruled the afterlife before the Calamity wiped them from existence. Only Anahel survived, technically making him the most powerful being on the Empyrean - although he really just wants to be left alone.
- Circles of Hell: The Empyrean◊ consists of many discs (heavens) arranged around a central shaft. Each heaven serves a specific function. Shehaqim, for example, provides a home for all the plants and animals that die, while Machonon, the afterlife's capital city, is where the vast majority of undead humans live.
- Evil Counterpart: Antrobus, despite all his power and ambition, can't help but compare himself to Jack - even going as far as to copy his physical appearance, albeit in a twisted, distorted fashion.
- Eye Colour Change: Jack's eyes were blue before dying, and golden afterwards. This doesn't seem to happen to anyone else who dies, so quite what this means is a mystery.
- Guile Hero: Jack is absolutely not a fighter, lacking any and all combat skills, but his silver tongue allows him to talk his way out of most situations. Plus, if that fails, he's always got Lux, App and Nuriel to back him up.
- Iconic Item: Jack's signature tie and suit define both his look and the company dress code. Although, as CEO, his tie has to be the longest.
- Our Angels Are Different: Angels in Afterlife Inc. sport neither halos or wings, and can generally be described as 'weird'. There do not appear to be any limits to an angel's physical appearance. Lux and Ochroid, two of the most prominent angels in the series, are classic examples of this.
- Our Demons Are Different: Turns out they're just another kind (or kinds) of angel, and apparently not even of the fallen variety, for the most part being quite content to work for the Celestial Bureaucracy.
