The following is an interview with Siya Oum regarding the launch of her Kickstarter campaign for the cyberpunk thriller, Neo Wonderland. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Oum about her creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the exciting backer rewards available to supporters of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the recent launch of your Kickstarter campaign! What can you tell us about the story’s overall premise?
Siya Oum: An all-encompassing AI Constitution is the international rule of law; risky behavior, is a thing of the past. Except for—in the country of Shangrila. Saint, a young man from there, reconnects with his younger brother, Shin, after being released from prison. Saint tries to stay on the straight and narrow only to be dragged into its corrupt underbelly after discovering his brother’s enormous debts. Saint exhausts all legal options, risking his freedom and life to repay Shin’s debts—he becomes, an assassin.
BD: How would you describe your creative process in bringing this gritty world and characters to life on the the page?
SO: It took twenty years, off and on, and four book title changes later, to bring Neo Wonderland to its current iteration. The main plot and characters are the same, however, a few years ago, I started to add more cyberpunk elements to the world building.
I started out coloring digitally for many years, switched to coloring with markers, inks, and other traditional mediums for a time. Now, my process is a hybrid of traditional pencils and inks. The colors are done digitally in Clip Studio Paint.
In terms of the writing process, I use to write full scripts, and did so for this book, but ended up changing about half of it. Now, it is just a rough outline, that I draw pages from.
My layouts and pencils are also less refined.
The inking and coloring helps pull everything together. I’ve had to find ways to make things more efficient, since I’m doing the art and writing myself.
BD: Why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource to ensuring the success of today’s comic book creators?
SO: The old distribution model had been interrupted for quite some time, and wages haven’t caught up with cost of living. It was the perfect storm that started at least five years ago. Creators now have a direct connection with their fanbases, and they can deliver them premium content. It can also free up resources for them if they wanted to distribute at a comic shop. I see backers of crowdfunding, as investors for your creation. They help bring your work to fruition, they receive the product, and from there, it can be distributed later on, if the creator so chooses to.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards or tiers that you’re most excited about?
SO: I am so excited for the black-and-white edition of the book and the sketchbook. A lot of my fans only saw the artwork in black and white, and I myself, love black-and-white books. It was a must have for me. I also love other artists’ sketchbooks. It was a no brainer for me to have those two main items as rewards.
BD: In addition, are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
SO: Neo Wonderland is the only project/book that I am currently focused on. I knew going into the Kickstarter that it would be a huge undertaking. And even then, I had no idea! So yes, just this book for the time being.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about the Neo Wonderland campaign and your other work?
SO: This book has been on my mind for over twenty years. The fact that it will finally see the day of light is the most incredible feeling in the world. I feel so strongly about the bond and story between the two main characters, whether it took place in a cyberpunk world, or present day. I feel readers can take away something from this book…
Oh, did I mention we have hoverboards and flying cars in this book???
