The following is an interview with artist Sterric regarding the launch of Rebellion Publishing’s first-ever Kickstarter campaign for the romance comic book anthology, Roxy. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Sterric about their shared creative process in working with writer Magdalene Visaggio to bring the story to life on the page, what readers may take away from their short story, and more! Plus, enjoy a preview of the short story below!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the launch of Rebellion Publishing’s Kickstarter campaign for Roxy! For those who may be unfamiliar, what is Roxy, and how did you come to be involved?
Sterric: Thank you! I’m also super excited for Roxy to finally be announced to the public! A lot of love went into this project and I’m so glad to share it with the world. For those unfamiliar, Roxy is an anthology collection of modern romance comics. But I think as you’ll come to see as a reader; it’ll be much more than that, we’ve got ghosts, robots, and generational trauma.
As for how I personally got involved, I had the chance to meet one of the wonderful editors of Rebellion during the Festival de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême, which is the biggest international comics rights festival of Europe. I think what got me picked as an artist is because I’d just released my graphic novel, De vloek van Rood. (Dutch, 2021, Scratch books; Portuguese, tba, Darkside Books) which is a sapphic romance horror story about the Big Bad Wolf and the Hunter from Red Riding Hood.
BD: You will be contributing the time-traveling romantasy story, “Banmoor,” along with writer Magdalene Visaggio. What can you tell us about your story?
Sterric: I think with this story you’ll get a little bit more than you’ve bargained for. You’ve got Petticoats getting ruffled, bodices getting ripped, and – much like how our protagonist Becky’s inherited country house is haunting her – generational trauma haunts Becky’s current-day relationships.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in bringing this story to life on the page?
Sterric: I had a wonderful time working together with Mags; her script was really tight while also allowing enough space to really get creative with the layouts. I think we really worked well on hammering out the character designs and the feeling of the country house.
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 Becky’s story may connect with and impact readers?
Sterric: I think Becky’s story really highlights how you end up adopting subconscious behavior as learned through your family unit. Knowledge can really give power to tackle these learned toxic behaviors. To be able to trace those behaviors back to events in your family’s past can be incredibly healing and helpful in breaking the harmful cycle. Becky does this through time travel, but I think this story can be inspiring to look at your own family tree and to see where your family culture has grown from.
BD: Are there any other projects on which you are working that you would like to share with readers?
Sterric: Currently I’m working on a very exciting detective fantasy series called Magician Jackdaw that will run for multiple volumes. I can’t say too much about who’s publishing it just yet as I’m still negotiating the contract, but if you check out my website you might be able to catch a little sneak peek.
BD: Lastly, where can people find you and your work online?
Sterric: People can find me on Instagram (@studiosterric) or you could have a look on my website for full comic pages! www.sterric.com
*Editor’s Note: We hope that you’ll enjoy the below preview from the generous team at Rebellion Publishing!
