The following is an interview with Nathan Cayanan and Daimon Hampton on the upcoming launch of their Kickstarter campaign for the sci-fi graphic novel, Stellar Remnant. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Cayanan and Hampton about their shared creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the incredible backer rewards available through the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming launch of your Kickstarter campaign for Stellar Remnant! What can you share with us about the premise of this sci-fi story?
Nathan Cayanan: First off, thanks for asking about the project! Stellar Remnant follows a past-his-prime sentai who gets one last chance at redemption through a long-lost friend. We wanted to go beyond just spectacle — though yes, it’s got sentai, aliens, and plenty of what Denis Villeneuve calls “sci-fi shizz.”
Daimon Hampton: I’ve been saying it’s like Power Rangers except everyone’s old and sad now.
NC: That’s very, very true. At its core, though, it’s also about regret, duty, and the choices that haunt us, which is why it’s all old and sad now. Beneath the mechs and powers, it’s really a human story about people reckoning with who they were and who they still want to be. It’s like if your childhood heroes had to deal with old grudges and therapy. Only in a black-and-white manga.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page?
DH: I think it’s been like a learning experience because I feel like, when you work together on something, it’s like a balancing of egos, and also just trying to learn how people communicate. That’s super important. Like, I needed to have personalities in my head to design the characters, but I came up with those separate from Nathan. As we worked on the comic, I had to reconcile my versions on the characters with Nathan’s versions.
NC: I echo what Daimon said. Collaboration is never as simple as people think. Daimon and I bring very different strengths, which means we don’t shy away from debating vision. But that push-and-pull forces us to examine every choice, and the book is stronger for it. Some days, it feels like we argue like siblings, but the story always wins in the end.
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 Sho’s story may connect with and impact readers?
DH: Internet comments kind of warped my perspective on what I think people are capable of getting from stories, but I don’t know. I really just want to tell a story about complicated relationships and about how to reconcile with people’s different perspectives on things.
NC: Right, and that’s what the core of this story is. These complicated relationships that define us, but beyond that, it’s also about how the work we do defines us, and what we choose to do with second chances. Sho’s journey mirrors that tension, but it’s not only about regret. It’s also about resilience: pushing back against the cynicism so pervasive in American life, finding ways to keep growing, making peace with the past, and still moving forward. I think readers will see themselves in that struggle. And if nothing else, who doesn’t want to see a tired, old hero drag himself back into the fight one more time? Plus, yes, there are sentai and mechs.
BD: As alums of DC Comics’ Milestone Initiative program, how did your time in the program help you to hone your work as visual storytellers?
DH: The program just kind of gave me a sense of validation, because, like, I spent so long, trying to make comics work, that I knew a bunch of stuff, but I didn’t know if anything or if I was good enough. So, it was nice to be selected for something because I was with all these great artist and writers and I was like, “Oh, maybe I’m supposed to be here. This cowboy hat doesn’t come off.” That made me more confident in what I knew.
NC: I agree with Daimon. The Initiative definitely provided a lot of validation. I’d never fully allowed myself to pursue a creative career, despite studying creative writing, and being chosen felt like the universe saying, “Don’t quit before you even try.” The mentorship from people like Denys Cowan, Reggie Hudlin, Amy Chu, Tom Mandrake, and Tom King (who was my artist partner Greg Maldonado and my mentor for the program) gave us real tools to sharpen our craft, but just as importantly, the program built a community we still lean on. I still get shy talking to Tom King, though. Maybe one day I’ll get past the two-minute mark before running off.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
DH: The book…the book is Dope. Oh I’m going to do a variant…which I haven’t finished, but I feel like that puts a lot a pressure on it being good.
NC: Hell yeah to what Daimon said. We’re really proud of the book itself, but we wanted backers to feel like they’re part of the world we’re building. The core reward is, of course, the first issue of Sho’s story, available with variant covers. One from Daimon and one from me. Daimon’s the main artist, but I got to flex on one of the variants too. We’re also offering commissions, exclusive prints, and collectibles. And in the future? Who knows. Maybe photos of me in sentai cosplay. The perk is I won’t send them to you if you back the book.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about the Stellar Remnant campaign and your other work?
NC: The best way to follow along is through our socials. We’ll be sharing updates, art, and behind-the-scenes looks. We’ve got more projects on the horizon, and I have a full book releasing in the next few months that I’ll be announcing soon. But at its heart, Stellar Remnant is for anyone who’s ever thought about the friend they lost touch with, or wondered what they’d do with one more chance. If that resonates, this story’s for you. And if you just want to see giant robots punching things, we’ve definitely got you covered too.
DH: Also, F**k ICE and ACAB….oh yeah, follow us @stellar_remenant_comic and @daimondrewthis for updates on comics.
Socials:
Linktr.ee/Nathan.a.k.a
Linktr.ee/stellar.remnant
Linktr.ee/Daimondrewthis
