webcomic q&a

At least nightmares end. They may destroy your night's sleep, imperil your mental health, and unearth long-buried skeletons, but at least they're fleeting, banished mostly when the sun rises, right? Well, not for Alan. His nightmares follow him around town, through his home, and even to his work place --- much to his employer's annoyance. In Cameron Lucente's RoomZero, Alan learns that burying your demons won't stop them from coming to life. ComicsAlliance spoke with Lucente about monsters, toxic masculinity, and developing the RoomZero world through DeviantArt roleplay chats!

Looking to take some time off? Want to catch some rays in the scintillating sunshine? Fear for your life and desperately need to escape the country as a result? How topical! Consider this travel tip: stow away on a pirate ship. It's a risky choice --- its inhabitants may execute you or sell you to a nearby brothel --- but an afloat ship is better than a sinking one. ComicsAlliance spoke with cartoonist Noella Whitney about why comics readers should consider Broadside's Black Lion, a ship from the Golden Age of Piracy staffed entirely by buff ladies, as their next vehicle for adventure.

There's no getting around it: having your father strand you in another universe sucks. And it leaves you wondering, did he really just forget to check the back seat of the car before pulling out of the 7/11 parking lot? Was that last Father's Day tie too gaudy? Does he at least have the courtesy to ditch me in a universe with wi-fi? If you are going to find yourself starting life anew in an unfamiliar world, there are a few better places to be than the neighborhood of Market Square in Valerie Halla's Goodbye to Halos. It boasts a community full of queer, anthropomorphic people, action-packed bouts of magical girl fisticuffs, and flirting as, basically, currency. ComicsAlliance spoke with Halla about positive queer representation, gay lions, and the value of found family.

Gosh! Don't ya ever wish you could go back to simpler times, where milkshakes and ascots and groovy tunes made life the cat's pajamas? Well, fold up your fictional feline fashion, friends, for decades past were never so simple for marginalized folk. Luckily, Kathleen Jacques' webcomic Band vs. Band captures years of ace aesthetic and kooky kitsch with none of the exclusion. There's just super style, boss band battles, and a killer crescendo of gay romantic tension. Tune in to ComicsAlliance's conversation with Jacques for more.

Two high school boys, two very different personalities — one, Johnny, is a black nail polish-wearing alternative "cool guy" who has been kicked out previous schools; the other, George, is a sensitive, shy, and socially shrinking boy who is (probably) dressed by his mom. On the first day of school, they're seated together. How will these disparate souls reconcile their— Oh? They get along just fine? Refreshing! In Savanna Ganucheau's slice-of-life webcomic George and Johnny, the titular characters, though surface differences, become fast and affectionate friends as they navigate high school, band drama, and super queer thrift stores.

Everyone's got baggage, but Ushala probably has a little more than most. She's the reincarnation of the woman who nearly exterminated her entire tribe many years ago. As a result, she's been exiled from her community (by her own mother!) and now has more physical baggage in the form of a carrion wraith who follows her around, hoping to devour her. The fantasy genre also has a lot of baggage, and through Ushala at World's End, Robin Kaplan and Nathan Robison hope to upend and overcome that baggage — with matriarchal societies, a ban on sexual violence, and a more considered eye towards marginalized representation in the narrative. Webcomic Q&A caught up with them to find out more.

Anyone who's ever worked a minimum wage customer service job knows the value of an escapist fantasy. Luckily for one teen grocery store employee, her escapist dreams become reality when she trips into the vibrant and vicious Rainbow Dimension. In her adventures, the teen, dubbed "Snarlbear" after her first felled victim, fights valiantly as a monster hunter — one who fears becoming a monster herself. ComicsAlliance spoke with Natalie Riess about Snarlbear, challenging herself artistically, and painting crystals.

What do you do when the sky is falling and all hope seems lost? You call your representatives. But what do you do when the sky is falling and you live in the webcomic world of Rising Sand? You steal from bandits, amass vast quantities of material wealth, and beat the gastric juices out of a nomad with your mecha-templar suit, that's what. In the chaotic and complex world of Erj, anything goes. ComicsAlliance spoke with Rising Sand creators Ty Dunitz and Jenn Lee to discuss costume design, transforming a tabletop game into a webcomic, and what to do when the sun starts falling out of the sky.

The world of Imago is rendered in clean lines, subtle patterns, and a muted palette. It acts as home to mysterious mechanical golems, emotive wildlife, spiraling trees, and a mask-adorned tribe of curious figures. Tyrel Pinnegar, the series creator, spoke to ComicsAlliance about Imago's enigmatic and intriguing story, the inspirations behind it, and the battle wounds incurred during the artistic process.

Sometimes hacking takes you to sprawling conspiracies. Sometimes it takes you to suggestive Mickey Mouse-inspired roleplay. In Iris Jay's Crossed Wires, it could go either way. ComicsAlliance chatted with Jay about their webcomic, the meaning of "cyber-postpunk," and the challenges of orchestrating the current Kickstarter for the project.