The following is an interview with Lenore Soleil regarding the recent Kickstarter campaign launch for Hexed: Volume 1. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Soleil about the premise behind the collected webcomic, why crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource for independent creators, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the launch of your Kickstarter campaign! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the premise of this collected webcomic?
Lenore Soleil: Thanks! So, HEXED is a romantasy featuring a young woman on the autism spectrum as the lead.
It’s set in a version of our world where magik (the real thing) was very much real, but the Age of Enlightenment changed the dominant reality of the material plane and magik collapsed. Science became the new magik. Hundreds of years later and magik is gone from our world, and those who still use it mostly live in pocket realms as much as they can. We’re introduced to this through the perspective of Stella, who is just starting college at Hexoleth, a college for magik that exists in a pocket realm. The story follows her through her daily life as she adjusts to college life, makes friends, and competes in the college’s duelist society. She’s a kind, thoughtful young woman with pure empathy – she feels the emotions of everyone around her, and it often overwhelms her.
The other POV character is a student in her second year of college named Temperance, whose mother teaches at Hexoleth and is the faculty head of the order Temperance belongs to. Orders are like fraternities and sororities, but not separated by gender. Temperance is moody and closed off, with an overbearing mother and few friends. Stella and Temperance are the romantic leads, and it’s structured a lot like a romance novel with a fantasy backdrop.
BD: Why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource to ensuring the success of today’s comic book creators?
LS: It allows us to publish without a publisher, build an audience that supports our work directly, and generally make a living without having to fight to get signed somewhere or get on comic shop shelves. It removes every major obstacle for indie creators except the essential parts – making the art and finding the audience. Back when I made comics as Larime, I used crowdfunding to get my first comic, A VOICE IN THE DARK, picked up by Image/Top Cow. Things have grown so much that now people like me can just go indie and do things ourselves.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards or tiers that you would like to highlight for our readers?
LS: The sketch box add-on for the print edition. I used sketch boxes with A VOICE to draw little sketches on people’s books, like a sketch card, adding a more personalized touch. Fans really liked it, and I’m bringing it back for HEXED.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
LS: I may be returning to A VOICE IN THE DARK this year, but nothing is official just yet. We’ll see what happens! I’m starting work on volume 2 of HEXED in May, and will be crowdfunding it in August or September. At that point I’ll have the webcomic set up with content through 2026 and into 2027, and have time for other projects. I’m able to do about 40-50 pages a month right now, and hope to have multiple books rotating through the year.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about the Hexed: Volume 1 campaign?
LS: Watch the video and check out the webcomic! The webcomic posts a new panel every single day, and volume 1 will run through December 2025 and into January 2026, at which point volume 2 will pick up without missing a day. I’m wanting to establish a reputation for reliable, consistent output.
