The following is an interview with A.J. O. Mason regarding the recent release of the all-ages graphic novel, Under the Castle, in collaboration with Team Wang Design. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Mason about his shared creative experience in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, what readers may take away from the story’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the recent release of Under the Castle! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the premise of this story?
A.J. O. Mason: In its essence, Under the Castle is an adventure story about two spirits, Pumpkie and Spookie. Basically, imagine if Tom and Jerry were instead two ghosts trapped inside a haunted castle. As they explore the castle and attempt to outprank each other, they solve puzzles, battle monsters, and escape traps. Along the way, they uncover truths themselves, their friendship, and the mysterious, creepy world around them.
BD: How would you describe your creative process in working with illustrators Mike Choi and Nate Lovett to bring this world and characters to life on the page?
AJOM: In all honesty, I didn’t get the chance to collaborate much directly with Mike and Nate. The entire creative team behind the book worked primarily with a studio in Taiwan called Mercy Creatives (who I actually had the pleasure of meeting in Thailand at the Under the Castle launch event in October). Mercy Creatives handled most of the project management: editing, making sure everything from script to letters were in good shape and in line with what Team Wang Design wanted, and keeping us on schedule. Because the production timeline was pretty tight (3-4 months to write, draw, color, and letter a 178-page book), once I finished writing the script, Mercy Creatives took over and forwarded it to Mike and Nate so they could begin working on the book. But they both did such an awesome job on the inks! Once I finally saw the book in my hands, I was just so amazed with their work.
BD: In addition to the comic itself, Team Wang Design is hosting an Under the Castle-themed event in Bangkok’s EMSPHERE mall. What can you share with us about the festivities that await attendees?
AJOM: Oh gosh, where do I start? The main attraction at the festival was the haunted house. It lets you go through the castle from the comics and come face-to-face with some characters from the book. Having gone through the haunted house myself, it’s definitely one of the spookiest places I’ve been to!
Beyond that, there was a gift shop near the haunted house where you can pick up Under the Castle merch, a night market outside the mall with tons of Halloween-themed food and merch, a photo booth, and even a super fun bumper car ride.
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 Under the Castle’s story may impact readers of all ages?
AJOM: That’s a wonderful question! In addition to writing, I also work as a substitute teacher in an elementary school. And when it comes to stories, I found that the topic that fascinates kids the most is friendship. Kids care a lot about who their friends are, how their friends treat them, and how their differences can sometimes challenge or strengthen their bond. At its core, Under the Castle is a story exactly about that. Hopefully, children of all ages can connect with Pumpkie and Spookie’s friendship and maybe find a few little life lessons along the way.
BD: As this graphic novel will be part of a larger series, what are you most excited for readers to experience with the upcoming installments?
AJOM: In the next installments, Pumpkie and Spookie will uncover more fascinating truths, embark on even wilder adventures, and finally meet some new characters that are super important to this world! That last part is what I’m most excited about, because in the first book, Pumpkie and Spookie spend most of the story on their own, so it’ll be extra fun and interesting to see how they interact with new friends and foes.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
AJOM: Sure! I have a lot of things to talk about. First off, the biggest thing coming up is Kloud 9, Book 1. It’s the first book in our queer space opera graphic novel trilogy that I’m creating with my best friend in comics, Dominic Bustamante. It’s due for release in July 2026 from Top Shelf!
Other than that, Lesly Julien and I are finalizing the art for Headcases #3, which is part of our crime miniseries we’ve been crowdfunding since 2021. We’re also currently working on the scripts for the fourth and fifth issues.
But if you want to check out my current work, I’d recommend Better or Worse, which is a webcomic I made with Dom in 2020 that we recently re-released on GlobalComix for free. Or check out I Love You and Other Tales, an anthology of three short comics I wrote. It’s also up on GlobalComix for free!
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Under the Castle and your other work?
AJOM: Just that if you’d like to stay up to date with my current and future work, you can follow me on my socials. It’s @ajomasonwriter everywhere, but I’m most active on Instagram. Plus, you can subscribe to my newsletter, Mason’s Jar, right here.
