Wonder Island #1: Production Hell 0 | Conquest 1 (Patreon)

It's no secret that Wonder Island has been fraught with peril and problems. The book started out as a love letter to the Irish folklore I was raised on and the art style of my favorite artist in the world, Brian Froud. But finding an artist who could replicate that style was like finding hen's teeth. Plus, producing it would have cost an arm and a leg. I had this crazy idea to make the book a treasure hunt to engage the audience, so a lot of the money would be allocated to that.

So, I got to thinking, since I was already well-known for the manga style and Wonder Island was meant to be a fun book with a heartfelt message, what if I did something in the vein of Tezuka? I'd always loved Osamu Tezuka; his work has profoundly shaped me as a person and a creator.

Building on this idea, I thought the more cartoony style would suit Yuka as a beginner. It's hard to mess up hands when they're in gloves and feet are stylized. It was a way of paying homage to one of my creative heroes while also concealing the fact that I was training up a new artist. I was confident she could handle it. Talent, drive, and a dream—those ingredients always make for exceptional artists. Anyone can draw with enough time, but those with a passion, focus, and drive to bring something to life are the ones who thrive and become true professionals. At least, that's always been my observation.

Early in the series, Yuka started suggesting additions to the book in the form of new characters. Since this was a learning exercise for her, I workshopped it, reshaped the story, and included them. It significantly changed the book from the 60-page boy and his dog story I initially envisioned into something more in line with traditional shounen. And while we deviated a bit from the Brian Froud and folklore elements at the core of my concept, they remained at the heart of the franchise, so I had no complaints.

Since we began the project, Yuka's biggest insecurity has been her fight scenes. She wasn't confident and would mention it regularly. So, to help her, I gave her eight pages of freedom to exercise her skills. It might have turned out to be closer to twelve in the end, but I thought it was crucial for her to learn the craft, especially since at the time, I had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. Through a mix of stress and ignorance, I was convinced I was going to die. My best friend had worked closely with Camp Quality, with kids with cancer, and I'd seen the devastating impact it had on him and his family. I was shaken and terrified, but as the team leader, I was determined to help Yuka achieve her dreams, gain the skills passed down to me, and prove, not only to the world but to myself, that hard work and determination could beat out raw talent.

Wonder Island had transformed. It wasn't just a fun book anymore; it was a mission. Something I was committed to. Something I had a vision for. To Yuka, it would be a training exercise; to me, a love letter to classic shounen adventure, dedicated to my dead dog, and a gift to my soon-to-be-born daughter—my legacy.

A lot happened during the course of development. Everyone told me it was stupid to color the entire book, but I wanted it to look like something lost and found again. I wanted that bright magic and fun atmosphere that is completely absent from the pages of most modern comics, which smolder in the banality of washed-out browns and dusty oranges.

I told myself if this was to be my last book, then it would be something worthwhile. A novel, a children's adventure book, including a little bit of something from everyone involved and for readers of all ages. But my ultimate goal, the thing I would never compromise on, was that I wanted it to be something people could revisit. Something that might have made you laugh on your first reading but might inspire you on the second. I wanted you to see new things on each page, with each turn, and at the very least have a fun little animation in the corner of each page so even if you weren't in the mood to read, you still had a fun way of distracting or entertaining yourself with the book.

I knew it wasn't going to be as big as Xenotype: Dreamcatcher, but I had faith in the secondary market that it would find appeal, and there have been large publishers canvassing for the book and keen for me to finish it. So, that might yet happen.

But it hasn't been easy getting here. By now, you all know the story—the hurdles, the absurdities, the constant nonsense, and internal disruptions. But what you might not know is I decided a long time ago what this book was going to be.

I wanted it to wow readers the same way the old Ancestral Trail series captivated me as a child, the same way Tezuka's stories flooded into my mind when looking for inspiration, and I was not going to compromise on that.

A lot of other creatures, Yuka included, were angry at me for not just putting out the book. "JUST GET IT DONE," they'd yell or express through passive-aggressive jabs. At first, Yuka understood that we were taking our time with it to make it right, but by the end, she got pretty fed up. She decided it was done long ago and was refusing to adjust the revisions I requested. We'd spent a lot of time together, and it led to massive breakdowns in communication, long stints of silence, and, in my opinion, needless frustrations and difficulties in the workplace. This happens sometimes when you work closely with people, and hopefully, in time, it will pass.

I had minor surgery, beat the cancer, and suddenly I had a brighter tomorrow to look forward to. My plans to color over a third of the book had fallen apart, as the people involved just decided they were not going to do it, leaving me stranded. So, I was stuck with the two colorists I'd originally hired, who were toiling away like mad. If everything went as I planned, we'd be where we were three months ago, and you'd probably already be holding the book in your hands, but nothing is certain, and life will change the plans you've made.

Still, I didn't want to quit. I didn't want to give up. The backers had put their faith in me and their money, and whether this was a money sink or not, I wanted to get it done. I wanted Wonder Island to be read and enjoyed by people.

As a writer who's predominantly worked in horror and science fiction, this has been my first chance to produce a simple heroic story with a light-hearted but fun atmosphere. And while there was a lot of my vision, I needed to compromise, and though Yuka's art skills were not quite capable of capturing some of the scenes as I'd originally imagined them, I'm very proud that we're almost on the other side of this.

Looking over the first 160 pages in full color for the first time has put me in a very nostalgic mood. I'm grateful to everyone who stuck it out and showed me patience and understanding. In the time working on this project, I've seen so many faces come and go, my life has changed, I've become a father, a farmer, and though at this stage it looks like Yuka Cross will not be continuing her partnership with Conquest Comics, it is a milestone in her career, and I am sure she will continue to produce manga or art in some capacity going forward. And so, at the very least, in that regard, the project was a shining success!

There are currently 52 corrections remaining on the book (the majority of which are extremely minor color corrections). After that, I will be lettering the book and putting together the print file. It's my hope to produce some bonus content for the back of the book, as I'd always intended, but with Yuka's departure, I may be somewhat limited and delayed. Things in that regard are still up in the air, but given the massive praise the world-building got from Kakashi: Murder Dolls, that is a tradition I'd like to keep up in the pages of future releases from Conquest Comics.

I'm already looking to other artists who can replicate the Tezuka-inspired style, and I have a couple of really talented candidates. So, I don't imagine it would be long. Part of me kind of wants to do a word jumble and similar puzzles or activities to include in the back of the book too, but that will be the last thing we do before going to print.

It's been a hell of an ordeal, but if you're getting impatient over your book, please take a minute to see what a massive effort it has been getting you this book. The people who backed paid for 60 pages, a little over two chapters, and you're going to get 5 chapters, a treasure hunt, and an honest-to-God little piece of my heart and soul.

Anyone else would have quit and refunded the money and shelved the project, but through all the ups and downs, all the expenses, and blindsiding, I saw it through and now, together, we're going to release a little bit of magic back into the world.

... and I couldn't have done it without you guys, thank you!