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Welcome to our interview with the talented creator behind Prism World Moe Fosse, a captivating webcomic that combines art, science, and a touch of fantasy. In this unique story, the protagonist embarks on a journey to find her missing fiancé in a world where art is banned. Join us as we delve into the inspiration behind the comic, the creative process, and the Kickstarter campaign.
The idea for Prism World was inspired by my love of both art and science. These two subjects are often viewed as polar opposites, but I wanted to tell a story that blended them together, and I also wanted to create a sci-fi tale that bordered on the fun and whimsical. I decided a good place to start would be to make the main character an artist! The rest of the plot involving her missing fiance and the weird alien ban on art fell into place rather naturally from there.
I broke my creative process into two major steps so that the entire project would be easier to manage. For example, I wrote the full script for Prism World before ever starting the actual comic (it took nearly a year, haha). However, I did finish most of the character designs before writing. Once the script was completely finished, I started working on the comic itself! I tackle one page at a time (between 6-9 panels each) and further break pages into mini pages for webtoon scrolling. It takes me about two days to complete a page and each full episode takes around two weeks to finish.
As the synopsis of the story reads, Zoe is ‘prickly’. The friends she attracted in her early years weren’t the nicest people and many took advantage of her. As a result, she became guarded and selfish as an adult and really doesn’t care what others think of her. Of course, the one person she finally let in was her fiance Dmitri, her exact opposite, who we learn off the bat has gone missing; so much of Zoe’s development is learning to trust other people again and learning how to be a good friend to those who are trying to help her find Dmitri. It’s a slow process, but she’s learning!
Balancing both elements is easier said than done! Many readers prefer either one genre or the other and as a logical-thinking, sci-fi writer it was initially difficult for me to throw fantasy elements into the mix. I learned that sometimes you just need to rely on the readers’ suspension of disbelief to make a story work: Why are there walking sharks? How does a character have solid holographic floating hands? Who knows! Once I accepted that it was my world to craft as I pleased, I was able to relax and have more fun with it.
I grew up reading traditional comic books and was unfamiliar with webcomics, but some friends recommended I check out Webtoon and it seemed like the optimal choice at the time. Because of the nature of the Webtoon platform and the massive influx of comics being published there in the past couple years, it can be extremely difficult to gain any visibility. Unless a comic is often promoted by Webtoon, building an audience takes a lot of outside marketing on a creator’s part, and on top of already spending so much time creating the webcomic itself, burnout is all too common. It’s not all negative though! The Webtoon team is really active with the community on social media and are pretty cool people to work with. I think the platform as a whole has its issues, but it’s still one of the best places to publish a webcomic if you’re going to do so.
I’m pretty excited about the upcoming campaign! I’ve been posting about it ahead of time and I keep my readers updated about the project so that it stays on the radar. Since this will be my first campaign, I’ve made sure to follow recommendations from experienced Kickstarter creators to increase the probability of success (videos, pictures, descriptions, goals, you name it). In addition, I tried to take into account my audience and kept the funding goal at a modest amount to further increase chances of success. Haha, all in all, I’m crossing my fingers for a solid launch day!
Well, the amount of bonus content I add to the graphic novel will heavily depend on how well the Kickstarter itself performs. As of now, I plan to add a couple pages of concept art, mostly character art and some other little things, and a few never-before-seen bonus illustrations. Personally, I’ve always loved seeing concept art at the end of graphic novels because it can really provide insight into what a creator was thinking when they first started creating their story, so I want to provide the same experience for my readers.
Depending on which tier they choose, backers can expect to get a sheet of vinyl stickers (with six of the main cast) and/or a 5×7 original marker drawing. In the highest tier, backers will receive a larger fully colored marker illustration and a shiny holographic print! There is also a 5-inch vinyl sticker that will be available as an add on, but all physical backers will receive it for free on launch day, so if you’re early you can expect a cute li’l freebie! And of course, if stretch goals are reached, more sticker/print add ons will become available as the campaign progresses.
I’m just proud that the project exists in the first place! I’ve started many stories and comics over the years, but this is the first story I really buckled down and finished, which was hugely rewarding in itself. To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of confidence in my art skills (even while writing it, I kept telling myself certain scenes were going to look terrible because there’s NO way I’d be able to portray it well), but I’ve found that creating the comic on my own has pushed my creative skills and it’s getting easier to draw things I never thought I’d be able to before. The fact that scenes are turning out exactly how I pictured them in my head is such a cool experience and a reward in itself!
Social media has never been my strong suit, but I try my best to engage with my followers by responding to comments, dms, and supporting my fellow creators when given the chance. I also try to post things like polls and questions in my Instagram stories to connect with my followers. On Patreon I offer exclusive short stories and bonus content to make sure they know they’re important to me and I want them to get the experience they’re expecting. All in all, I do my best to keep my door open to communication and I often express my appreciation for my friends and followers. ^^
I love the idea of multimedia projects, so having a full soundtrack album to listen to along with reading the first volume is so exciting! I believe music can give a lot of insight into the characters and scenes that only reading the comic can’t provide, so I highly recommend giving it a listen. It’ll really enhance the experience and I can’t stress how amazing Lab Partner’s music is (plus the Prism World theme is simply a work of art).
Haha, I’ve faced my fair share of challenges, but I think the majority of them came up after I started posting the comic publicly in 2021. Before, there was a lot of excitement and writing and simply not caring what anyone was going to think of Prism World because I was writing it for me and me alone. But when I started posting it, I fell victim to doubt and frustration. Even though I didn’t care at first, I started to notice my comic wasn’t doing as well as other comics and I hated the way it made me feel. I eventually got so frustrated that I had to force myself to take a hiatus, which wasn’t easy. But it was a good thing because I took some time to remind myself why I was creating the comic in the first place and came back as a more level-headed creator. Now, I still struggle with negative feelings sometimes, but I’ve gotten better at not letting them control me and I focus on ways to find joy in my comic and appreciate others’ works as well!
Ooh, the story is still expanding and will continue to do so for some time. I try not to give out spoilers because I LOVE to surprise people, but a lot of plot points will be coming to a head sometime in the near future and I am really looking forward to tying it all together. Characters will meet, villains will rise, and mysteries will unfold– It’s all very exciting!
Wow, my goal for Prism World is to simply finish the story in its entirety! I’m about a year and a half in at this point and there are still a few years to go, so I want to keep going strong despite any challenges that come up. If this Kickstarter is successful I’d like to continue publishing the series as graphic novels and just give readers something colorful to read (Also, spinoffs are not out of the question, haha, I’ve already started writing one).
The biggest piece of advice I always give to aspiring creators is to create something YOU love. If you don’t have passion for what you’re creating, it will be difficult to overcome challenges and burnout will eventually finish the job. To be honest, this can be tough for some because a lot of algorithms prioritize numbers and engagement over content, so many creators fall victim to creating things only the masses will enjoy. Obviously, building an online presence does require some engaging of the algorithms, but be sure to strike a balance and try not to prioritize numbers too much. If you love what you’re creating, I promise you your audience will be able to tell!
I think the ‘passion’ part is what really keeps me going. I love Prism World and I want to share it with others, so I’m always motivated to continue working on it. Plus, I always have new scenes to get excited about, so once I finish a scene I’m able to power through to the next one, and so on! I’ve also stuck to a consistent schedule for a couple years now and it works for me, so even if I’m tired and don’t particularly feel like working on the comic, I still work on it out of sheer force of habit.
There have been quite a few! The moment I finished writing the script was a pretty emotional moment for me, to be honest. I had been working on it every day for months on end and suddenly it was done. It was thrilling but also a little sad. I can’t even imagine how I’m going to feel the day I finish the final comic! Another cool experience happened last year when my webtoon got nominated in the CANVAS awards, something I had never ever expected as a smaller creator. Even though I didn’t win, I felt so accomplished and it gave me even more motivation to continue on.
Like I said previously, marketing can be tough especially when you’re putting so much time into your webcomic. I try to have a presence on a variety of social media apps and sites, but I also focus on some more than others so that I’m not spread too thin. I like to use flashy, colorful illustrations in hopes of drawing in potential readers and I love participating in memes to showcase the comedy in my series, haha. I’ve even gone outside my comfort zone and recently started producing more videos to reach even more potential readers. ^^
Well, so far suggestions have been minimal, but I do keep in mind readers’ opinions on certain characters so I can gauge marketing techniques using said characters. It’s actually surprised me which characters have been more popular among readers compared to what I was expecting, but I’m certainly not disappointed! By their theorizing alone, I can tell a lot of my readers are intelligent people and I want them to feel respected, so I try to stay engaged with them and am always willing to hear them out.
It’s tacky, but the goal of Prism World is to tell a story with the goal of bringing readers some joy and a splash of color into their lives, and that’s all I really hope to achieve in the end. I want people to tell me that my story made them smile, whether they read it on Webtoon or through a physical book in their hands. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading Prism World.
We extend our gratitude to Moe Fosse the creator of Prism World for sharing their insights and experiences with us. Through their passion and dedication, they have crafted a visually stunning and engaging webcomic that pushes the boundaries of storytelling. As the Kickstarter campaign launches, we eagerly anticipate the continued expansion of the Prism World universe and the success of the project. To embark on this enchanting journey, make sure to follow the links provided and immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Prism World.
Webtoon | Kickstarter | Instagram | Patreon | Listen to OST
