★My Interview with Lisa MN on 11/12/2009
Hi Skye-chan! =D I’ve written up a list of questions for you. Try to answer with as much detail as you can, I know you have plenty of epic stories about the time you’ve spent working on Bloodslave so don’t skip out on any of the juicy bits! xD If you want I’ll just be using your pen name rather than your real name in the written interview, it's your call. I’ve picked out questions that emphasize your professionalism as writer/artist and the awesomeness that is Bloodslave <3 The question list is kind of short just because it’s supposed to be a fairly short interview, which sucks because I wanted to go into plot detail and stuff ;3; Oh well. If there's anything else that you really want to add about how you feel during the whole writing process, etc., go right ahead! Just think of it as an elaborate meme xD *puts on her journalism hat*
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I think about all the things I’ve gone though in life (getting terrible marks in high school and getting kicked out of animation school) and I’m still in disbelief that I’ve created such a long-running book (well over 600 pages at this point). I have to say, I’m very lucky to be in the position I’m in. my office is lenient enough to allow me to draw on the slow days, and I’m so thankful for that. From all of this, I’ve learned that if you have an idea, mould it, and never stop working at it until YOU’RE satisfied. No one else’s opinion matters!
Thanks for this web-terview Lisa! Make sure you tell everyone that you helped me with BloodSlave too! <3!!!
Why have you chosen to publish under a pen name rather than use your real name for the Bloodslave series?
I have no problem 'sullying' my own reputation by producing borderline gay porn, but I did that for my family. They know about the story and it's content, they actually encouraged me to use my own name, but I’d rather keep them safe.
What is the biggest creative challenge you have faced while writing Bloodslave?
I found the editing process (typing the script and formatting the page sizes) very tedious, i'm not sure that you would call that a 'creative' challenge. Thinking about strictly artistic tasks, trying to end the story has to be the biggest challenge. Every time I get a good ending I find some way to make a sequel! It’s a vicious circle...
Have you ever encountered a bad case of writer’s block while you’ve been working on Bloodslave? If so, what have you done in the past to move beyond the block?
Writers block and artists block seldom affect me. When I run out of ideas I take a 'hiatus' and work on something else. LOL! If you ask graham he will tell you I ask him far too often 'Graham, what should I draw?'
What made you decide to create Bloodslave in the form of a graphic novel series rather than a prose novel series? Was Bloodslave always a graphic novel in your mind, or did it start as something different to you?
While I do have several wordy-type stories (what!? no pictures???) I find graphic novels to be more enjoyable and interesting than movies or TV. Granted, technology is getting to the point where we can carry a TV in our pockets, a small 5x7 comic fits in your purse very nicely and you can enjoy the story/art at your own pace. (Not to mention, I will NEVER stop drawing….something is wrong with me o_O )
Have you found scripting a graphic novel to be easier than writing a prose styled story?
hehehe! This is where I cheat a little bit. BloodSlave never existed in prose form (minus 1/2 of a notebook that got completley scrapped). When I 'write' BloodSlave, I go straight to storyboard form (I can send links on deviantart). To make things stranger, I write the storyboards in a regular coil-ring Hilroy notebook (at 21 notebooks filled right now), and they read Left to Right. When creating the final pages, I mirror the pages (Right to Left). A teacher in Animation told me years ago; ‘if a picture doesn't look right, hold it backwards (or to a mirror) and you will clearly see your mistakes.’
Has there been any negative reception toward the adult content in Bloodslave? If yes, how have you reacted to it?
Surprisingly, there hasn't been much, save the occasional gay-basher on DA. But I just hide their comments (and report them if I can)
How has the internet played a role in the popularity of Bloodslave?
OH MY, no one would know about it if it wasn't for the internet. When it came to publishing, I kind of did the whole system backwards. I published the books first, THEN got a domain. Since June 2009, the site has received over 2000 views. [ as of May 6th 2010, bloodslavemanga.com has received over 12,000 pageviews]
How much does it cost to self-publish one volume of the series?
I use a site called Indyplanet.com, they are very accommodating (a little slow on responding...). To send the files in for a proof copy only costs about $25 American (plus shipping), and to order a full box (about 30 copies) is just under $300 American.
What made you decide to self-publish Bloodslave?
To be honest, I didn't know how to do it properly. I had prints in stock that I was selling on my ETSY website and came across another user with her own manga. I messaged her back and forth a few times, and she sent me a huge list of indy publishers. I had to be very careful, because of BloodSlaves content, but I found IndyPlanet actually had a mature section, so I went for them. Now that I’ve learned a little more about how books are published by commercial companies, I’m glad I did it this way. I have complete control over everything in the book (even the typos! LOL!)
What is the most challenging aspect of self-publishing that you have encountered? How have you overcome it, or are you still trying to figure it all out?
As I mentioned before, the clerical work is the most tedious. When the pages go to print, they must have a bleed/cut area, and have the right black/white levels. To make things more difficult, I have the pages printed right to left. IndyPlanet suggested I just label the pages backwards (page 1 is 140, page 140 is 1) which took about 2 days to re-label every file, and I STILL made mistakes.
Do you feel there is a strong market for Canadian-made graphic novels among the masses, or is it for more of a niche market?
North American comics have always been a niche market, and will probably stay that way. But with the rising popularity of Japanese anime, the manga-style books should see a rise, simply because Manga is cheaper to produce than full-color A10 sized American comics. the average price of an American comic is 5-10$ (30 A10 pages, full color), where in Japan, a manga novel (200-300 5x7 pages, black ink on cheap paper) is 500-700 Yen (about 6-9$), so you're already getting more bang for your buck.
As a current indie series, do you want Bloodslave to eventually be marketed to the masses? Or would you prefer that it remain an indie gem?
I envision BloodSlave being the dirty little vampire book that makes Twilight look like a childish peice of literary toilet paper. I sincerely hope that it becomes a cult classic rather than a popular hype, that way it will last longer.
You’ve sold your books both online and at conventions (ie Fan Expo, Anime North). Which of these methods do you prefer, and do you think the cost of a table at a convention is justified through your sales?
My online sales total $20 at this point, while my show sales have been +$500. I’m so excited to do anime north this spring; I always turn a profit there. I’m not sure about the Fan expo, not as many anime fans attend that one. But we'll see where my money is in the summer.
With your recent decision to put the full graphic novelization of Bloodslave online for free viewing, do you feel that your sales have been either positively or negatively affected by this move? What made you decide to make the series available online?
It’s difficult to say, I’ve never really had online profit, it's always the shows where I make my money. That being said, I never created BloodSlave for a profit. Even if I squirreled the pages away in my basement, I would still continue to write and draw.
With nearly thirty characters involved in the storyline, how do you keep track of who is doing what and who is involved in each part of the story?
lol! good question! I’ve never really had any problems, as a good fraction of them are dead (actually dead, not un-dead). Essentially, every other character revolves around my two mains, Braeden and Kerrian.
Vampires play a very predominant role throughout Bloodslave. What made you decide to use vampires in your writing and have other vampire writers such as Stoker, Rice, etc., influenced the way you’ve shaped your vampire characters?
hehehe *awkward* alright, I admit it! I have a bit of a fetish! They are a very cool concept though, imagine a creature that must remain in darkness and can only exist of the life essence of what it used to be... *goes into fantasy land...*
Vampires, as literary beings, are constantly under the microscope in pop culture today. What steps have you taken to ensure that the vampires of Bloodslave stand out in comparison to other popular as well as traditional vampire characters?
Oh boy, you just had to as that one... *blushes* well, hide the children’s eyes! The Tower vampire coven bloodline is cursed with a stigma. Since a vampire’s body is technically dead, some of the human 'instincts' no longer work. While a Tower vampire can become aroused, they cannot physically reflect this (vampires cannot experience erections, or sexual climax). Going on this philosophy, BloodSlave wrote itself. if vampires cannot have an orgasm, it becomes a fascination of theirs; they crave the taste of human blood when they are at the peak of climax, and even keep gorgeous humans as pets (BloodSlaves).
Finally, what drew you to Toronto as your setting of choice for Bloodslave? Do you think the story would still be the same if the location was different?
I can admit that backgrounds are my weakest link, but I have found a way to overcome it. I can draw what I see. So I went down to Toronto (on several occasions) and took pictures. Some places I couldn't bring cameras (clubs back in the day didn't allow that) so I had to commit layout of the Fun Haus (on Queen St W) to memory. It’s funny that you ask if it would be the same in a different location. I leave a lot of things open in the storyline, setting up for this exact thing happening in other cities in the world (hmmm Tokyo, France, and New York seem very likely!!!). Toronto was a perfectly idea location for vampires because of how far north it is. Looking out the window at 5:20pm on a November afternoon, we can see its ideal prowling time for vampires! :D