Comic Interview: Sublunary, by Reena and Sarah

Interviewed by: Xuanwu from Okashina Okashi – Strange Candy (http://www.strangecandy.net)

Sublunary is an adult web comic hosted on ComicGenesis that draws its artistic style heavily from Japanese anime and manga. It is set in a futuristic world where a man-made satellite has blocked out the sun’s rays, plunging the earth into darkness. As a result, new creatures and a new society have arisen.

Sublunary is notable not only for its story and artwork, but for the plot elements it includes: explicitly depicted scenes of male-on-male sex, known in anime fandom as “yaoi.” While comics that focus on homosexual themes are not uncommon, Sublunary’s willingness to show the down and dirty elements has made it stand out.

Sublunary is a two-person project, maintained by Sarah and Reena. While Sarah supplies the pencils and inks, Reena performs the writing and coloring. I talked with Reena about what it’s like to write one of the few explicit yaoi comics on the web.

General Inquiries

Name, site that you create for, and where you live:

Reena, Sublunary, and Canada (Toronto)

How long have you been creating comics?

Since Sublunary started, so I think almost two years now.

How many visitors does Sublunary usually get per week?

Since the new layout we’ve lost our counter. Prior to that, it was...a lot? We have had a steady increase though...the graph always spiked during sex. Can't imagine why… XD

Why did you want to make Sublunary explicitly yaoi? Why not shounen-ai or just dark and gritty without explicit sex? Was it to appeal the fangirls or because you thought it'd be fun or something else?

Personally, I couldn't find any yaoi webcomics that were explicit. The ones I could find that featured sex didn't have enough appeal to me in the plot. I figured it might be nice to fill the niche of plot + sex and see if we could balance the two. Of course, during a sex scene people scream for plot, and vice versa, so there never is any pleasing the masses.

On a more shallow level, Talis really can't exist if there's no sex. He'd wilt like a sexy flower. And since he's rather important to the storyline (YES he is, stick around) we had to include him. Besides, having all those boys together we'd just get fans asking for sex scenes anyway, so now we give them up.

And, of course, no publishing company will touch an explicit yaoi with hints of shouta. SO we're getting it out of our system before working on our publishable ideas.

What other web comics do you read?

Since making [Sublunary] I've actually stopped reading a lot of comics. I used to read Arcana and Boy meets Boy when they were both up. Now I mainly peruse Venus Envy, Jack, Red Moon White Whiskers, and the occasional stop into MegaTokyo to see what's up.

The Inner Workings

What is the basic process behind the creation of your comic? Going from start to finish, approximately how many steps does a page take to completion and what time is usually involved?

Oh geeze. Well, lets see, aside from being inspired I actually have to sit down and write out the scene. A chapter takes me anywhere from half an hour to one or two to write. The script is then transferred to the artist [Sarah]. On a good day, she can put out a comic in under two hours. Typically, though, it takes six through nine hours because she's easily distracted.

Once she's finished drawing, inking, and framing the comic, she sends it back to me. Depending on the complexity and number of characters, I can colour people in under two hours, and backgrounds in about an hour. I flat-colour backgrounds now, since responsibilities recently changed. Then, it is sent back to her for the addition of text and to shade the background. Again, should take an hour, often takes much more.

On a good day, a comic…takes about 7 hours to complete, ignoring the time taken to fight with FTP to upload it.

How has your coloring technique changed over time? Any tips or tricks that you’ve learned that you’d care to share?

Near the beginning of the comic I gaussian-blurred skin and hand-smudged everything else. I use mainly the much ragged-on dodge and burn method. It's quick and still manages to get passing results. Now I usually hand-smudge everything. It's made a bit easier by my tablet…so now I have pressure sensitivity.

As for tips...if you're left handed, get a tablet. If you're a righty, get one anyway. Really, they're the best tools for an artist.

What tablet do you use?

A Wacom tablet I got about three years ago.

As a writer, what serves as your inspiration? Any specific novels, comic books, TV shows, or movies?

My inspiration comes and goes with a will of it's own. Subby was inspired by a necklace I saw during a Google image search. Literally, it was a small, glowing green necklace with a tag that said 'CLONE' and…poof, Sublunary.

I read a lot, so I'm going to have to say books probably inspire me. I'm more into fantasy than sci-fi though, and I am a big fan of Anne McCaffery and a closet fan of Tamora Pierce. I don't watch TV much.

As for comics, I will usually shove a page at the artist and say 'Pretty expression, try that here' or 'Look at this progression of establishing shots, work on the backgrounds like that.' or 'SEE! Subaru CAN walk in those tight leather pants.'

How do you write the comic? Do you outline everything neatly ahead of time, map out broad story elements only, or write it as you think of it?

Well, I know exactly where it's going and what the last pages will be. I have for a bit. From the beginning I knew what had to happen in which order and so on, and I usually end up changing little things when I get around to writing it, but for the most part everything is planned. I write a few chapters ahead as well, so I know what's going on and will have time to change things if I need to. I believe the comic is around Chapter 12 right now, and I have up until 18 in my little script-bible.

Do you write by sitting down and cranking out scripts (the “bleeding forehead” method), or by waiting for inspiration to strike?

A little bit of both. If I have inspiration for a particular scene, I'll jot it down with a little note to where it goes in the timeline. If I don't...well, anything is more interesting than hearing a lecture on Jane Eyre and the undertones of feminism and disparity, so a lot of writing gets done during class.

The Fanbase

Any specific fans who have been especially helpful, supportive, or just all out cool during your time with Sublunary?

Oh yes, quite a few. Space Pirate Ryo has been around since the moment the site was up. She writes wonderful in-character fics, and does the most adorable pixel dolls. Her fanart isn't too shabby either, but her AMAZING writing overshadows it all.

DareDelvil is a wonderful writer too. It's so rare to find people who actually understand your characters well enough to write them after only seeing a smidgen of them in the comic.

Also, Serpentine Purity, a.k.a. Dark Pop Girl, who composed…an opening and ending theme and individual character songs. Sublunary has it's own music because of her, and it's bloody amazing.

Not to mention everyone else who's taken time to write or draw us something. I have a few pieces of fan art I adore. It's really nice to actually see people contribute to you.

What is some of the weirdest fanart or fanfiction that you've ever received?

Well, I'm thankful for ALL contributions. A lot of the fancomics were weird in amusing and/or off-the-wall ways, but that’s to be expected.

A bad 'weird' art or writing piece is usually one in which someone uses the characters in ways they would never agree to. Killing them off or making them sleep with someone they don't even know, or an OC [original character].

How much has Sublunary changed in terms of plot and content based on reader feedback over the last year?

Honestly? Not much. I have it planned out, and a lot of feedback consists of 'so and so should get it on NOW!' and a lot of it really isn't going to happen. The art has shifted according to critiques we've gotten, but the plot more or less stays the same.

I do love theories and fics that explore things though. There have been a few people who're so close to what I have written down that I wonder if they've seen my heavily-guarded book ^_^

Comic Nitty Gritty

Who is your favorite character in Sublunary to write?

I own half the cast, and my boys have existed for far longer in an original world. Sublunary's pretty much a fanfic of my own characters, as well as the artist’s [Sarah].

Oliver is quite easy because after nearly 7 years I know him so well. Tobi's amusing because I can pester Theo. Theo's amusing because he's British, and a genius. Talis is just FUN to write because he's a perverted horndog that everyone thinks is so shallow, but I get to reveal little bits of his soft gooey insides now and then. He's a cocky bastard.

Something that made many fans (like myself) worried was the apparent signs of discontent between yourself and the artist, Sarah. Have things been mended between you?

Me: Get it done, get it right, get it over with.
Her: Get it done...eventually.

I'd say they're certainly in a better place then they were a month ago. We've got a few things we both need to change, so we're trying to work through it. I'm a perfectionist with high expectations and a work ethic that's been pounded into me from the age of one. She's an artist. I mean, I draw too, but you know all those things people say about artists? They're true! And writers? Yup, I'm short tempered and prone to fits if I can't get the proper wording, or if she messes with my script.

There hasn't been any bloodshed yet, and we're doing Ok. We've both got problems, and various pointy weapons hidden for use on the other. I suppose you'll always have conflict if you're working with a partner, especially if one of you is more concerned with organization and schedules and stuff. It's even worse when you're dating them. Sublunary couldn't be done without either one of us though, so we've got to work through it.

My advice is to NEVER date your creative partner, EVER, unless they have the same work ethic as you do. Even then, it's a big NO.

One of the most famous (infamous?) scenes in Sublunary was the Talis and Eekie sex scene. What did you use as a model for it? Was it hard to write? Will there be more like it?

I actually didn't write it. I left that one to Sarah (the artist) cause she knew where she wanted it to go and all that. I'm a bit regretful, because I look back on it and see it was rather long, and I would have liked to change a few things. I had input, of course, since Talis IS my boy, but it was mostly a surprise to me.

As for more like it…it's been nearly a year without an actual sex scene and we ARE a yaoi webcomic, there is sex coming up soon, and it doesn't involve Talis. However, it'll be nothing like that scene. Talis WILL usually be the one getting laid the most, it's just who he is. He'll be featured in a scene after the upcoming one.

Have you ever considered doing non-canon omake scenes like the "Gravitation Remixes," where the author featured pairings that fans wanted to see?

Oh yes, tons of times. I'm a fan of quite a few non-canon pairings myself. The thing is, turning out three comics a week and having to deal with life as well...we get no time. Instead, we offer prints at conventions with random pairings, and I'm trying to convince the artist to do a few 10-page doujinshis to sell strictly at conventions.

Have you looked into private publishing companies that do small runs? Alpha Shade a few others have used services like that to publish comics on their own.

Yes, but publishing a full-colour comic gets expensive, and if we WERE to publish Subby, Sarah [would] want to go back and redraw earlier comics and then we'd have to greyscale it all, etc.

Any idea what the future holds for Sublunary?

Hopefully a complete story with improving art/colouring until we get there. One day all the pages will be coded. One day.

As for more close-range future...we're thinking up more merchandise for conventions. Stained-glass things, to be precise.

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