Between Mars and the Machine: Why I Still Believe in Creating with AI

When I first held the printed version of the ICARUS comic book in my hands, I felt both proud and uneasy. The colors, the story, the pacing, all of it worked exactly as I’d hoped. Yet, almost immediately after sharing it online, came the comments: “It’s AI.” The tone wasn’t curiosity. It was accusation.

I understand where it comes from. In the comic world, where generations have fought for recognition through hand-drawn art, the fear of automation feels deeply personal. But here’s my truth: I never claimed to be an illustrator. My work lies in design, direction, curation, and storytelling, the same kind of creative orchestration that film directors or art directors do.

“ICARUS is written, directed, and visually composed by me, using digital tools that let me sculpt Mars as I imagined it. Every scene, every expression, every light source is designed, not generated.”

Every creative act is a selection process. Choosing AI as a tool is no different from choosing to take a photograph instead of hiring a landscape painter. Both are acts of framing reality, one with a brush, the other with a lens, or in my case, an algorithm. The artistry lies in what you see, what you decide to show, and how you tell the story.

And then there’s the copyright-claim chaos of modern platforms. Anyone who has tried producing content for YouTube knows this: faceless entities filing dozens of false claims just to see what sticks, forcing creators to dispute, appeal, and waste time defending what’s rightfully theirs. By creating everything — images, music, videos, characters — through my own process and AI tools, I bypass that mess completely. It’s creative sovereignty. No licensing traps, no endless disputes, no invisible owners hovering over my work.

ICARUS — the novel, the musical, the videos, and now the comic book — is part of a single long-term experiment. It asks a question: Can technology truly empower ordinary creators to build complex, multimedia worlds without the backing of studios or agencies?

It’s not perfect. AI today feels like photography in its earliest days, blurred, unpredictable, sometimes absurd. But like those first photographs, it holds a mirror to the future. And I’m not here to reject that reflection. I’m here to test it.

🚀 Welcome to ICARUS

An emotionally gripping, high-stakes sci-fi epic about survival, rebellion, and the fragile hope of beginning again — not just as individuals, but as a civilization.

📘 Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHQV1XB9

📕 Paperback Edition: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHW3VYJX

💾 Direct EPUB + PDF Download: https://zsoltbugarszki.gumroad.com/l/icarus

📱 Google Play Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=xkqCEQAAQBAJ