Vern: Custodian of the Universe

by Tyrell Waiters

Overview

A thought-provoking and hilarious romp through time and space from debut creator, Tyrell Waiters that explores what it means to be human in a world fraught with uncertainty.

On the edge of burnout, Vern decides to return to his family in the Sunshine State to start over. Starting a new dead-end job as a custodian at Quasar—a local science facility with a shady motive—he shrugs on his uniform, grabs a mop and bucket, and trudges off to clean up… Black holes? Space-time anomalies? Galactic ooze?

Things aren’t entirely what they seem at Quasar, and when Vern accidentally plugs in a mysterious machine and finds himself standing on the brink of the destruction of every planet in the Multiverse,he finds himself presented with the greatest question of all: what is the point?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781838742744
Publisher:	Flying Eye Books Ltd.
Publication date:	08/05/2025
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 8.88(h) x 0.54(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Tyrell Waiters grew up in Florida and started following his dreams of being an artist at a young age, He is also an illustrator. He studied at Ringling College of Art and Design, receiving his BFA in Illustration. Tyrell Waiters has gone on to create Vinyl record covers, has done illustrations for The Bleacher Report, commissioned to do Illustrations for the Seattle SEAHAWKS,Has had his work chosen by Collective Arts Brewing for two of their beer can competitions and is a freelance illustrator for a variety of well known companies. He is excited to have his first book published by the amazing Nobrow Press team.

Editorial Reviews

"Waiter’s experimental art brings Vern’s adventures to life, playing with form and color to creatively represent his movements through time and space. The story balances topics like climate change, late-stage capitalism, and humanity’s self-sabotaging actions with a hopeful outlook, humorous tone, and a dash of family intrigue. An imaginative multiversal adventure." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2025-05-30
The new custodian of a multiversal research facility must help clean up an interdimensional mess.

Burned out after a fruitless job search, Vern, a young Black man, drives home to Florida from San Francisco, eager to rest. But his grandmother has gotten him a job with her former employer. Quasar Industries researches the multiverse, hoping to find a new home for humanity. As their new custodian, Vern cleans up unexplainable messes, like blue multi-eyed interdimensional goo (“begone, weird eyeball dudes”), while getting lost in rooms that open to different dimensions. In one such room, he finds a strange machine that transports him to the edge of the multiverse when he plugs it in. There he meets the Void, who repeatedly asks him, “What is the point?” Unable to answer, Vern is dispatched to an alternate dimension—the Void promises to recall him for an answer after he’s had a little time to think. However, Vern has unwittingly sparked a catastrophe that could end humanity—and it’s up to him to stop it. This engaging, entertaining story has an intriguing plot and a fairly passive protagonist in Vern. Fortunately, Waiters’ experimental art brings Vern’s adventures to life, playing with form and color to creatively represent his movements through time and space. The story balances topics like climate change, late-stage capitalism, and humanity’s self-sabotaging actions with a hopeful outlook, humorous tone, and a dash of family intrigue.

An imaginative multiversal adventure.(Graphic science fiction. 14-adult)

Kirkus Reviews