The following is an interview with Eisner-nominated writer/artist Ibrahim Moustafa regarding the upcoming release of the graphic novel, Cyn, from publisher Humanoids. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Moustafa about his shared creative process in returning to work with colorist Brad Simpson and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, what he hopes that readers will take away from the project, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Cyn! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the premise of this Western-tinged sci-fi story?
Ibrahim Moustafa: Thanks very much! CYN is the story of Meris, a woman with cybernetic enhancements who was used as a weapon of enforcement by a despot. Now, free of his control, she sets out to live a life of peace in a dusty corner of the world where nobody will recognize her, or expect her to wield a blade. But when the kind family that takes her in is threatened, Meris will have to become Cyn again…
BD: You will be returning to collaborate with colorist Brad Simpson and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Do you find that there is a shorthand or shared language to your creative process that has developed after years of working with one another?
IM: Yes! This is our third book together, and thankfully, we’ve pretty much had that shorthand from the very beginning. I think we all share similar sensibilities. With Brad and his colors, specifically, he just does exactly (and often, better than) what I’d have hoped for. Perfect sympatico. Hass always does brilliant things where he integrates the SFX text into the art in fun ways. It’s really wonderful.
BD: You have previously partnered with Humanoids to publish your work. What makes Humanoids the perfect home for this project in particular?
IM: Humanoids is the preeminent publisher of sci-fi comics in the world, and while they certainly put out stories in every genre, there’s a prestige to having a sci-fi book with them that I never get tired of, haha. Also, CYN is a loose sequel to my 2021 book COUNT, also with Humanoids. It was incredible to get to revisit that world and flesh out another corner of it, and I’m very proud to get to do it with them.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. Given that Cyn is a more personal narrative for you, what was most important thematically for you to relay through Meris’ story, and what do you feel may connect most strongly with readers?
IM: I entered CYN in a very similar place to the main character; I’d lost a part of myself and was trying to figure out who I was without it. Throughout the book there’s a central theme of that, and the notion that what we do today and tomorrow is more important than what we did yesterday. I hope that is something that connects with people.
BD: Are there any other projects that you have in the works that you are able to share with readers?
IM: Nothing I can talk about presently, but I am about 40% of the way through my next book (also with Humanoids), and it’s something completely different from anything I’ve done thus far, and I’m having the time of my life making it, so I really can’t wait for people to see it.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Cyn and your other work?
IM: My YouTube channel (Ibrahim Moustafa) and Instagram (@Ibrahim_M_Art) pages are the best places to keep apprised of what I’m working on, and there are also trailers for my books and lots of art updates available there.
Thank you!
