Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting graphic novelist Paul Pope at the DKNY JEANS showroom to take an exclusive look at his new line of street wear, 2089. Paul (here’s his website) is known for his alternative comic books such as Batman Year 100 and Heavy Liquid, his artbook PULPHOPE, and now he’s made his debut in the fashion world. His goal was not only to create cool clothes wearable by all walks of life, but to elevate the art of comics itself. Some of them are very literal in their comic book inspiration; a hooded sweatshirt is covered with a comic panel pattern, while other pieces are more abstract (his awesome “camo” jacket is inspired by camouflage in nature, and looks like a jar of his ink spilled out onto the design table). The line is being described as melding “sci-fi with the prehistoric.” Whether or not you have a deeper understanding of the year 2089 or the markings on a moth’s wing, these clothes are cool, and so is Paul. (I’m pretty sure we’re best friends now.) But before you go off buying the entire collection, take a look at what happened at my interview with Paul, and my own attempt at a graphic novel.