The following is an interview with Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade, XINO) and Daniel Ziegler (Elodie) regarding the upcoming release of their comic book series, Spirit of the Shadows, with Oni Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Cagnetti and Ziegler about their shared creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the themes that they hope will resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Spirit of the Shadows! What can you tell us about the genesis behind this series that deftly blends the supernatural and superhero, as well as the series’ overall premise?
Daniel Ziegler: This story has actually been haunting us for over a decade, with the true origin being a short film screenplay I wrote out of high school. After that got scrapped, Nick and I adapted it into a very small-scale indie comic, then back into a short film, then back into a feature-length screenplay. Something about this story and these characters kept us coming back, so we finally found a really exciting angle for a proper comic to introduce it to the larger public for the first time.
Nick Cagnetti: We pushed it more into over-the-top supernatural territory, along with that came new worlds and characters. It led to a fresh way to approach the story and further it; there’s lots of experimenting with the structure and bringing different artistic techniques to differentiate where we’re at in the story. The main character is a recently deceased spirit who is trying to get back to his love, but he has to trial through confronting his life and things that he did may come back to bite him even in death!
BD: As longtime friends and collaborators, do you feel that you share a creative “shorthand” in bringing the world and characters to life on the page?
DZ: We’ve been super close friends since we first met in middle school, so, naturally, we share a lot of the same influences. We can point to something as an idea or an inspiration and we both instantly understand and get excited about the possibilities. This is our first widely published comic together, but we’ve been supporting each other’s artistic endeavors forever, so this was just a natural evolution of that.
NC: Yeah, we’ve been working with each other pretty much ever since we met! Like Daniel said, we share a lot of the same sensibilities, so it really makes collaboration smooth as butter. I think having done so much smaller stuff with this character in the past really has given us time to refine and redefine what it all means. Also our creative instincts have been honed to a better place at this point; we feel like we’re bringing the best possible version of it to people now!
BD: Nick, in having previously publishing with Oni Press, what continues to make the company an ideal publishing partner for your work?
NC: Oni is underestimated out there because they’ve really committed to a type of cartoonist/art-driven approach in recent times, seeking out unique things to publish. I think for the independent comics I make, it really feels like a good home because they don’t fit things neatly into genres without twists either.
BD: Daniel, 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 this story may connect with and impact readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it may inspire?
DZ: This book features all kinds of out-there characters—monsters, witches, ghosts, creatures—but really, it’s all about our shared humanity. What it means to be a flawed and emotional person, how we deal with tragedy and heartbreak, how it’s never too late to do the right thing. By witnessing these complex characters and difficult situations, I hope it causes readers to reflect on their own biases and maybe not be so quick to judge the flaws of others in their own lives.
BD: Are there any projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for readers?
DZ: This is my first published comic, which is very exciting, but I’m primarily a filmmaker, so most of my other work is as a director/screenwriter. My last feature film, Elodie, is available on streaming, and my newest short film, Horror Spell, is currently on the film festival circuit, but should be online sometime in early 2026. Nick has helped on all my film projects, as well, usually as production designer, so again, we have a long history of making art together.
NC: People know me best from Pink Lemonade. I’d recommend it if you like my art or comic book culture in general. I’ve got a new Responsibili-Teen story I’m doing with Zack Quaintance soon. I co-created that character with Zack who is a wild Spider-Man pastiche tackling issues facing our modern teens. I’m going to be pretty busy with a top-secret project pretty soon that might be my highest-profile gig yet!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Spirit of the Shadows and your other work?
DZ: I’m on most of the socials under @DanZiggs, and we’re trying to get better at making some fun, little shorts in promotion for the comic, so follow along for more behind the scenes insight and supplemental creativity from the two of us!
NC: You can find me on Instagram and TikTok as @fudgy1nick, as well as BlueSky under my full name. I’m pretty much all over the place mostly, though, if you look for me!
