The following is an interview with writer/editor Sarah Cooke regarding her return to Kickstarter for the second volume of the comic book anthology, Faster Than Light. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with the Cooke about her shared creative process in working with the various creative teams to bring the stories and characters to life on the page, the incredible backer rewards available through the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You recently returned to Kickstarter with the second volume of the Faster Than Light comic book anthology. For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the overarching premise of this collection?
Sarah Cooke: The theme of both volumes is: In a fast-paced, futuristic world, how do families stay connected? And “families” refers both to families of origin and found families.
One of the things I love most about the book is the wide range of different takes on that theme that the creators have come up with. There are parents and children who build a life fighting to protect the vulnerable, ancient space creatures in love battling exploration to make their way back to each other – it really runs the gamut. These stories are so creative!
BD: This project is truly wonderful in demonstrating the diversity of family structures, dynamics, and relationships. As an editor and contributor for the collection, how would you describe the process for bringing the various creators together, as well as the thematic approach to crafting a complementary collection of stories?
SC: Thanks so much for the kind words! In producing a book focused on family, it was important to me not to just center heteronormative families of origin. Families come in all shapes and sizes and I wanted that to be reflected in the book.
As far as bringing the creators together, I’m lucky to have had the opportunity over the years to connect with artists and writers in a number of different communities. I’ve been involved with Lesser Known Comics, who’s producing the book with me, and the ComixLaunch community, which has been invaluable to me. And I’ve built connections with with creators I’ve met locally, as well. So, when I put out the call for submissions, I had different communities to promote the book to, and I was able to bring in writers and artists from multiple spaces.
And in terms of putting together a thematically complementary collection of stories, when outlining the submission requirements, I tried to be very clear in terms of what I was looking for. So, all of the stories fit well within the theme of futuristic family dynamics. But because we’re bringing together creators from different communities and with different aesthetics, each story has a very unique feel. So, I think we balanced thematic cohesion on one hand with unique creative voices on the other, and ended up with a collection of stories that complement each other well while also feeling diverse.
BD: What can you share with us about the premise of your story within the collection, and how would you describe your shared creative process in bringing the story to life on the page?
SC: My story is called “Chiaroscuro.” The gorgeous art is by Jersain Cast, the colors are by Aimee Hawley, and editing by Brittany Matter. The premise is: In a dystopian future, Alexandra, a former art museum director, is tasked with selecting one piece of art to take with her as she flees for Mars. But a young girl changes everything Alexandra thought she knew about the value of art and the people who create it.
It’s a digital bonus story and will appear in the digital comic once the campaign hits 50 backers. And if the campaign reaches its final stretch goal, the book will be printed as a perfect-bound trade and “Chiaroscuro” will then appear in the print version, too.
As far as my creative process, I reached out to Jersain because I thought his style fit perfectly with the sort of dark, post-apocalyptic tone I was going for. I enjoyed working with him, and I really love his art. Aimee did the art for the first issue of my modern fantasy series, No Spell Lasts Forever, so I already loved her colors and knew she’d be great to work with. And I met Brittany through Negative Space and she and I had already worked on previous projects, too. Brittany is an amazing editor and always helps me get to the heart of what I’m hoping to express.
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 these stories may connect with and impact readers?
SC: I love the idea behind #StoriesMatter! The stories in both volumes of Faster Than Light center families struggling to stay connected. These are characters who deeply love one another but face challenges, both external and internal, that they have to overcome in order to maintain or strengthen their bonds with one another. I think that’s something that a lot of us have experienced. Families are amazing, and they’re also complicated – and navigating those relationship dynamics can be a challenge. So, my hope is that readers see themselves and their own familial experiences reflected in these stories, and that they’ll feel validated.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any specific backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
SC: As I mentioned earlier, I’m most excited about our final stretch goal. If we reach it, the book will be printed as a beautiful, perfect-bound trade. These stories are gorgeous and truly deserve the perfect-bound treatment!
We also have some other physical rewards that I think backers will enjoy, like enamel pins, stickers, and vinyl decals.
There will be extra digital art and digital comics offered, as well. That includes all four digital issues of my series, No Spell Lasts Forever, with art by Aimee Hawley and Eze Di Savino, as well as a never-before-seen horror short that I wrote, with art by Dom Monette and letters by Lydia Monette, called “The Last Bus.”
And of course, all three covers are beautiful! They feature art by Charlie Ragnarok, Dom Monette, and Alex Guenther, and logo design by Tim Daniel of Second Rocket Comics.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find out more about Faster Than Light Volume 2 and its Kickstarter campaign?
SC: The best way to get all the updates about the campaign is to follow it on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nospelllastsforever/faster-than-light-vol-2-a-sci-fi-anthology-about-family
I’ll also be sharing updates on Instagram (@sarahccomics) and Substack:
https://sarahlindseycooke.substack.com/
