The following is an interview with writer Jessica Maison on her return to Kickstarter for the middle grade comic book series, Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters: Origins, through Wicked Tree Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Maison about where readers will find themselves in the adventures of the story’s monstrous trio, the exciting backer rewards available to supporters of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on your return to Kickstarter! For those who may be new to the series, how would you describe its premise, and where will returning readers find themselves in the adventures of Shel, Frank, and Necro?
Jessica Maison: Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters centers around a supernatural teen version of Mary Shelley who teams up with her monster bestie Frank, and Necro—the mischievous but all-powerful Book of the Dead. Together, they battle an occult mad scientist and rescue other misunderstood monsters from the evil humans that persecute them. Its vibe is a friendship-fueled potion pulling tonally from Scooby-Doo, Wednesday, and Gravity Falls. In this next chapter, Origins #3 is set about 100 years in the past. Shel and Frank are trying to claim the mysterious and haunting Primal Woods as the location for their school. Unfortunately, the forest is already under the spell of two ancient Watchers, who have imprisoned its guardian wisp, Will. This is also the first time the gang meets Will who later becomes a core member of their team. Origins #3 is the story about how they came together and picked a location for the school. A reader can enjoy this as a standalone story.
BD: Given that you are returning to collaborate with artist Anna Wieszczyk, do you find that you have developed a creative shorthand in bringing the world and characters to life on the page together?
JM: Working with Anna has been a wonderful journey. I believe we’ve developed a great shorthand built on trust. She trusts me to write a story that she will love illustrating. I trust her to interpret the words on the page into some beautiful version of what is in my head. We both know that we don’t need to do everything exactly like the other one wants, in fact that would be a negative for the book. The changes we make to each other’s contributions always make a page better. The great thing about working with an artist over an entire series is that you can move faster. We really only need to review basic sketches together for each page, and then Anna can expand those sketches, complete inks, and colors all in one step. I rarely have any big notes when she submits the final work. Our shorthand allows us to skip a ton of back and forth, frustration, and conflict. We handle the major points in our initial conversations, sometimes using only a simple thumbnail. Mostly, we’re big fans of each other so that really helps.
BD: You are no stranger to crowdfunding, having successfully run several campaigns for various projects. Why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource to ensuring the success of today’s comic book creators?
JM: The comics industry is in a state of transition as publishers, shops, and distributors are all rethinking their models. While it’s incredibly important for books to be in stores, at events, and with publishers, indie creators often need additional support. That’s where crowdfunding has become invaluable. Platforms like Kickstarter don’t just support creators in raising funds, they help them create an active, passionate fanbase that’s hard to replicate anywhere else.
For me, crowdfunding has been the reason Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters continues. It helps cover the upfront costs of art, lettering, and especially printing. Expenses that otherwise might stall a project. Our current campaign for Origins #3 had an initial goal of $4,500 to cover lettering, production, artist fees, new merch and covers, plus shipping and packaging. This amount guarantees fans will get their comics. Thanks to backers, we’ve nearly reached $8,000, and I’m aiming for $11,000 to cover the remaining costs I’ve already invested. A platform like Kickstarter really makes this possible by facilitating community and audience building that is difficult to replicate anywhere else.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that this story may connect with and impact readers of all ages?
JM: The themes the series explores involve alienation, isolation, mental health, unresolved anger, and holding grudges. This next chapter pushes those ideas further, examining what happens when we let that alienation, hurt, and anger turn into hate. I really think we’re all struggling with this right now, how to manage our feelings and anger without letting them turn into something that harms us or others. I very much work on having this series be a safe place for young readers and older readers to explore these types of topics while keeping it upbeat and spooky. I am constantly inspired by Mary Shelley who explored those themes herself, and I think, very powerfully demonstrated what can happen when we don’t keep ourselves in check and confront and unpack our issues and anger.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
JM: If you’re new to the series, the best reward is the I Need a Monster Orientation. That tier includes the complete story of the whole series. If you’re returning, I would go for the Special Thanks Plus the Pin Reward Tier. You can choose either Wieszczyk’s cover which includes Will being sucked into an enchanted amulet OR you can choose Carla Wyzgala’s variant which has a watercolor of Shel floating in the Primal Woods. Additionally, we have a Get Drawn into the Next Book and Original Commissions rewards from Anna that I would scoop right up if I was allowed to back my own project. The gorgeous original watercolor by Wyzgala has already found a good home but backers can still add-on the variant cover to take home a piece of that art.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about the Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters: Origins #3 campaign and your other work?
JM: First, they should check out the current Kickstarter because it really gives you a great tour of the world. Second, they can visit the Wicked Tree Press website which also has a ton of hidden gems about the world. Third, readers can follow my Monster of the Week Substack for all things monsters. I also share short fiction there. If they’re on Instagram, they can follow Wicked Tree Press there. Finally, I’ll be at Los Angeles Comic Con, September 26-28, in Artist Alley K20. They can come find me there. I’m introducing a School for Monsters Vending Machine, where attendees can spin to take home a mystery monster pin.
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