The following is an interview with creator Patrick Lugo on the upcoming Kickstarter campaign launch for the comic book, Undead Kung-fu Ghost Killer. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Lugo about his creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the exciting backer rewards available to supporters of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming launch of your Kickstarter campaign for Undead Kung-fu Ghost Killer! As this will take place within the universe of your A Tiger’s Tale graphic novel series, what can you share with us about the story’s premise?
Patrick Lugo: Readers of the A Tiger’s Tale graphic novel series may recall its Wuxia-inspired adventures. For those unfamiliar with the term, Wuxia (武俠) is the Chinese literary genre which informs what we think of when we think of a Kung Fu movie like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000). So, the world of Pan Gu, as characters in my series might call it, is the sort of setting where any of these Kung Fu adventures may take place. The story in the A Tiger’s Tale series spans the mundane world and takes readers to the very top of the realm of legends: where deities and dragons dwell.
Undead Kungfu Ghost Killer is set in the same world; it’s another tale from the Kung Fu Forest. While A Tiger’s Tale volumes 1 & 2 chronicle an imbalance in the workings of the cosmos, Undead Kungfu Ghost Killer tells an on-the-ground tale of the first night all hell breaks loose. Imagine a Kung Fu movie version of Night of the Living Dead. When the denizens from the underworld run rampant among the living, there are no mortal warriors who can withstand that horde. But there is one among them who’s spent his whole life in training, so as to spend his after-life in combat as the Undead Kungfu Ghost Killer!
BD: How would you describe your creative process in bringing this incredible world and characters to life on the page?
PL: It all begins with many years of steady research into the history, folklore, and mythology of ancient Asia, a side effect of working for Kung Fu Magazine. Exploring the historic fiction, folklore, and mythology became a way to keep having fun while working for a pretty mainstream publication with a serious editorial vision – doing the work of being the largest English-language publication focused on traditional Chinese martial arts.
After the years-long undertaking of creating A Tiger’s Tale volumes 1 & 2, I was conflicted. I wanted a break from producing another 100+ page volume, but I was still attached to the setting and the actual style of illustration I use for it. Among the martial arts community, there a tradition for calligraphy and watercolor brush painting which I’ve used as a guiding principle for my work on this comic. While working digitally is a necessity, there’s nothing like the feeling of putting brush to paper.
The setting is still such a rich world to me and there are so many aspects of Kung Fu lore to explore. The trick, then, is to find the seed of an idea where interesting bits of research overlap. In the case of UKGK, it’s one of the oldest written sources for a fictional arch-type that is extremely popular for this season these days: The Monster Hunter.
BD: You are no stranger to crowdfunding, having successfully run several campaigns for various projects. Why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource to ensuring the success of today’s comic book creators?
PL: I should have come to this realization sooner. Editors are overworked, and now so are agents. So, after time spent trying to get my comics in front of “the right eyes,” people I trust nudged me towards a DIY approach. I realized I ought to at least attempt the work I’d imagined some literary agent or publisher would do for me.
Until that point, I had only a loosely sketched image of who the audience was for A Tiger’s Tale. I found I needed to refine my project and my image of who would find it appealing simultaneously. It turns out crowdfunding is a platform uniquely suited to such an approach to comics making. The result was a graphic novel in two parts over the course of three years and four art gallery shows.
That community-driven approach to crowdfunding is also essential to healthy comic creating. If you’re writing or drawing a comic, then you’re spending a lot of time alone, on that project. So, I find a lot of value and inspiration in others demonstrating their skill and passion for comics. I’ve since found myself among a number of exciting collaborations. Plus, a couple of traditionally published comics, too.
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 this story may connect with and impact readers?
PL: I’ve always liked to hide visual references in my art. Anyone who spends time with my work will discover that there’s usually a layer for casual looking upon and behind it, imagery for those looking deeper. Keeping an eye out for those hidden references. In UNDEAD KUNGFU GHOST KILLER, there is ancient and perhaps less well-known folklore informing this horror/comedy Kung Fu comic.
Here’s an example: In my research behind the folklore and historic literary references behind our main character, I discovered a folk-believe which implies that images of this hero have the effect of warding off evil; the character’s visage scares off the ghosts. It’s sort of a proto-lucky charm, so maybe making this comic will have a similar effect? Add this comic to your collection to scare off the demons that haunt your comics. If you’re not familiar with that kind of lore, UNDEAD KUNGFU GHOST KILLER #1 is still a wild ride in the spirit of K-POP Demon Hunters or TMNT. But if you know about Wuxia, Yokai, or Yaogui, then you’ll truly appreciate the deep-cuts hiding between this comic’s covers. And by the way, I post a ton of this research on aTigersTale.com – a bunch of stuff to inform and enrich the fiction.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you are most excited to share?
PL: It’s because I work within such a small niche – Kung Fu (Wuxia) comics that I’m always looking to offer a low-risk option for folks finding my campaign for the first time. All are welcome to back this campaign for digital-only or physical rewards. But if you’re like me, then those PDFs are easily forgotten. That’s why I’m making it super easy to inexpensively back my campaign for a physical reward.
I tried this for a previous campaign and people liked it: comic postcards. You see, I’ve spent many years creating single-page comics. I’ve even taught some classes on 6-panel comics (TLDR: two 3-act structures, with a third in hiding). So, I printed my favorite 1-page comics onto postcards; it’s an inexpensive physical reward. They are big (8 x 5 in.) and I send them out in a protective envelope so you can put it up on your wall or use it as a card; sign and mail it. I think they are great for people who might be inspired to support but aren’t ready to commit more than what they’d pay for a coffee.
Then for those who truly feel it: my custom portrait commissions. I only do a handful of these a year because I go deep, not just into the research, but the detail and meaning behind the work. I call it my Wuxia Warriors reward tier, because I depict the backer as a Wuxia character, a Kung Fu Hero. Using the person’s photo likeness is only the beginning, because my goal with these is to draw out their inner martial warrior. I’ve got it all set up, a Q&A to get a sense of what style of martial art to depict, what weapon of choice, color scheme, stuff like that. Then, all of those decades of work for Kung Fu Magazine come into play to illustrate the perfect kung fu stance. I was even asked to design a Kung Fu Instructor’s school logo as a result of one of these commissions. But these are not just for martial artists and I’ve also included some sci-fi and fantasy elements to them, so they’d make a perfect gift.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
PL: I suppose I could mention my latest article on KungFuMagazine.com. It’s a deep dive into the history of Martial Arts Cinema by way of fight choreography. It’s part of my coverage of San Diego Comic-Con and based on a panel by stuntman/fight choreographer/martial artist Eric Jacobus. I’ve also got a review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps on there – but who’s on the fence about seeing that movie at this point.
But it’s not all Martial Arts all the time. I’ll have comics in two kid friendly anthologies this year. Just this August Ohio State University Press published FROM COCINAS TO LUCHA LIBRE RINGSIDES: A LATINX COMICS ANTHOLOGY. I have a very personal story from my childhood in that one. This year’s second anthology was collectively published by the online learning community at KidsComicsUnite.com and crowdfunded on Kickstarter earlier this year. It’s titled LET’S GO! A KIDS COMICS STUDIO ANTHOLOGY, and those books will be landing in people’s hands this autumn, as well.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about the Undead Kung-fu Ghost Killer campaign and your other work?
PL: UKGK is one of those projects that struck like a bolt of inspiration. Maybe I was visited by this folk hero from the underworld. It represents the kind of work I’m most excited about creating and even though it’s the season of ghost and monster hunters. I think what I’m working on, you don’t see too often. If anyone’s curious about the genre, the folklore or the mythology informing UNDEAD KUNGFU GHOST KILLER I’ve been posting about that on aTigersTale.com. I also send free comics (often about my dog) and updates to subscribers of the PLUGOarts.com MUSEletter every second Tuesday of the month. That’s also where you can find my comics journalism and movie reviews. But visit those links only after you’ve clicked over to UKGK.site to check out preview pages and possible rewards, then remember that support is as simple as a share.
Thanks so much for that chance to share.
