The following is an interview with cartoonist Jay Eaton regarding the recent launch of their Kickstarter campaign for the graphic novel, Runaway to the Stars, in association with Iron Circus Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Easton about their creative process in bringing the hard sci-fi, slice-of-life story to life on the page, the backer rewards available to supporters of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the launch of your crowdfunding campaign for Runaway to the Stars with publisher Iron Circus Comics! What can you share with us about the story’s premise?
Jay Eaton: The story follows Talita, a centaur alien who was raised by humans. She’s now 3 meters tall with anxiety, working a dead end job at a recycling plant on the barren exoplanet Ixion-3 with human coworkers who find her odd at best and scary at worst. Her life gets shaken up when a recent junkyard arrival is a relatively unscathed ship full of centaur writing and marooned AI who asks for her help. Bip the AI just wants some hull patches, forged paperwork, and a window to leave—all under the table, of course, because they’re an ex-pirate ship on the run from the law. But in exchange, Talita could finally get some insight about her estranged species’ culture, and maybe even an escape from Ixion-3.
BD: Given your background in evolutionary biology, I would love to hear about your creative process for bringing your characters to life on the page and whether the two disciplines overlap. Is there anything that specifically guides or propels your approach to each new character and the overall story?
JE: Well, most of the aliens are just a couple dozen real animals crammed into a blender. Maybe that sounds too violent. What I mean is that all of the aliens in Runaway to the Stars are heavily inspired by real organisms, both in their anatomy and cultures. I love thinking about how the social systems of other animals might evolve with and shape an industrialized society. And once I know what’s normal for that culture, I can design a character who doesn’t fit in, and that’s the beginning of a story.
BD: In addition to the fact that Iron Circus has a stellar catalog of titles and an amazing stable of creative talent, what made the publisher the perfect home for this graphic novel?
JE: Iron Circus Comics publishes a lot of nerdy queer fiction for older readers, and Runaway to the Stars fits in great. Runaway to the Stars isn’t the only webcomic in their lineup either.
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 Talita’s story may connect with and impact readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it may inspire?
JE: Talita’s an interesting character because her core condition, an alien imprinted on humans, doesn’t have any real-life examples. Yet in spite of that, I have readers from an astonishing variety of backgrounds who’ve told me that they see themselves in her story. Biracial readers relate to her being related to a cultural diaspora that she’s unsure how to connect with, transgender readers relate to Talita not feeling at home in her own body, neurodivergent readers relate to Talita’s difficulty meshing with humans socially even though she’s spent her whole life around them. I love that so many different people who have all felt alienated in different ways can connect through her story.
BD: In light of the Kickstarter campaign, are there any specific backer reward tiers that you are most excited to share?
JE: There’s gonna be a signed bookplate, and a bundle of a bunch of other Iron Circus books I love for a significant discount. For stretch goals we have a snazzy cover upgrade and possibly even a compilation of a bunch of the Character AMAs that I drew while developing the book. These are short comics of the characters responding to questions about themselves and their world, and I think they’re a fun way to learn more about the setting.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
JE: I’m also a co-editor for Almost Real: A Speculative Biology Magazine. It’s an art anthology in the style of Zoobooks or National Geographic, but all the animals are made up. Fans of creature design should check it out; we have a new issue coming soon. I also have lots more stories to tell with the characters from Runaway to the Stars, so there will be more books from this setting in the future.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Runaway to the Stars and to support your Kickstarter campaign?
JE: Readers can check out the webcomic at runawaytothestars.com, and check out the campaign page here.
