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We’ve had numerous mentions on our site about crowdfunding and how this has become a resource for many indie creators. It allows creators to fund their artistic visions, and we feel that the comic industry is all the better for it. This brings us to our interview with an up and coming creator by the name of Ben Ayad Hatim.
We have recently talked about the comic Lying Mirrors: Broken Glass written by Ben, and in that article we speak briefly about the project, and it’s crowdfunding campaign. We asked to interview Ben so those of you interested in his work, can learn more about the man behind the comic, and what he’s learned early on in his crowdfunding journey.
Thank you for reading this interview, and we hope you enjoy it!
Kevin: Welcome to Nerdgenic, Ben. How’s everything going for you?
Ben: Thanks for having me. I’m doing good so far, thanks for asking.
What can you tell us about the crowdfunding campaign Lying Mirrors: Broken Glass? How’s it going?
Well, it appears that the campaign has been stagnant for a while now. We haven’t passed 28% of our funding goal yet, so things are a bit tough.
What would you say are the biggest lessons you have learned after launching a crowdfunding campaign?
I didn’t prepare a list of people who might be interested in our title before we started the campaign. That was a mistake, but lesson learned!
For people that are not familiar with your project, what can you tell them about Lying Mirrors: Broken Glass Chapter 1: Deformation?
It’s a fantasy adventure story full of drama and suspense that is set in ancient times. It talks about a mysterious event that led to the transformation of many people, which gave them all deformed appearances including the main character son. The MC will seek to find a solution, and his amazing journey starts by searching for a cure.
How did you get the concept for this comic?
To be honest, the concept for Lying Mirrors: Broken Glass came from the simple idea of everything comes with a price. So, in my story, the attempt of the secret organization to summon the king of the dark world to earth must come with a price, and that price was the deformed people.
What can you say about the way that the idea progressed? I mean how the idea was when it started and how much it mutated into its final version?
There was a huge change between the first version of the story and the final version. I can say that the final version was born from a flash back of the first version.
However, the final version wasn’t subject to big changes. I was and may still do a few changes on a few scenes, but the overall story is so good to a degree I can’t think of any major changes.
How was the process of working with artist Winzaldi Nirmansyah?
First of all, Winzaldi Nirmansyah is an amazing man. He has a day job, so he is drawing whenever he has free time, and that does slow him down. So, I simply send him the script and some references that he can use for every single page. After that, he prepares a rough draft of the page that we discuss, and once it’s approved, he proceeds with preparing the final version.
What do you think are the key elements to consider when a comic book writer is working with an artist?
- Must agree and clarify the work agreement between both parties.
- Must agree on the process of working.
- Must accept feedback and always respect each other.
Have you already planned future installments for this comic?
Yep, a lot is planned, and only in time will I reveal the plans.
What would you say are the main pros and cons of crowdfunding?
For pros, crowdfunding bring you close to your potential fans, and you get to do all the work by yourself and keep the benefits for yourself.
For cons, to me, it’s hard to reach potential fans and backers quickly. Also, there aren’t many options for a lot of creators who live in some countries.
What is the message that you are trying to convey with your story?
The first message is the fact that people with deformed appearances suffer socially in the world. The second message is that people we consider ugly or deformed are not always bad. The third message is when people are united nothing can stop them.
Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, Ben. Any last words for our readers? Where can we follow you on social media and stay up to date with your projects?
I would like to say to your readers that Ben Ayad Hatim is a creator who will give you some of the stories to read over time from Ben-Zaldi Comics, and from other comic lines as well.
Campaign link: Support Lying Mirrors: Broken Glass
