The following is an interview with writer/illustrator Fell Hound on the upcoming release of the collected S.I.R. trade paperback through publisher BOOM! Box. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Fell Hound about the shared creative process of working with colorist Eleonora Bruni, letterer Becca Carey, and editor Elizabeth Brei to bring the series to life on the page, what readers may take away from the story’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of the collected S.I.R. trade paperback! As with all of BOOM!’s releases, this trade is sure to be packed with incredible bonus features. What will readers have in store with the upcoming release?
Fell Hound: I’ve always envisioned the book to be read in one sitting, so making the trade paperback release something special was really important to me! Outside of getting all 5 issues of the original release, there’s going to be a bonus 4-page prequel comic exclusive to the TPB. The trade is also PACKED with art: the concept illustrations I did prior to pitching, full character designs, as well as a cover gallery with all the gorgeous variant covers! It’s going to be around 20 pages of bonus content in total. All of it wrapped up with a brand-new cover I drew just for the trade release. All that to say – I am SUPER excited to finally get the story in trade, and I hope readers are, too!
BD: In looking back at the development and creation of the series, what can you share with us about your creative process not only balancing the writing and illustrative duties of the series, but also collaborating with colorist Eleonora Bruni, letterer Becca Carey, and editor Elizabeth Brei, that really made this series unique?
FH: Initially, I was pretty nervous since I’ve never worked on a book of this scale before. I was really grateful to Elizabeth and the others at BOOM! for being understanding and giving me a lot of lead time to figure things out and get a pace going! I adored working with Eleonora, who I think just nailed the shojo vibes for the book and knocked it out of the park every time. And getting to work with Becca was such an honor! Her lettering just pops so incredibly well and was so fun to see during the action-packed jousting matches. All in all, I think the whole team crushed it, and I’m super grateful to them for being patient as I worked through my initial growing pains.
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 Avery and Nico’s story has connected with readers, especially in light of the incredible critical and fan response to the series?
FH: Despite the fun of the motorcycle jousts, I always love writing stories with emotional impact and a strong message. I wanted people to read and grow with the characters, and feel their failures but also their triumphs. There’s so much more to S.I.R. outside of the motorbikes as it also handles themes of grief, mental health, and Asian diaspora upbringing. Getting to hear from folks say it was their favourite yuri story, or that they really connected with the themes, or seeing creators I’ve admired my whole life give it praises for its high-octane teen drama – it reminds me why it’s all worth doing!
BD: What makes BOOM! Box the perfect home for this series?
FH: I’ve been a long time fan of BOOM! Box since Lumberjanes, so when I first got invited to pitch, I knew that was an imprint I wanted to tackle. Though I actually pitched S.I.R. in the reverse, and concocted the story specifically for BOOM! Box. I remember going to the library and taking out every BOOM! Box book I could find, devouring them all, then figuring out what I could make that’d fit right in. It helped that at the time I was pretty obsessed with sports anime and BOOM! Box already had a couple sports titles like Fence or The Avant-Guards.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
FH: I’m working on a couple secret projects on my own time, most of which are under wraps, but I can say that I’ll be reprinting a new edition of a fan-favourite comic this year. Keep an eye out for the announcement!
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about the S.I.R. trade paperback?
FH: First of all, thank you for your interest in the power of love and motorcycles! For more info, you can follow me on socials: Fell.Hound on instagram or fellhound.bsky.social on bluesky.
Second, please, please pre-order the book at your local book or comic shops. I cannot stress enough how important pre-orders are to the lifeblood of books, especially creator-owned ones like mine. I don’t want to sound all melodramatic, but if the books don’t sell, then, well, it really hurts my ability to make more books. And I’d really love to make some more cool queer comics in the future!
