io9 got a chance to speak with the Eisner-winning creator of the webcomic, Rachel Smythe, about the second and third seasons of the show. A best-selling graphic novel and the number one most-read series on the platform are some of the things that have happened to the series since it was launched. At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, io9 spoke with the New Zealand-based Smythe about how she built a diverse team to release weekly episodes. There is an update on the in- development animated series from the Jim Henson Company and Wattpad Webtoon Studios. If you haven't read the finale, please do. Thank you to the Eisner! How did you feel when you won your first award in the US?
It was emotional to see other people being acknowledged for their achievements and to see how they are appreciated. I cried a lot when I met people for the first time.
It has been great to see this adaptation happen in a time when there is a lot of re-framing of narratives for women in myth. I want to know what inspired this take.
When I was a child, I liked the myth of Hades and Persephone. It is a good thought exercise to re-contextualize all of the traditions and stories that we know and remember. One of my favorite parts is Hera, she was in the ancient world, and she was aware that the patriarchy is real. Mythos was written by Stephen Fry and he wrote a book about Hera that was used as an example of all things bad. Hera has been the bad guy in most of the retells. It is so easy to write her as sympathetic. This is a great opportunity to write Hera as a sympathetic character.
I am in agreement with you on Hera. You do a great job of changing it from a story where gods shift blame to the women in their life. You have provided Hera with more perspective. The energy of the colors is what makes her so similar to Bey's era.
Smythe is a huge fan of that. Zeus is often seen as a really good character in re-enactments. He is not. Even it out, Hera could be good.
I would like to talk about the two deities. The story, the romance, the visuals are everything. It came together for you.
I wanted to re-imagine them, but I didn't have the skills to do it. It's not easy if you have a full time job and you're tired from drawing. I had more of that discipline when I was older. If you want to make a comic or web comic, you need to choose things that are enjoyable. You have to pick something that looks cool to you and that you like, but not that you are okay with.
It was going to be black and white and abstract. At the last moment, I was doing a lot of Steven Universe fan art, and I thought it was fun. People could be drawn in this way as well. It is very enjoyable. The language of color can be used to convey feelings. I feel like I can do this more with the way the characters are presented. The environment in the Underworld is very dark and deep blue. It was designed so that when she goes there she sticks out a lot. It is believed that the reverse will work as well. When the settings are in Olympus, they have five pastels, which makes Hades stand out a lot. It is supposed to be complimentary in that way.
Webtoon was the perfect platform for Lore Olympus.
Smythe found it. The way that the comics were presented was innovative. I'm from a design background and I was happy to see this. It's smooth. It looks good. I would be happy to show this to a lot of people. It is supposed to be what it is. I had a comic on there but I didn't know what to do. I used to draw a regular comic page and I didn't know what to do, but then I decided to format my next comic like the comics that are on there. I wanted to test myself and see if I can make this work, so I was a bit of a learning curve at that point. The learning was the main focus at the time.
I fell in love with it when I read it and was following artists who were making fan art. I became internet friends with a person who went on to join your team, after following her on social media. Can you tell me a bit about the group of people you work with?
One thing that I find overwhelming is the type of fan that the show attracts. I like working with people that I want to work with and it makes me happy. Companies are like, "Oh, we can't do this diversity hire because we can't find anyone." You don't make spaces for people to feel comfortable there, that's why I feel fortunate that there are so many talented women who are interested in this project.
At the end of the second season, we have reached a very significant occasion. What do you have to say about the big moment? What are you looking forward to doing with the next era of the story?
I feel like this is the dessert, and I am very excited about the upcoming events. It is time for us to be ready. It is time for dessert. I'm ready for the steamy stuff now. The romance is here. You need to figure out how to make this long form entertaining. It is difficult because it is not a will-they-won't-they story, and it is the oldest story in the world. They are going to meet. How do you make that intriguing?
From what we know of the story, they can't have so many things. The section where we see the dream of a family with Persephone is my favorite. I wanted them to have a family. Is it possible that we are bending things to where that is going?
Smythe might be right. It is mostly working on making it still interesting to people once they are a couple, because I feel like sometimes in TV shows once the main couple does get together it can be a little difficult. Some people lose their spark and I think they still have a lot of fun with it. I have been waiting for a long time to be able to say that they can be together. I think it is cool. The boxes are looked at. I really liked writing the romance portion. Yes, that's right. I think it will be enjoyable.
I wanted to talk about the sensitive themes of the series. What do you think of fans who have connected on that level with the topic?
It was touching because you find out that you help people. I feel like on the subject of sexual assault, a lot of the time, nobody really discusses it, even to people that you love and care about. You just take it away and keep it for a long time. There are a lot of people in that situation where they don't have any validation and they're very isolated and it feels nice to be able to read. I think it's important for people to see someone go through something like that and then live a good life. The healing process needs to be shown. It's good for people. I hope that's true.
Since what happened caused a wedge between them, I am looking forward to seeing how all comes together between them. Is it possible to get an update on the show adaptation? Jim Henson Studios, a really awesome female-led company, feels like the perfect place for it to be.
I don't have a lot to share, but it's going great. There is always something to look forward to because I don't know what will happen. This is my first time making a show and I don't know what to expect, but someone will send me an email and I'll be like, "WOW, wow, wow." That is great. I'm happy! I can't give you a lot of information. It is definitely a collaboration. I'm happy for it to be its own thing. The best work happens when you allow people to do what they want but also be honest with feedback.
Do you know if you have a chance to visit the studio?
Smythe said that he had. I went there last year. It was a lot of fun. I took a photo with a model of Skeksis that they have. The costumes are cool. Growing up, henson was a favorite fan. I am very fond of Labyrinth, but I was afraid of it.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to chat with me. I'm looking forward to seeing the growth of the company on all of the platforms.
Smythe said thank you. I'm fortunate.
The third season of Webtoon begins August 27.
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