The following is an interview with Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist Matt Lesniewski regarding the release of the comic book series, Faceless and the Family, through Oni Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Lesniewski about his creative process in bringing the world and characters to life, where readers will find Faceless and crew in the upcoming release of Issue #2, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the launch of Faceless and the Family! With the upcoming release on Issue #2, where will readers find themselves in Faceless’ epic journey?
Matt Lesniewski: Faceless and the crew will go deeper into the depths of the Hand Planet and get one step closer to the coveted surgery Faceless always dreamed of… but they’ll face a twist they never would have expected. One that could tear the family apart.
BD: With this series, you are deftly intertwining high-stakes sci-fi and fantasy adventure with groundbreaking visual components. How would you describe your creative process in bringing this world and characters to life on the page?
ML: I try not to think about things in terms of genre and just use my imagination. Create the thing I want to make and follow my gut. I’m trying to create a world all my own, and not think about what I should or shouldn’t be doing. I think the more creators listen to themselves, the better off they’ll be. The Hand Planet and everything in it are the results of that.
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 Faceless’ story may connect with and impact readers?
ML: I don’t know… it might not connect at all. You might just like the art. I don’t put as much thought into how the story will connect as much as one might expect, because I feel it’s not my duty to convey something in particular. (At least not with this story.) The story means what it does to me, but that’s just my perspective. It’s more on the reader to glean whatever they can from it, if anything at all.
BD: What has made Oni Press the perfect home for this series?
ML: It’s been a great experience. They’ve put a lot of care into making Faceless and the Family — everything it could be from the design, the paper choice, the printing, and much more. It’s made the final product even better than what it might have been in the hands of someone who didn’t care as much. They’re very hands-on, which I think should show and ultimately be better for the reader.
BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
ML: Right now I’m doing a lot of writing. I’m hoping to write for other artists and get more stories out that way, aside from whatever I draw. My art takes so long now that I can only do one thing for a while, despite having a bunch of stories and ideas I think should be out there. If they liked Faceless and the Family, then stay tuned.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Faceless and the Family and your other work?
ML:They can find pretty much anything important or relating to Faceless and the Family from my website: mattdrawseverything.com. And just google Faceless and the Family to find the best way to read it for you. Give it a shot. I put a lot of time and effort into it, and I think it’s worth at least trying the first issue. Thank you to everyone who is already reading it!
