Webcomic Wonderland discussion

The Q&A with Katrina Joyner will be hosted here on Saturday, May 18 at 2 pm Central/3 pm Eastern. Katrina is the author and artist of Heavenly Bride(NSFW). Feel free to post your questions here early!

Won't be around tomorrow so here are my questions for the q&a:

I'm a huge fan of black and white comics with small bits of color for emphasis and love the way you use it in Heavenly Bride. Was there a particular reason you chose this style for the story or just general preference? Any specific "guidelines" for what gets colored?

Do you have a set length in mind for the comic/story?

What we've seen so far of the world and societal roles/rules is very interesting. How did you come up with it? Any strong influences/inspirations from other works?

Have fun tomorrow! :)

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for inviting me to this Q & A. I think it's a real honor. This is my first Q & A so I hope I do well, or at least am entertaining. ;-)

"I'm a huge fan of black and white comics with small bits of color for emphasis and love the way you use it in Heavenly Bride. Was there a particular reason you chose this style for the story or just general preference? Any specific "guidelines" for what gets colored?"

The only real reason why I chose this storytelling format is because that's how it 'came' to me. I always had the story sort of in my head, from various angles, and one day I just kind of woke up to "this is how the story is told from HIS point of view." And it was like it all exploded out of my head. I knew the exact style I was going to use down to the tools I would need and what sort of paper.

I was actually quite happy at how the story finally came together for me. I usually write from a female point of view and always wanted to make a male my central character. I felt it would be more challenging than it has turned out to be, but that's too convenient to complain about.

Yes, there are guidelines to the coloring. I guess it's not ruining the book to tell you that they're a mood indicator. Mostly they hint that 'hey there is something here that makes the world all interesting/colorful to the guy telling us the story.'

"Do you have a set length in mind for the comic/story?"

Yep - or at least I try often to keep to said set length. The script is for the most part written, but there are a couple of parts that need smoothing out. When I turn my mind to them or to the fact that such and such a character needs fleshing out, I almost always end up adding pages. Or in the case of the past week, adding an entire chapter or two. For the most part the script writing is wrapping up, though, so soon I'll be able to stop spending days writing and just draw.

"What we've seen so far of the world and societal roles/rules is very interesting. How did you come up with it? Any strong influences/inspirations from other works?"

Hum, well, to put things in a tidy nutshell I have a BA in anthropology, a minor in history, and a slight interest in UFOlogy and theology. I also donate when I can to campaigns to end slavery, especially since hundreds of American girls are kidnapped each year to be sold in foreign markets. When the Heavenly Bride universe started to come into being, all of that spilled into the script. For example, there's a little bit of the ancient Roman point of view with the world's attitude to slavery. It just happens, and one day you too might wake up a slave. I have a very naughty comic idea I'll do some brave day that explores that further within the House of Forbidden Fruit.

I'm not sure about outside influences from other works with this. Obviously when it comes to style there is a lot of manga influence in the book. Red String was an inspirational factor in actually writing a romance period - I had never written a straight romance before and never really saw myself doing it. I actually have to fight off a lot of my writing influences - Mel Brooks, Piers Anthony, Terry Pratchett - to be serious for this book. =^-^=

Katrina wrote: ""I had never written a straight romance before and never really saw myself doing it. I actually have to fight off a lot of my writing influences - Mel Brooks, Piers Anthony, Terry Pratchett - to be serious for this book. =^-^= "

So romance isn't a typical genre for you. What's your favorite genre to write or draw?

A few questions to begin:

What media do you use? Traditional? Digital? Mix of both?

How long does it normally take you to draw a page?

What size is each page? Or, does it vary?

What's the best way you've found for promoting your work?

Hi Kristen. :-)

Mmm... favorite genre would be fantasy, but I ironically tend to write more sci-fi when I do write.

Hey there Ben!

What media do you use? Traditional? Digital? Mix of both?

Yes! I mean, for Heavenly Bride it's almost all traditionally and I only use digital when I have to. Even the spots of color are usually real origami paper bits. It just didn't feel right to go synthetic with this story.

"How long does it normally take you to draw a page?"

From sketch to ink, including origami paper, it can take anywhere from one to two days. Sometimes I get lucky and it only takes a few hours.

What size is each page? Or, does it vary?

Doesn't vary. I use A4 manga paper for each sketch and ink. Normally I use Deleter brand, but if I find paper that's the right size and texture I don't care. So long as it's the right paper.

What's the best way you've found for promoting your work?

That's a tough one. I'd say giving away the first chapter on Amazon has been the biggest promotion. I've tried Project Wonderful and a lot of other avenues, but HB doesn't exactly fit into any one firm category and that makes it hard.

Another good way to get the word out is simply when the readers tell someone about it. I've had a few readers tell me they found HB because of another webcomic mentioned it, etc. It's a slow moving virus.

"I mean, for Heavenly Bride it's almost all traditionally and I only use digital when I have to. Even the spots of color are usually real origami paper bits."

Wow! That's cool! Could you be more specific? What other media do you use?

Wow! That's cool! Could you be more specific? What other media do you use?


Well, the most involved pages start out with me opening DAZ 3D, posing models, or looking for photo references with an angle I'm not familiar with. Usually I'm looking for stuff based on a thumbnail I sketched on the bottom of the script's page. (I prefer my scripts printed and put neatly into a folder to scribble notes on.) Then I'll print the examples out onto a sheet, usually in black and white so I can see the shading better although these days I don't follow the shading as much as I used to. I used to be very detailed with the shading but it has fallen into a more stylistic approach.

That's where the digital ends for a while. I'll take all of that material and sketch on a piece of beginner's paper - for this part of the process I prefer the doujinshi paper because it has a ruler along the edges. I sometimes try to be very detailed with the penciling simply because it feels "lazy" if I don't. LOL.

Then I scan in the page, save that as a tif because they're lossless, and turn it into a blue-line to print on another piece of A4 paper, this time without the rulers on the sides. This I'll ink using Faber-Castel pens. The greys are done using Prismacolor markers. I use every grey they make for that part on a real detailed page.

Then if there's color on this page, I'll cut out the places using an exacto knife and put origami paper behind the sheet, taping it down. The paper is chosen according to color and scheme. I have boxes of paper I've bought and even had shipped from Japan organized and labeled. Some belong to Taus, some to Lhung, some to the Manu. It just depends.

Then I scan that and do the normal digital process that everyone is familiar with: toning, word balloons, etc.

Paintshop pro is used to handle the digital portions. I'll even make my own tones if I have to, but that's not something I want to see a lot of in this comic.

What made you choose a webcomic format over a novel or serial story?

What made you choose a webcomic format over a novel or serial story?

I'm not sure. I just saw pictures in my head, and knew it had to be a comic. A story for me depends on camera angle and mood as to what it gets done as. I've written prose I'd never put into comic form, and although I've toyed with the idea of putting HB into prose format I think it wouldn't work out very well that way.

Webcomics is probably one of the most popular ways to self publish right now, and had to be one of the biggest factors in my decision. With webcomic format you get that instant gratification "lookit what ah did!" - but in this case I was already publishing Akashik online, and Heavenly Bride is its companion story. Of course since then I've had to take Akashik down for now and concentrate on just HB and 10 Confessions, but I'll go back to Akashik when HB is done.

Katrina wrote: "Of course since then I've had to take Akashik down for now and concentrate on just HB and 10 Confessions, but I'll go back to Akashik when HB is done. "

Does that mean we'll get to see the events that lead up to Akashik, then?

Well I did try the serial story format with another project I handle on rare occasion, and I've found that a lot of readers actually dislike the serial format. There's a fear there that the story will never be finished. But you also see that in the webcomic culture, so all's well that ends well. I like doing HB's artwork. My skills have improved a lot since undertaking this book. I see how it has affected a lot of other things I am doing and appreciate the stretch.

Does that mean we'll get to see the events that lead up to Akashik, then?

Mmmm... probably not. Akashik is set after Taus is a grown woman, in human years she's in her 30's or so - that time when many elohim in her universe hit a timelessness and seem to stop aging. HB's time frame spans about 2 to 4 years. HB won't tell you why Taus left her husband, but it will tell you which of the two love interests it actually turns out to be. =^-^=

Part of the thing that's going on with Akashik is my need to rewrite the clusterous mess it had become so that these important matters are handled without confusion. HB's story deals with why she's doing what she's doing in Akashik, it's just that Lhung is telling the story and he only sees and hears about parts of it.

Which artists do you think have the most impact on your style?

The original HB script was very contrite and didn't cover half of what it covered because it stuck to Lhung's view alone, so I've had to break a couple of my own writing rules to expand so the reader can see. Like what's happening right now. Obviously Lhung isn't standing right there in the alleyway to watch it, so he must have heard about it. Thank goodness for narration balloons.

Which artists do you think have the most impact on your style? That is a tough one.

Hong Kong Phooey! I know yeah, weird, but it's there. It shall always be there like when I draw a scant background. That's Hong Kong Phooey.

Wendy Pini, of course. I used to try to imitate Elfquest fiercely. These days though she's only an influence, and I like that my stuff has developed into their own thing.

I hated the show, but Dragonball Z influenced how I draw eyes. And of course when it comes to the flow and romantic feel of the pages (when I actually manage to achieve it) I have to give a firm nod to Bisco Hitori of Ouran fame. (Hope I got her name right.)

Here's some more I thought up:

Do you have any formal training?

When did you start doing art?

Do you have any other hobbies and/or jobs related to art?

Woo hoo! LOL

Do you have any formal training? Nope, just happened to rub some elbows here and there. I flat comic pages and I'll get pointers from those artists, and that's about it. I haven't read a lot of "how to" books either. Just not my thing I guess.

When did you start doing art?

I have some early memories of drawing women in ballgowns on paper grocery bags before I started kindergarten. In those stories the women were gorgeous but had a Cinderella problem. And then of course there was the furry viking story, 1st grade, that I swear I must redo someday.

Do you have any other hobbies and/or jobs related to art?

I like to make magnets and bookmarks, one of a kind dolls, and repaint model horses. :-) I have been warned by friends not to do them too much or they will become a job, too.

Katrina wrote: "And then of course there was the furry viking story..."

Haha, excuse me? I want to hear more about this.

LOL! Well, I mean I drew it when I was a little kid so it was creatively named "Viketa" and it was about a half fox girl whose mother was a deer. (The foxes were the Vikings and the deer were Native Americans.) Her mother had been um... taken advantage of and thus she was born, so when she got of age to go a-viking her father took her away. It ended with a shipwide mutiny after she had to prove her place on ship and earn the respect of the crew. I learned in college studying Eric the Red that this actually matches the story of his eldest son somewhat, so when the time comes I'll be doing my research to see what else I can pull from history.

But I'm miles away from doing that story. Maybe I'll add a silver fox love interest. Or go way out there and choose something not normally interested in foxes like a seagull.

Oh, ooh! A bengal tiger with rippling pecs and a foreign accent so our vixen can delightfully shudder while trying to be all stoic.

And you wrote that in 1st grade? That's pretty amazing. A very detailed and unique story for someone so young.

What do you read in your spare time?

My family watched a lot of Nova together?

Currently I'm reading an excellent murder mystery called the 24th Letter. I'm fond of murder mysteries, read a lot of Nancy Drew growing up.

And of course Oglaf and Girl Genius. =^-^=

So, when the story for Heavenly Bride came to you, what came first? Was it the characters, the story or did it all kind of happen at the same time?

So, when the story for Heavenly Bride came to you, what came first? Was it the characters, the story or did it all kind of happen at the same time?

The truth is Taus's school life story was in my head when I was in elementary school. I used to tell it to myself and draw pictures that went with it in the dirt road in front of my house. So it's always been there. When it finally fleshed into Heavenly Bride, I'd say Lhung was the strongest part in the front of my mind. He might as well have been standing there narrating it to me.

The original script only dealt with him and her. There were no other characters as far as Lhung was concerned. There was just this sun in his life, and he spent the entire time trying to get her to see how special she was to him. I think HB's development is a good example of taking charge your story and telling your characters who is boss.

Hanabi was the next one to come out of it, and Jiu Liu of course. Jiu Liu remains a part of Taus's life into Akashik, but there are these political/social ties so it's hard to have it any other way.

The most recent character to come out of the murk is Lhung's Aunt Bi - she's going to be fun.

Katrina wrote: "The most recent character to come out of the murk is Lhung's Aunt Bi - she's going to be fun. "

Is she a new character? Will we see her soon?

Is she a new character? Will we see her soon?

Oh she's new but it will be a while. There will come a time when Lhung must leave the temple to attend a ceremony that all walk-ins must go through. I haven't doped out how it will fall in place yet, just that his Aunt Bi from his real family will be there and will remember him.

I picture her as this kind of Aunt Myrtle, Jewish Bronx accent, thick glasses woman who pinches cheeks. And she won't see a grown up man when they meet; she's going to see her little prince so his cheeks will probably be a little sore when she's done.

But I won't know how she turns out until the time comes. This is just a template in mind. From here things have to happen to make her unique as opposed to the usual stereotype.

Oh God, cheek pinching! I'm so glad I don't have any relatives that do that!

It's mentioned that Lhung is more of a "sanguine type" as opposed to a psychic feeder. What's the difference? Is there something about Lhung that makes him sanguine or is it kind of random?

I don't either, but I imagine it can't be comfortable!

It's mentioned that Lhung is more of a "sanguine type" as opposed to a psychic feeder. What's the difference? Is there something about Lhung that makes him sanguine or is it kind of random?

A sanguine vampire in the real world is someone who feeds on blood where a psychic vampire feeds off of energy, usually in an empathic sense. There are sexual vampires as well, but in Lhung's world where sex isn't such a taboo thing a sexual vampire may never have any issues at all unless they're just plain unattractive beyond reasonably normal. The vampire types in Lhung's world are based on these real modern classes in the vampire subculture.

It's not completely random how you end up one way or the other. It depends on how the body chooses to adapt, and that's dictated in part by personality. Lhung is a gentle soul, and a dragon, so to have to suck someone's soul away would destroy him and hurt his own soul, perhaps even permanently. He's not a very sexual creature - he actually has a hard time dealing with the need, so being a sexual vampire isn't as likely to happen. For his body that left only one recourse: life's blood.

I suspect he'd prefer a bowl of fruit.

Are your webcomics what you do for a living or do you have a day job?

Are your webcomics what you do for a living or do you have a day job?

I'd like them to be a living. :-) But no, not yet if ever. At least I can buy supplies sometimes with the book sales.

For real money I format other author's ebooks and make their book covers. And flat other people's comic pages. It's a living. I get to meet some pretty interesting people this way, too. I've helped Trish MacGregor get published, Dov Silverman... flatted a few X-men pages, Darkwing Duck... and there are some really talented undiscovered people out there. So I'm never bored, and that's a good thing to say.

It's 1600 hours my time, so perhaps this is a good time to do a last call for questions.

Alrighty then. I think I've exhausted my supply of questions :)

LOL! Okay then I guess I'll.. .go back to making covers and formatting ebooks. I got several query emails while we were doing this. LOL

Thanks for having me! It was interesting.

You're welcome! I hope you had fun! And thank you to everyone who asked questions!

Really interesting stuff here. :) Thanks Katrina!