A Second Interview with KEZ, for Not Alone
Comic title: Not Alone
Comic URL: http://warofwinds.com/not-alone.php
Creator(s): KEZ
Genre: Fantasy drama
1) What is your comic about?
Not Alone is the story of a girl in a tough spot, and “wolf” in that same tough spot, and how they both come out on top at the end. The comic is a side-story to my main comic The War of Winds, and is meant to tell the backstories of two characters, Relan and Fen Aya Zen, who appear much later on. Relan and Fenni are both “Shan:” they have developed a spontaneous telepathic connection to one another. Relan’s people consider that connection an abomination, so she leaves home alone discover what being Shan is all about. Fenni’s Clan considers Shan an ancient gift, or a curse, depending on who you talk to. It’s a short story, and will wrap up at under 50 pages.
2) How did you get started making webcomics?
My sister got me into reading comics, and my friend said I should make one. So here I am, five years later!
3) Five years from now, what do you see your comic becoming? Will it be over? Will it have grown larger?
Not Alone will definitely be complete. I plan to do other short comics about other characters too, however. I’m thinking the next one will be about U’hano, a Stormrunner. Really, these side-comics are meant to introduce concepts and beliefs to readers in ways I won’t be delving into in The War of Winds.
4) Tell us about your main character. What are his/her motivations? How did he/she join up with your other characters and why?
Relan is the only daughter of 6 children of Warro and Cei, poor Kypherian farmers. When she starts having scary visions one day of a strange beast in a faraway land, she finds she is also curious. The visions increase, and she’s left with a choice: stay with her family, eking out a meager existence, or find out what her visions are about. There wouldn’t be much a story if she chose the former!
So, she heads out with some supplies, barefoot, gets swept away by a river into the ocean, is rescued by the West Wind, and ends up at the shore to a strange, dark forest. It’s up to her to survive in the face of foreign dangers until Fen Aya Zen can find her.
So, basically, she’s motivated by an odd mixture of fear and curiosity, and the refusal to give up/get left behind/be forgotten.
5) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?
Fen Aya Zen’s mother, Shaga No Rok, is my favorite secondary character. She was a total hellion when she was younger. Now she’s older and is content to mock the “Elders” in her loudest possible voice. She has little respect for authority figures, but loves her son very much.
6) What is your favorite comic page?
Page 10 of Relan’s Story is my favorite, not because of the composition, but simply because it features Rahn, the West Wind. Because this is a side-story, there are a lot of things I add into it for long-time War of Winds fans (but don’t explain in Not Alone itself).
7) Is there a storyline you’re really looking forward to? What is it about? Give us a spoiler warning if necessary!
I am very excited to get to the third arc of Not Alone, titled “Being Shan.” In it, the mystery of Deep Way is explained, and Relan and Fenni get to meet two very cool people/creatures: Skoda and Grin Ta Kul. I’m not going to say much more, because I’m still scripting it out myself!
8 ) Can you give us a short explanation on how you make your pages? If you have a tutorial or anything, please link it.
Since Not Alone was created to give me a BREAK from The War of Winds, making the pages is not complicated. I sketch and ink in photoshop, and then “tone” it using varying opacities of a very dark red. I’ve been experimenting more with the toning aspect lately, but I have to keep reminding myself that this comic isn’t supposed to be hard to make. It’s my “cotton candy” comic, whereas The War of Winds is my “steak and potatoes,” as I’ve stated before in my forum. It’s meant to be fun, and not so art intensive.
9) Be your own critic! When it comes to your comic, what are you looking to improve upon?
I’ve been told that Relan is hard to recognize as being a girl. Since I’m female, when I draw characters, I usually don’t draw them overly-much with their gender in mind. To me, Relan is definitely a girl, from her hair to her giant ribbon to her sobbing in cave at night, to how she carries herself, and what she thinks about. What I’d like to do is get better at making a 14-year-old girl look more like a girl, and less like a cross-dressing boy, I suppose. I think. I’m kinda hesitant on the whole thing. I was a total tomboy when I was younger, and I just so hate to think I have to change her just to make her more recognizable. Otherwise! I’d like to work on the more “organic” feel, with the imperfect panels and soft word balloons. I need to learn to work Illustrator!
10) What is your artistic inspiration?
Tea. Chocolate. More tea. And the occasional cookie.