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Welcome back to another installment of Indie Comics Showcase, the weekly blog where we signal boost a few truly independent comics that are currently crowdfunding their projects, crowdsourcing their funding in some way, or just completely self-publishing on their own. Every little bit of support for these creators matters, from a single dollar pledge to the twenty-five dollar bundle, and of course the higher tiers are usually fun too! Even if you can’t back a campaign or buy a book, you can share or tweet about these projects to your friends and followers.
On Indie Comics Showcase, we interview the creators, show off some art, and tell you how you can check out the product for yourself. Below we have some outstanding crowdfunding campaigns this week for you to learn about, enjoy, and hopefully support by backing one or more of them! Thanks for checking these out and for being the best part of Indie Comics Showcase. Let’s jump in!
Check out the campaign here!
Chris Braly: Welcome to Indie Comics Showcase, Irene! Tell our readers the pitch for Fiendish!
Irene Strychalski: FIENDISH is a fantasy-mystery comic following Kazimir, the sole survivor of a mysterious demon attack on his hometown of Dorvo. Years after fleeing the massacre, Kaz thought he had left his nightmares behind, until the same fiends resurface and kill again. Along with several companions who had also lost their loved ones to the monsters, Kazimir sets out to revisit his past, uncover the truth behind Dorvo’s downfall, and hopefully put an end to this fiendish infestation. The series is currently funding its third installment, Chapter 2.5, which is a 25-page standalone story about Kazimir’s past. The previous two installments have already been fulfilled and are available at my web store.
CB: So where did the idea for this comic come from? And with so much experience at bigger publishers, why self-publish?
IS: Creating a comic series has been a longtime dream of mine, and FIENDISH was borne out of my love of classical fantasy, mystery storytelling, seinen manga, and the great works of Tolkien and Lovecraft. I believe that adult-targeted fantasy projects with deep worldbuilding are an untapped market in American comics. Yet, having worked in mainstream comics for a number of years, I came to an understanding that a longform project from a little-known creator – which also broke several genre conventions, was not within the risks that established publishers were willing to take. Thus, in the interest of creative integrity, I decided the risks of publishing independently were more than worth the rewards.
CB: Who is Fiendish aimed at?
IS: FIENDISH is aimed at readers above 16 years of age who have an interest in longform fantasy with original lore and worldbuilding. It contains a notable amount of bloodshed, and brief, partial nudity, though not gratuitous. I aim to showcase violence and sex for the sake of story immersion, not for shock value.
CB: Tell me about your inspiration, creative style, and how you developed into a creator.
IS: Having grown up in Asia, my favorite comic series growing up were manga like Fullmetal Alchemist, Kenshin, Berserk, and Ghost in the Shell. I was also an avid reader of John Grisham’s thrillers, Jean M. Auel’s prehistoric fantasy, and works by H.P. Lovecraft, George R. R. Martin, and Tolkien. I majored in sequential art at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and afterwards self-published many short comics while working for television animation, until I eventually landed work at Marvel Comics. When I realized that working for Marvel was personally not creatively fulfilling, I began work on FIENDISH.
CB: Tell me about your creative team on Fiendish.
IS: I’m the writer and main artist of the series, but I have an amazing team of collaborators who collectively make FIENDISH possible. My main colorist, Carlos Nicolas Zamudio, is an old college friend of mine. He is best known for coloring the Oni Press series Shadow Roads, and is an artist in his own right, having contributed several back covers to FIENDISH. My editor, Michael Oden, is the creator of indie books like The Embrace and Elysian Fields, and we met through the online indie comics scene. I found Michael Rushbrook, the penciler and inker on FIENDISH 2.5, through the FIENDISH 2 fanart contest. I also met Jake Harold, the colorist on FIENDISH 2.5 and game designer extraordinaire, through the indie comics scene.
CB: At what stage in the production process is this book? Is it ready for print?
IS: FIENDISH #2.5 is currently inks complete, and colors should be complete by the time this interview is published. I’m aiming to fulfill the book by April, and will make #2.5 available on the web store for afterwards, along with the already available FIENDISH #1 and FIENDISH #2.
CB: After a few successful campaigns under your belt, what have you learned from self-publishing?
IS: I’ve learned that consistent, trustworthy collaborators, printers, and factories are hard to come by, and that I ought to cherish the wonderful people I have finally found to help me produce FIENDISH! Also, producing a comic takes time, especially as a small team without the backing of a large publishing house. Therefore, I now buffer all my crowdfunding campaigns with several months of extra time, to allow for any possible (almost inevitable) production and fulfillment hiccups.
CB: What’s beyond this book? Are there more Fiendish stories to tell?
IS: FIENDISH is a longform story, so with 3 books about to be complete, I’m just getting started. I have the entire series mapped out, and it currently stands at 9 main books, with 4 more one-shots (just like Chapter 2.5) to supplement them.
CB: Nice! Any special features in this book or special perks?
IS: I’m an avid player of tabletop games (Pathfinder in particular), so all FIENDISH campaigns have TTRPG-statted trading cards as stretch goals. These trading cards feature not only characters from each book, but creatures and magical items as well. Additionally, as I want to reward the backers of all FIENDISH crowdfunding campaigns with collectible items, all campaign covers for my new books are campaign exclusive, and will never be reprinted again.
CB: Very cool. Anything else you would like to share with our readers before we sign off?
IS: I believe that diversity of genre and an independent creative spirit are necessary for the American comic book industry to thrive, for only creatives backed by artistic passion and not structural caution can innovate. For my part, I aim to bring unique factors from my own background- a smorgasbord of the East and the West- into my writing and art style, and honor the established genre of fantasy while also taking new risks. I’m grateful for the chance that my backers have given FIENDISH, and I’ll do my best to make their investment worth it! CB: Thanks Irene ~ we’re rooting for you!
Check out the campaign here!
Chris Braly: Welcome to Indie Comics Showcase, Adam! What’s the pitch for Tales of the Hoshi?
Adam Kember: In an age of reason and logic, the world will soon discover ALL THE MYTHS ARE TRUE.
CB: Tell me a little bit about the inspiration for this book.
AK: Tales of The Hoshi was originally meant to be a series of short stories based on Japanese mythology and folktales. In time we hope to include other mythology from other cultures into this world. The Asteri of Greece. The Tara of India. The Shadowmen of Africa, and others. With the rise of the independent comic scene, adapting Tales of The Hoshi to a comic/graphic novel style expresses the story more excitingly than prose alone.
CB: What kind of comic readers is this suited for?
AK: Tales of the Hoshi would appeal to a reader who likes an immersive world, but doesn’t want to commit to a full saga- like adventure. While the first book of Tales of The Hoshi is titled Book One, each book is it’s own story.
CB: Who is your creative team on this project?
AK: My artist is Hocky, the Ad Hock artist, who is currently working on his own project Curiosities and Odities Emporium: The Dress, and he has also made contributions to Frog G Voodoo, and Gods, and Magic. My co-writer and editor is Ali Sanguis, known for Eggbeater – The Demon Baker of Sweet Treats, Wild Man, and The Rotting Crown. Ali appears regularly on Youtube with Irene Strychalski where they discuss worldbuilding. The phenomenal work of Billy Bacsko’s design for the…
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