By Zack Quaintance — Writer Ryan K. Lindsay, artist Sami Kivelä, colorist Lauren Affe, and letterer Jim Campbell have a new sci-fi/fantasy comic on the way with Everfrost #1, which is being published by Black Mask Studios. The first of four issues is available for pre-order now ahead of its June 2021 publication. Recently, I had a chance to send Ryan some questions about the new book, and you can find our chat below.

Enjoy!

INTERVIEW: Ryan K. Lindsay talks new sci-fi/fantasy comic, EVERFROST #1

ZACK QUAINTANCE: I definitely picked up on an interest in anthropology in your new book, Everfrost, a bit in the same way one feels it in the work of Ursula K. Le Guin. How did you approach building the fantastical cultures and societies that underlay this book?

 RYAN K. LINDSAY: I took a long, long time with my pen and a notebook. I try to figure out the central character first, and then slowly lock in the pieces around her. In this story, I had Van Louise, so then I start thinking about what kind of society she’s escaping from, and how it would have evolved over time. If I can figure out the flaws, and how they pertain to our lead, then I can start to build credible ways for that to have happened. Then I try to consider the flow on effect from these cracks and system bugs and how they would affect others and what pockets of interest they would build.

I think building a world of the future is done through study of the past and the present. Reading a book like SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari helps you consider how chaotic and fragmented a history of living things can be. Also reading about current affairs and being cognizant of how elements ricochet and topple other pieces on the board is really important.

A good friend told me recently that in a lot of my stories the villain is a representation of power in society, and I guess that tells you all you need to know about what kind of worldview I bring into my world building.

ZACK: I really enjoyed the balance between grandiose world-building and intensely-personal character drama. How actively aware of striking that balance were you in writing this script?

RYAN: This is forever at the forefront of my brain when writing, especially because I tend to write with a sci fi slant, so I’m constantly needing to show readers enough of the world to get context, but I also have zero interest in laying down slabs of exposition about every little cog in this make believe world.

For me, a story is about a character and their change/journey. You need to understand the world, and have faith that I know all about it, but I don’t think you need to be bogged down in it. Finding the sweet spot of giving enough where the reader can work to join the dots is what I like, but I’m aware sometimes I sacrifice saying the information out loud if it’s getting in the way of the character, a scene, or the tone. As a reader, that’s what I prefer. I like when a story makes me think.

At the end of the day, I want my characters to shine beyond anything else in the story. Their internal issues, and their external journey, are the core of my stories and I hope readers connect with that so much that they have to come along for the ride.

ZACK: The aesthetic in this book is really striking, feeling new in a really organic way for sci-fi/fantasy. Can you talk about how you and Sami Kivela collaborated on the design elements? 

RYAN: Oh, this is easy for me, I just take a step back, and then a step to the side, and then I put on some sunglasses, and I raise some devil horns \m/ and I watch Sami Kivela do what he’s best at.

When it comes to the world, and the characters/creatures, I give Sami a little bit of what’s needed, but then he takes that and just sprinkles on the ‘EPIC’ and the rest becomes history for us both. I’m acutely aware that whatever we dream up, he has to draw every pouch and every seam and every goggle, so I try not to overload him with visual details or specifics because I want him to create what’s comfortable and manageable. Though I’ve never seen Sami take anything easy on himself. His worlds and people always look so completely imagined and tangible that I’m always left in awe.

The only thing that matters for me is that Sami nails the tone of everything, and he’s yet to disappoint. His characters emote in a weary world and you should thank him for everything that looks great, and blame me for any missteps along the way.

Oh, and as for Sami’s page layouts, which are some of the best in comics today, that’s all on him. I try my best not to call too many shots in the script because I know what an astute reader Sami is, and I know he’ll make the absolute best design for scope and emotion on every page.

ZACK: I want to ask specifically about one really strong set of narration. The people who matter most are the person you were, and the person life is making you. That’s a pretty wise and poignant bit of ethos. Where did that line come from? Was it something that sprang from the voice of this character or did it come to you in another context?

RYAN: Thanks, I’m always so glad to hear when a beat or moment or line resonates with a reader. I think it came from both of those sources. I firmly subscribe to the “all writing is therapy” mindset, and Van is going through things I can definitely feel in myself. But if I try to sit and be introspective myself it doesn’t always work, so I run these concepts through someone else - Van - and suddenly I can turn the ideas over and look at them from different angles. It’s a powerful form of expressive creativity turning into receptive reflection and one I feel behind a lot of my writing.

When Van’s narration says that line, it’s about her [and me] considering how our past informs our present, and how our circumstances alter our paths into the future at all times. I find that discussion between free will and determinism fascinating; the thought that even when we think we’re making our own free choices that it’s actually a mindset and situation determined by every factor of our lives leading up to that point. It makes me realise how much of what we say and buy and do and see really does help us build a web of personality that informs our choice, perhaps to the level of making that choice for you.

All this relates to the story in that Van is very determined, she’s a master of her actions, and yet the world around her impacts on her and changes what it is in a way that’s going to push Van into places she would never have intended to go, and won’t know how she’ll react.

Van will slowly become who the world is making her, and then she’ll have to make the decision to give in to that, or go against the trend of everything putting her into that position. It’s a fun dichotomy to play with when it comes to character creation, their complications, and their overall arc in a story. As well as for us and our own lives, even here on boring old present day Earth.

ZACK: Finally, what’s the scope of EVERFROST, in terms of how long the book is slated to run?

RYAN: This is a four issue miniseries. Like many of my stories behind them, I love to build a giant worldscape and then narrow in on a specific character and story, and by the end we’ve really closed that story up. Hopefully readers come along for the ride throughout the rest of 2021.

Everfrost #1 is available for pre-order now ahead of the first issue’s June publication.

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.