The following is an interview with Nandor Fox Shaffer on the Kickstarter campaign launch for the first two collected editions of the supernatural comic book series, Seasons. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Fox Shaffer about the shared creative process of working with artist Anthony Gonzales-Clark to bring the world 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: You recently returned to Kickstarter to crowdfund the first two collected editions of your supernatural series, Seasons. For those who may be new to the series, how would you describe its premise?
Nandor Fox Shaffer: The quick pitch I usually give to reel in the curious is by asking them a simple question – “What if there was a character whose powers changed depending on the seasons of the year?” That’s the main hook where I can start to see the gears turning.
The longer pitch is obviously more comprehensive. Our story begins with finding our main character, Fletcher, becoming increasingly unhappy with his life and where he’s headed. His breaking point occurs after the love of Fletcher’s life rejects him, sending him spiraling through a year-long journey into a world unseen – a world full of shadows and persons with superhuman abilities and traumas not unlike his own. Fletcher soon discovers that his own powers change with the seasons and he must not only learn how to adapt to these changes, but how to accept the changes — whether for better or worse — in his own life over the course of this same year. At its core, Seasons is an allegorical character-study that explores complex themes of identity, mental illness, existence, purpose, and personal responsibility. This story will be told across four volumes (clocking in over 400 pages) with each volume taking place during a different season.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Anthony Gonzales-Clark to bring this world and characters to life on the page?
NFS: The word I’d use to describe our shared creative process would be that it’s “evolved.” Seasons Vol. 1: Spring was the first comic I created. Ever. And while I believe Anthony had worked here and there on a couple projects in the past, nothing ever came of them. So, in some real sense, this was both our first comic – which is kind of insane since our first comic was going to end up being over 100 pages! With that said, we’ve learned a lot through our collaboration and now that we’ve worked on over 200 pages together, that process has become streamlined considerably. When we first started working on Seasons, we’d spend 2-3 hour-long live video sessions storyboarding pages each week. Today, I leave the storyboarding stage entirely up to Anthony, because I trust his visual eye. (Sometimes, we’ll even bypass the storyboarding stage altogether if a page description is pretty straightforward.) We may exchange a couple of messages if any questions or needed tweaks arise, but so long are the days of those Skype calls. We went from having only a faint idea of what works on the page to fully knowing the ins and outs of making comics…most of the time, haha.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums – no matter the genre. How do you feel that Fletcher’s story may connect with readers?
NFS: While Fletcher has faced neglect from his family and battled with major depressive episodes growing up, we find him in a place in his life where he’s a very unfulfilled individual. Things have not worked out in his life the way he’d hoped. There’s nothing specifically awful antagonizing him, but he knows something’s not right deep down. He can’t shake this restless existential feeling of untapped potential – of doing more, making a change, and discovering his purpose. He’s someone who only finds value in himself when others find value in him and that lack of self-worth can be extremely unhealthy and debilitating. Fletcher is in his 20s and while it’s completely normal for young people to have those feelings, sometimes, those feelings of inadequacy and insecurity never leave no matter how old you are. Seasons is for anyone who is struggling or has struggled with taking that next step of pursuing their dreams, finding healing from past trauma, and learning to accept and overcome their own demons.
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?
NFS: Crowdfunding is a godsend. The argument can be made that indie comics existed well before crowdfunding and would continue to exist in its absence, but I personally would not be here without Kickstarter. I know there are many other creators who would say the same. Crowdfunding has blown open the doors and allowed so many creators to find a voice and an audience that may have otherwise been limited to their local neighborhood. Without it, a lot of creative voices may never have been given the opportunity to be heard at all! The direct-to-customer or pre-order model that crowdfunding has become is such a game-changer for up-and-coming comic book creators. Unlike other publishing spaces, comics are very expensive to make. The hard truth is that if you want to break into the industry as a writer, self-publishing your own work as a portfolio piece is non-negotiable. How else is one to make an impression? So, if that’s the case, not only does the artist, colorist, letterer, and editor need to get paid, but then you have to print the book itself. And if you’re looking to eventually turn a profit, the number of copies that need to be printed to sell in order to do so will only cost more. The cycle then continues on to the next issues in the series.
Make no mistake – crowdfunding is hard work…but it’s much more convenient and cost-effective than traveling to conventions all over the country or moving to a big city to get your work noticed. Utilizing crowdfunding as a portfolio builder cannot be overstated and has given me not only the confidence to share my work with publishers but has also landed me actual publishing deals (which I hope to announce soon!).
BD: Are there any specific backer rewards that you’re most excited about with the Kickstarter campaign?
NFS: Absolutely. I’m most excited about the SEASONS Vol. 1-2 TPB + Vol. 3: Fall Ashcan bundle reward. This includes the first two volumes along with the first look at the next volume in the series! This 28-page ashcan is a limited-edition crowdfunding exclusive offer, so I encourage everyone to not pass up this reward. For only $40, you’ll get over 228 pages of story and be fully caught up before Seasons Vol. 3: Fall launches. Two other rewards I’d like to point out are the two crowdfunding exclusive variant covers for both volumes. The first is for Seasons Vol. 1: Spring, which was penciled and inked by Rob Willis with colors by Valentina Bianconi, and the other is for Seasons Vol. 2: Summer, which was drawn and colored by Korey Barton. Each volume has three covers to choose from during this campaign but these two will have a limited print run and be sold through crowdfunding platforms exclusively. There’s also the returning Foxhole Comics Bundle reward which includes absolutely everything I’ve published thus far – three graphic novels, three single issues, and a one-shot – for those super backers out there.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you want to highlight for readers?
NFS: I’d like to shout-out my good friend Levi Hoffmeier’s campaign that just ended, ReMaster Monk Continues! ReMaster Monk #1 is one of my favorite indie comic series debuts, and I implore readers to seek out Levi’s work and support him however is possible. The dude does everything – the writing, art, letters, etc. – and his books are gorgeous from front to back. One campaign that is currently live that I’m backing is Kid Switch #1-2 by Keith Gleason. Finally, I’d like to send people over to sign up for Love & Death on The Dark Side of the Moon which launches on Kickstarter on November 3rd from Gerald von Stoddard and Frank Martin. I’ve been in this space for nearly a decade and each of these titles created by dependable creators are worth checking out.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about the Seasons Kickstarter campaign?
NFS: From a customer’s perspective, it can be a risk to spend your money on a product that isn’t fully finished, and I totally understand that hesitation. With this campaign, that’s not an issue. The art for both volumes is 100% complete and – after getting the files formatted properly – both volumes will be 100% ready for the printers once the campaign is over. Customers can rest assured that this campaign will be fulfilled since I’ve fulfilled my previous nine campaigns, as well. If you’ve ever been interested in my work but didn’t know where to get on board the Foxhole Comics publishing train, this is the place because this is where my own comics journey began. It’s rare to see a series as ambitious as Seasons in the indie comics market, but that’s exactly why we need your support because I want to create an evergreen, lasting work that will be remembered and enjoyed by readers everywhere. I hope you’ll give us the chance to build a community around this series that’s all about embracing change.
