EPISODE 9 Deep Dive: Q&A with ETHERES Writer Anas Abdulhak!
Our first interactive post with a writer, and what a writer! What a book!
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Dallas and I did something different for Episode 9 - we read the same comic and independently chose two different wines to pair with it!
The comic was ETHERES by Anas Abdulhak and Dennis Menheere and published by Source Point Press - releasing this Wednesday, March 22nd! This was a very unexpected experience, that blew both of us away. And we reached out to Anas to do a Q&A, because we had sooooo m any questions we wanted to ask after reading his brilliant book!
Watch the Epidode here, then read the Q&A below!
Wine and Comics: This is your third comic based on a poem, we believe - the first being Eleutheromania with Anton Mozhegov and then the Zoop-funded Objects in a Mirror with Gaspare (credited as "Gasp"). Do you have yet more poems waiting to be transformed into comic format, or is this loose trilogy of one-shots the sum total of comic-poems you have planned, at least for now?
Anas Abdulhak: I have quite a lot of poems that I'd love to release into the world in comic book format. And I'll tell you a little secret, Objects in the Mirror was originally planned as a full book. A book that would feature comics such as If You're Reading This and To My Tree while also showcasing different poems each with a unique illustration by one of my favorite artists. This was of course a huge undertaking. One I couldn't fully develop or finance on my own. So I opted for the two comics that ended up becoming Objects in the Mirror! As it stands right now, this trilogy of one-shots will be my poetry-based work. or "Phase One" as Dennis likes to call it. But as I mentioned, I have plenty of poems so I don't think it's out of the question to go back to this formula once again in the future!
WaC: Excellent, we’re looking forward to those! But returning to these first three comics, OITM and Etheres are both significant leaps in evolution when considering the marriage of the poetic text with the art. As well done as Eleutheromania was as a first comic, these latest two comic-poems seem to have more confidence behind their structure and presentation. Did you approach the process differently for OITM and Etheres? In what ways would you say you evolved as a comic creator when working with Gasp and Dennis, respectively?
Anas: Most of the work on OITM and Etheres happened after Eleutheromania was released. And the reception I got from people who read Eleutheromania gave me a huge boost to just really get weird with future stories. Working with Gaspare, there was a bit of a language barrier that led to him taking lots of creative liberties with the visuals and panels. And that really taught me that comics work best when both parties contribute to the story and tell it in their own way. So when Dennis was working on Etheres, I gave him full creative freedom to do whatever he wanted. I would say "the script is merely a suggestion. you're the artist, so if you think something can be told in a better way, just go with your vision" and I believe that worked out perfectly in the long run.
WaC: The text in Etheres shifts between metered-style poetry on the splash pages and more traditional caption box prose on the multi-paneled pages. Was this how the text was originally written before it became a comic, or was this an intentional decision once you decided to adapt it?
Anas: Etheres began as a series of poems. Initially, I didn't know where I wanted to go with them. They were just a way for me to process the loss of my father. But then I reached a place where I felt like there was a story to tell here. So I began weaving the poems together and I wrote the prose to do just that. To connect the poems and expand on Valerie's story. And that's how the full narrative of Etheres was formed.
WaC: We also noted that Dennis' imagery was often jaw-droppingly perfect as a visual interpretation of the text - it had me wondering about the creative process between the two of you. Was there any back-and-forth in terms of tweaking the text to more exactly "pair" (sorry, couldn't resist!) with Dennis' art? Or vice versa?
Anas: Etheres began as a series of poems. Initially, I didn't know where I wanted to go with them. They were just a way for me to process the loss of my father. But then I reached a place where I felt like there was a story to tell here. So I began weaving the poems together and I wrote the prose to do just that. To connect the poems and expand on Valerie's story. And that's how the full narrative of Etheres was formed.
WaC: OITM was influenced by early Vertigo comics, and Gaspare's art on that book would absolutely fit snug right next to Richard Pace's (Doom Patrol, Shade the Changing Man), Ted McKeever's (Doom Patrol, The Extremist), or Peter Kuper's (The System). What would you say were similar inspirations for Etheres?
Anas: When I first approached Dennis to work on Etheres, one of the first inspirations I sent him was pages from Issue 2 of Scarlet Witch by James Robinson with art by Marco Rudy. The ethereal, almost dreamlike visuals in that book stuck with me since I first read the issue in 2015. There is even a direct homage to one of the pages in that book! The splash page with Valerie underwater and her hair forming panels was inspired by a two-page spread in that issue. As for the narrative, I think I will forever be influenced by Sandman in some way or the other. I wanted Etheres to really feel like a contemporary fairy tale the same way some of the weirder stories in Sandman do.
WaC: This is (we think) the very first full length comic that either you or Dennis has had released by an established publisher. How does it feel to have finally arrived at this point?
Anas: It feels triumphant! I pitched both Eleutheromania and OITM to many publishers before releasing them and received lots of rejections. Source Point Press was actually interested in Eleutheromania but their slate was full at the time so I kept them in mind for future stories because I got the feeling they were willing to let me tell my weird poetic stories. So when Etheres was nearing completion, I sent it over to SPP and they were really impressed with it. And despite their schedule being full at the time, they were adamant about publishing it and figuring out a way to get this book out there.
WaC: You've just signed up for literary representation with Azantian Literary Agency and have your first YA graphic novel project in the works with them. Can you say anything more about this project yet? And will they be representing you outside of YA GN work?
Anas: I'm currently developing and pitching several projects with Azantian Literary Agency! One of them is a YA graphic novel titled "Hummus" which is a slice-of-life story about food, family, and the rift between tradition and modernity. Another one is a very lighthearted and comedic Middle-Grade graphic novel about magical cats! And yes, Azantian will be representing me in all of my future literary endeavors and I feel quite honored to be working with them and being part of the ALA family!
WaC: Lastly, let's talk about wine! Do you drink any regularly? If not, is there a reason you've held back? Or if you do, do you have a favorite? Or another beverage you'd drink while creating these three comic-poems of yours? You mentioned that you were in a dark place when penning these poems, so it's understandable if maybe alcohol wasn't the best idea in those moments!
Anas: Wine is my drink of choice! I may not be a connoisseur but whenever I drink, a chilled Pinot Grigio is my go-to. While writing, I usually go for sweet tea with a splash of milk. I find it soothing, but it also has caffeine to give me the kick I need to finish what I'm working on.
WaC: Pinot Grigio is a wonderfully refreshing white! Once you check out the episode when it hits, you’ll note that us Wine and Comics people both thought Etheres needed something with a little more bite. If you love Pinot Grigio, I recommend seeking out an “Orange Wine” version (where they soak the juice on the skins like a red wine, but the yellow-green skins produce a wine looking orange/amber in color, and contribute a lot of additional, intriguing flavors!)
Additionally you can also look for a Grillo - a Sicilian white, equally as affordable and approachable as most Pinot Grigios, but with a bit more herbaceousness to give it that extra dimension. Give those a whirl some day, and let us know what you think!
And all the thanks and love in the world for taking the time to send us an advance copy of Etheres and answering all our Q’s with your A’s. Here’s to March 22nd and the big debut of the book!