The following is an interview with cartoonist S.E. Case regarding the recent launch of the BackerKit campaign for the first-ever print edition of her webcomic, Rigsby, WI, in association with Iron Circus Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Case about her experience in revisiting the webcomic in preparing it for print (as Rigsby, WI: Foothold), what makes Iron Circus the perfect home for the series, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the recent launch of your crowdfunding campaign! As you look ahead to the print edition, what has been your experience in revisiting the webcomic and preparing it for new audiences to discover?
S.E. Case: Revisiting and tweaking old work is kind of a pandora’s box. I’m always trying to improve my art/writing and it was hard to go back to something I created 5 years ago and not make a million changes and adjustments. I think anyone who has put out a collection of their older work feels the same way, but part of what makes webcomics in particular so interesting (in my opinion) is getting to see the development of the artwork and story over time. There were some minor adjustments that needed to be made, but I tried to keep the print edition as true to the online version as possible. I was also able to add a few short bonus comics to the end of the book, which provide a little more insight into the characters and maybe act as a palate cleanser for some of the heavier parts of the book.
BD: Likewise, in revisiting the series, was there anything new or intriguing that you took away from your depictions of young adulthood that you hadn’t anticipated when originally creating it?
SEC: Since the comic has been going for five years, I’ve had a lot of time to develop and get to know the characters, so it was interesting to go back to the first volume and read through their earlier depictions. Later volumes focus on character-specific interactions and storylines, but I spent the first volume trying to set the stage for who the characters are and the world they live in. I was glad to see some teen-specific details that I had forgotten about, like Beth looking for partially-smoked cigarettes in the library ashcan, or Jeordie playing The Circle Game with Erik. Sometimes, I get too invested in pushing the plots and character relationships forward that I forget to include those little bits of detail, and revisiting the early volumes was a good reminder.
BD: In addition to the fact that Iron Circus has a stellar catalog of titles and an amazing stable of creative talent, what made the company the perfect home for this story?
SEC: I think it fits in well with ICC’s catalog, alongside titles like TJ and Amal, The Lonesome Era, As The Crow Flies, and others. I’ve worked with ICC before on You Died, and they seemed like a natural fit for Rigsby. I also knew that ICC is a little more adventurous than other publishers, and they would respect the integrity of the work. Most GN publishers are looking for YA books, especially if the book is about teenagers — and while I definitely feel that Rigsby appeals to teen readers, it was not written as a YA series and I didn’t want to have to sanitize it in order for it to get published.
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 Bethany, Jeordie, Erik, and Anna’s stories may connect with and impact readers?
SEC: I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from readers saying that it feels good to see their experiences portrayed realistically through the different characters. The kids in Rigsby are so young and yet they already feel like their lives are at a dead end. If you’ve ever been that young and felt that hopeless, I think it can be cathartic to see your own experiences written about, even if the overall story is not “uplifting.” Sometimes, it’s good to read a story about someone who rises above their situation, but sometimes, it also feels real and validating to read about a protagonist who acts shitty because their situation is shitty.
BD: Are there any other upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
SEC: Rigsby is still going as a webcomic and is currently updating with the 4th volume at rigsbywi.com. Rigsby had an unfinished predecessor called Cheap Thrills (a different story with similar characters) that I started working on again in 2020, and it’s in its final year of updates on my Patreon. I also illustrated a graphic novel called Thanks! Romina, written by Giulie Speziani, which is an office comedy about a college graduate who gets her first “real job” and it turns out to be kind of terrible. That comes out at the end of May from Chispa Comics.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Rigsby, WI: Foothold and to support your Backerkit campaign?
SEC: The Backerkit page is here; the crowdfund begins April 8 and runs for a month. You can also check for updates on rigsbywi.com, or follow myself or Iron Circus Comics on Twitter, Bluesky, or Instagram.
