The following is an interview with author Ivan Buhancov regarding the recent release of the comic book series, Tenea. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Buhancov about the creative process of bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the themes that may resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the recent release of Tenea! For those who may be new to the series, what can you tell us about the genesis behind the project, and how would you describe its overall premise?
Ivan Buhancov: Thank you very much. The main idea of my comic is to give children and teenagers an exciting story full of adventure. I also want to talk about love for others, our fears, and the fact that it is normal to be afraid. I think the motto of the whole comic, including future stories, would probably be: “Courage is when you are afraid, but you do it anyway.”
I have loved this kind of story since I was a child. Le Capitaine Casse-Cou by Louis Boussenard was my favorite book. And when it comes to comics, I used to read a lot of stories about the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. I liked how the heroes in these stories faced difficulties, gathered their courage, and went to solve their problems.
And, probably like many teenagers, I really wanted to create my own comic. The desire was strong enough that I started reading books about screenwriting and learning about how to write stories by myself.
But maybe it would have remained just something I did for myself if it wasn’t for my future wife Antonina. She supported me and kept pushing me not to give up on it. And together, we managed to bring the comic all the way to the finish line.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Misagi to bring this story and its characters to life on the page?
IB: Misagi was not actually the first artist of this comic, but she is the first, and so far the only one, who has brought this project to life.
Before her, I worked with two other artists. With one of them, we managed to make a small five-page comic as a promotion for the project. With the other one, we only got as far as the storyboards for the first issue and some concept art of the characters. Unfortunately, they both left the project one after another because they became very busy with their studies.
And that is how I found Misagi. I was very impressed by her illustrations. To me, they seemed like an unreal level for a beginner writer like me. It felt like I was going to ask Fiona Staples to draw my comic. But my wife convinced me to contact her, and she agreed.
Before starting the actual comic, she sent me a small sketch of Tenea, and I immediately understood that this was exactly right.
Every time she sent me the pages, I was amazed by how great they looked. This was really how I imagined the comic when I was writing the script.
At the same time, I am not strict about following the script exactly. If Misagi wants to arrange the panels differently or use a different angle, I am completely fine with it. I fully trust her with this. She understands the characters and this world very well.
Most of the comments about the comic are about how great the art is, and I completely agree with those comments. Tenea would not be as cool and interesting without Misagi.
I like her humor, which probably comes from Miyazaki’s movies, the action scenes, and the cool fighting poses of the characters, which sometimes feel like a superhero comic from the 1990s.
But my favorite thing is, of course, the warm and emotional scenes around the campfire. There are two of them in the issues that have been released so far: Tenea talking with the chief, and Tenea teaching her friend how to play the flute.
Thanks to her color palette — Misagi also colors the pages herself — the emotions she shows through the characters’ faces, and the way she draws their hands, she manages to create very strong moments.
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 Tenea’s story may impact readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it might inspire?
IB: I really love myths and legends from different cultures, and I also brought this into my comic. Tenea is based on myths and legends from different Indigenous tribes of North America.
I would really like it if, because of this comic, people became more interested in the cultures of different tribes of North America. In my opinion, these cultures do not get enough representation in mass media. Even though this is not my own culture, I believe it deserves to be seen and known by more people.
BD: If given the opportunity, do you foresee revisiting the world or characters of Tenea for future story arcs?
IB: Of course. I have already come up with several stories for the future, and I have already completely written the script for the next one.
In the next story, the heroes will have to face the spider-like trickster Iktomi, meet creatures that look like sticks (I was inspired by the Stick Indians from the stories of the Puyallup tribe.), and also learn more about how magic works in this world. The story also explores even more what it means to be brave and how to overcome your fears. I really hope that we will have the opportunity to make all of our plans a reality.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
IB: At the moment, Tenea is my only project. Of course, I have many ideas for other comics, including one about space bandits and another about a girl detective, but for now they are just ideas without any plans for production.
However, I would like to talk about one other project that I am also directly involved with, but not as an author. I work on it more as an editor, producer, and designer, and I also do the storyboards for the pages. It is Antonina and the Mystery of the Third Department.
The creator and writer of the project is Antonina Saenkova, my wife, and the artist is AngryGooserry.
It is a story about a girl from Saint Petersburg who takes care of and treats fantastic animals and is trying to find her missing grandmother. It is a very kind and sweet fairy tale, full of magic and love for Saint Petersburg. By the way, Saint Petersburg is the hometown of almost everyone involved in this project.
We publish it on Webtoon. The comic is not completely finished yet, but we are already working on the final pages. We also have board games based on this universe.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about Tenea and your other work?
A: Welcome! I really hope you enjoy the adventures that Tenea and my other characters get into. And I would be very grateful if you shared your thoughts about my comics — in the comments, on your social media, or simply in conversations with your friends.
I would also like to give a big thank you to Barbra for giving me the opportunity to talk about my projects through your platform. It means a lot when you are an independent creator and have to be a writer, editor, marketer, and many other things all at the same time.
Thank you very much for supporting independent creators. I really appreciate it.
