The Surreal World of Rust and Humus

Explore a universe from the cosmic dawn to life at the end of time. A breakdown of Lucas Roussel’s surreal worldbuilding epic ‘Rust and Humus.’ --- If you could witness time from the Big Bang to the last star going out, what moments would stay with you the most? What would you still remember, even as space grew dark and empty? What meaning — if any — would you glean from all of cosmic history? ‘Rust and Humus’ is a worldbuilding project that explores a dreamlike universe from the cosmic dawn to life at the end of time. Created by the visionary artist and writer Lucas Roussel and translated by Laura Remy, it is perhaps the most surreal exercise in worldbuilding I’ve ever encountered. Over the course of the project’s one-hundred and twenty-three pages, long forgotten gods create life on barren worlds, mortals build cosmic horrors beyond comprehension, and whales born from dreams visit magician butterflies on the moon. Yet in exploring this strange narrative, a profound meditation on the weight of time and the cyclical nature of history emerges. So, for this entry into the archive, I’ll present ‘Rust and Humus’ from start to end. And since nothing can prepare you for what lies within, I feel we should just get started… 0:00 Of Rust and Humus 1:19 The Cosmic Tree 2:47 The Green Moon 4:09 The White Moon 5:50 The Titan’s Era 7:20 The Giant’s Era 9:29 The Ancient’s Era 11:40 The Modern Epoch 14:30 The Age of Rust 16:36 The Humus Era 17:51 Time’s End 19:13 What Comes After?...