The following is an interview with Adam Szym regarding the upcoming release of the graphic novella collection, Little Visitor & Other Abductions, with Oni Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Szym about his creative process in bringing the stories and characters to life on the page, the themes that he hopes will resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Little Visitor & Other Abductions! What can you share with us about the premise of these intertwined sci-fi horror stories, and how would you describe your creative process in bringing the stories and characters to life on the page?
Adam Szym: Thanks so much! Little Visitor & Other Abductions is a collection of three stories united by a shared theme: alien abduction. I started with the title story, and while working on that a LOT of other ideas for abduction stories came to me, so I knew right away that I wanted to pursue a thematic collection. My creative process is different for every story; sometimes, things come easy, sometimes, it’s like pulling teeth. It can start with a title, a single image, a setting, even a feeling. Sometimes, the process is more rooted in the writing, as with Little Visitor and Frolicker, and, other times, it’s more rooted in the art, as with A Cordial Invitation.
BD: You are no stranger to working within the sci-fi and horror genres. As a creator and storyteller, what draws you to create within these genres?
AS: I don’t go out of my way to work in any particular genre. I love them all equally, and would be just as happy writing a romance as I would a horror story if the idea was good enough. For whatever reason, though, the quality ideas that come to me most often are for horror stories, and so those are the ones I find myself pursuing. Why sci-fi horror specifically? I think from a very young age I was most smitten with that blend, from watching marathons of The Twilight Zone on Sci-fi Channel to seeing Alien far too young, it’s just where my mind often settles.
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 today’s readers, and what – if any – conversations do you hope that it may inspire?
AS: These are stories rooted in fears and anxieties I have about the world, and in particular about how systems and institutions use and abuse young adults and children. Unfortunately, we also live in a time where “abduction” is something we are witnessing every single day online and in real life. In that sense I sort of wish these stories wouldn’t resonate, because that would mean we live in a world where people are treated how they ought to be treated.
BD: What makes Oni Press the perfect home for this collection?
AS: The first Oni Press comic I ever read was Phil Hester and Mike Huddleston’s The Coffin, which was itself a black-and-white sci-fi horror comic. I read that comic over and over again, and so in that sense it feels appropriate that my book found a home with Oni.
BD: Are there any additional projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
AS: I’m working on a 40-page story for a tabletop RPG magazine that I’m really excited about but can’t say more yet. I have a lot of ideas for projects long and short that I’m developing and would love to get to, but we’ll see!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Little Visitor & Other Abductions and your other work?
AS: I’ve been self-publishing comics for over 17 years now, and most of my work can be read on my website for free at http://www.goodshowsir.com
I recommend my most recent story, Their Use Continues, which is a horror story set in old Hollywood. If you like that one, you’ll definitely like Little Visitor & Other Abductions, and if you like it, please buy a copy when it releases September 23rd!
