By: Nicole D’Andria
In this
latest Kickstarter, see every mythology explored in Book of Lyaxia #1! Plus enjoy an in-depth interview with the
creative team of this mythical adventure.
Creator
and writer Aron Pohara immigrated to the United States from Crotia in 1997
because of a rift created by the Baltic War and uses comics and movies as an
escape, and he enjoys mythology because of the hopefulness it brings him. Hence
the love he’s poured into Book of
Lyaxias. His artists are Team Diaverik (comprised of Andy Baquerizo and Tsubasa
Yozora) along with colorist Jesse Heagy and letterer Francisco Zamora.
The
Kickstarter is trying to raise $2,500 by November 30, 2018 at 7:59 PM EST. Rewards
include digital ($5) and physical ($10) copies of Book of Lyaxia #1 with options for variants ($15) and art prints
($20). View the rest of the reward tiers on the Book of Lyaxia #1 Kickstarter.
I spoke
with writer Aron Pohara and colorist Jesse Heagy about their mythical
adventures below!
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| Aron Pohara |
Me: How would you describe the world you've created
in Lyaxia and the inspiration behind including all of the mythological
pantheons in it?
Pohara: What I want to do with the world of Book of Lyaxia is to express the majesty
that mythology has in a brand new light. More than that; I wanted to make sure
the readers can somewhat see themselves in those situations. Ask questions;
what would they do if they were faced with adversity and choices the characters
in the book are?
As for
inspiration, it comes from the old mythological stories as I really grew up reading
everything from Homer’s Iliad to
Mahabharata as well as old English folk tales and of course tons of comics and
cartoon shows when I was a kid. To me Gods are the original superheroes and I
just wanted to give them the gravitas they deserve.
 |
| Book of Lyaxia #1 Variant Covers |
Me: If you could only be part of one pantheon in
this story, who would you join and why?
Pohara: I would probably like to be part of the Anastos
family that here is represented by Adonis, Ares, Hypnos and a few others you
will meet down the line. Reason for it: they are close enough to the ruling
family without having that responsibility of the power and everyone trying to
take them down. They have some fantastic vistas as well that you will see
later. Plus with someone like Ares on your side wouldn't you want to be part of
it?
Me: If you had to pick your favorite story
originating out of the pantheons, which story would you pick and why?
Pohara: This is a really tough choice as every story is
unique in its own way and really represents different things. But Deimos and
Chronos' story, the one the first arc will complete, is certainly one of my
favorites because it is both a great standalone arc as well a catalyst for
other stories that may follow it.
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| Book of Lyaxia #1 Original Art |
Me: How would you describe the differences between
Chronos and Deimos?
Pohara: The most obvious differences between Deimos and
Chronos is that Deimos is a lot more measured, keen to see past the differences
between families. He believes in giving people chances and one could almost
call him naive. Chronos is a lot more callous, a lot more calculating. He's not
bad per say but he doesn't like to let things slide as much as his brother
does. For the others? You’re going to need to read the story!
Me: How did you go about finding Team Diaverik and
Jesse Heagy to work on the art?
Pohara: Finding artist was actually the most
interesting and most challenging part of the process. When I started the
process, I was mostly going around in artist alleys at conventions, trying to
find someone that could represent the characters I had in my head. Thing was, a
lot of the artists didn't really want to commit to the book, they only wanted
to do covers or pinups, which was fine. But I didn't have an artist. Originally
I had Ale Garza to do the character designs for me, but he wasn't available at
the time as he was working on other projects. He finished a first design for
Deimos and after that his schedule was getting packed.
It was
Ale that recommended Andy to me originally; and after going through some of the
art and talking to him, I found that he's a perfect match for the book. He
finished the characters in the outfits you see there; we made a few changes and
the rest is history.
Jesse was
Ale's recommendation actually as well as he worked with Ale on couple of books
and pinups; and the way I recruited him was that we did a test run of the
character coloring on a commission that I got done at a convention. Both Jesse
and Andy are fantastic to work with and add their own voice to the book with
suggestions and revisions when they find something that could use tweaking.
It's a true collaboration and I feel like I truly hit the jackpot with the
creative team I have here.
 |
| Book of Lyaxia Art Prints |
Me: Beyond issue 1, what are your future plans for
the comic book?
Pohara: The first arc of the Book of Lyaxia is seven issues; that is coming out. I am not going
to leave anyone hanging. Each chapter is a piece of a puzzle that is going to
be fully connected by the end of the 7th issue. Issue 3 is currently
being drawn and Jesse is well on his way finishing the colors on the 2nd
issue. I have every intention of finishing the first arc as I am currently
writing a 6th chapter myself, tweaking few things. So the first arc
will be finished 100%. There are stories beyond that, and possibly even one-shots
that focus on certain characters.
Me: What is the number one reason why people should
back your Kickstarter?
Pohara: For anyone that loves mythology, epic stories
and wants to support indie comics, this book is for them. For the backers, I
can just tell you that the book is done. Stretch goals are done. This is a
pre-order campaign. Anything I get from it will go toward printing the book and
delivering it to you.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for
aspiring comic book writers?
Pohara: The most important thing I can tell anyone
wanting to write a comic book, draw something or anything else you are good at
is: never stop and more importantly don't try to stray from your original
vision too much. You'll have people telling you no; don't be afraid of it. Tell
a story you want to tell, for yourself.
Write for
an audience of one, because ultimately that's what is genuine. And one
additional thing I can say is: don't question YOURSELF too much; don't question
every decision you make, every line you draw, or sentence you write. Finish the
product. Then re-read it and tweak it if necessary. But don't start re-writing
over and over again. Tell a story that comes to you; don't try to process it
too much.
Me: Jesse, How did you go about picking what kind of color
palette to use for Book of Lyaxia?
Heagy: I wanted to give it a fantasy feel and Aron had
given me some direction where he wanted the environment to go in each
land. This basically led to a use of purples and pinks, to a much cooler
feel on the "other side".
Me: Of all the pages you colored in the first
issue, which was your favorite to do and why?
Heagy: The scene at the table where the princes are
being questioned and someone is set ablaze by one of the princes, displaying
his crazy powers that have not been seen before. Firstly, it was my
favorite because I really like coloring flames and explosion, and secondly, it
is the first action scene of EPIC proportions.
Me: If you had to pick your favorite story
originating out of the pantheons, which story would you pick and why?
Heagy: I've always enjoyed the story of Zeus,
overthrowing his father, Cronus, and imprisoning him with the help of his
brothers. Considering Cronus tried to kill Zeus as a child, it is a pretty
slick revenge story.
Me: What is the number one reason why people should
back this Kickstarter?
Heagy: If you want a well-thought out-story full of
fantasy and mythos, and great art, check this one out. Aron has a ton of
issues ready to share with everyone and the story is very cool, starting out on
the fun side, and will delve into the darkness as well.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for
aspiring comic book colorists?
Heagy: Practice, practice, practice. I've always tried
to take a little something from other colorists that I admire and liked over
the years, and try to compile these techniques to get a unique style of my
own. I have done this for 10+ years and I am still learning and
evolving. Make sure that you are open to criticism and don't get
frustrated.
Me: Thank you all for taking the time to share the
mythology with us! Readers, if you’re interested in exploring multiple
pantheons, check out the first Book of
Lyaxia on Kickstarter.
Do you
have a Kickstarter? Want to be interviewed about it and have the project
featured on "Kickstart the Week?" Let me know in the comments below
or message
me on my website.
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