Head-Space
The only multi-part story arc of the series written by Fowler, following the departure of Zac Gorman, and before the introduction of Kyle Starks,[6] loosely adapting Dune by Frank Herbert, Part One was released on March 30, 2016, Part Two on April 27, 2016, and Part Three on May 25, 2016, with the collected volume including the one-shots Ready Player Morty and Big Game (The Noble Pursuit of Fair Play), respectively written by Pamela Ribon, illustrated by Marc Ellerby, and released February 24, 2016; and written and illustrated by Fowler, and released June 29, 2016.[11][12] In September 2021, Christopher Lloyd and Jaeden Martell respectively portrayed the Rick and Morty of Dimension C-132 in one of a series of promotional interstitials, directed by Paul B.[3][19] In this special one-shot, the Rick and Morty of Dimension C-132 go to a Roy-type high school simulation planet that allows the player to accelerate their experiences straight to a diploma in just one day.[22][23] Speaking on his "writing stint" on Rick and Morty ahead of its March release in January 2016, in a non-spoiler interview with Paste Magazine, Tom Fowler revealed the arc would be inspired by the first season of Rick and Morty (having then not seen the second season), in particular "Rick Potion #9", and that as the veteran illustrator's writing debut, he would be "carte blanche to do anything, as long as you can come up with some kind of [a] scientific explanation that’s both coherently and comedically relevant"[6] with one issue of Zac Gorman's run additionally providing inspiration for the three-issue arc:[6] In one issue of Zac [Gorman]’s that I read all the way through, they're in this alien death maze, and there's only enough charge in the portal gun to get one of them out.Everything else can be drawn from whatever situations I or my 8-year-old can come up with.”[6]In September 2021, Christopher Lloyd and Jaeden Martell respectively portrayed the Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith of Dimension C-132 in one of a series of three promotional interstitials, directed by Paul B.[24][25] Bob Franco of Comics Verse complimented the "fun adventure with plenty of laughs and imaginative situations" of Ready Player Morty,[30] with Emily Gaudette of Inverse describing Big Game as a "non-enthused novelization of the show",[31] and David Brooke of AIPT Comics complimenting Fowler as "manag[ing] to capture the [concept of] rage and fear so damn well there's no question [what] is a comedically traumatic moment" in depicting the inner rage of Morty Smith.