FROM WEB TO PRINT: SARAH ELLERTON ON INVERLOCH

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Last November, Seven Seas Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based publisher originally dedicated to publication of Original English Language (OEL) manga, announced that it was expanding its publishing line to include three fan-favorite webcomics; Inverloch, Earthsong and Chugworth Academy.

The first volume of Sarah Ellerton’s Inverloch, rated #1 webcomic on Topwebcomics.com and ranked #1 for popularity on Onlinecomics.net, hit stores this week.

Inverloch tells the story of Acheron, an innocent young pup from the horned wolf-like race the “da’kor.” After a chance encounter with a beautiful elf, Acheron sets out on a seemingly innocent quest -- that of trying to locate another elf who has been missing for the past twelve years. Together with his newfound companions, Acheron quickly learns that the world is not the peaceful place he believed it to be, embroiled in prejudice, hidden danger, and unexpected mystery.

Ellerton dropped by Newsarama.com to talk more about it.

Newsarama: Inverloch started out as a webcomic (webmanga?), correct? How did it land at Seven Seas?

Sarah Ellerton: An industry insider who had seen my comic online recommended it to Seven Seas, who then contacted me to see if I was interested in having it published. I'd had previous publishing offers in the past, but nothing went through.

NRAMA: What made you create this in the first place? Inspirations?

SE: I'd been painting in Photoshop for a while, but began losing interest in what I was doing. Comics provided a new outlet for my art and also allowed me to start really developing my drawing style. I was inspired by a lot of the other comics I had seen online, especially the full-color story based ones.

NRAMA: Just how well is the webcomic doing?

SE: I think it's doing quite well for the type of comic that it is. At the moment it's getting about 25,000 unique visitors / 1.5 million hits on update days, which is probably not much compared to some of the popular gaming and gag comics, but it's a number I'm quite happy with. My forum has started crashing a few minutes after my updates go online, so my site is beginning to get to the point where it can't handle the traffic!

NRAMA: Good to hear that. Moving on, what are your thoughts on webcomics going to print? A few have been quite successful and well-received such as Megatokyo, Penny Arcade, PvP...

SE: I think it's great that a comic that is being provided completely free online can still do really well in print format. Obviously there are many advantages to having a printed copy of a webcomic, such as image quality and portability, and readers are aware of that.

NRAMA: What are some of the obstacles that you'd encountered? Lessons learnt when moving from the web to print?

SE: I think the biggest problem I've had with my webcomic is being able to have it hosted cheaply and reliably. It consumes a lot of data transfer each month, and I've switched hosts several times.

As far as the print side of things goes, I'm a graphic designer by profession, therefore I'm experienced with working with print design, and preparing my files for print was no trouble.

NRAMA: Could you give us a brief synopsis on the project, the characters and the world that they live in?

SE: Inverloch is the story of Acheron, a member of a race of beast-creatures, who falls in love with an elf and promises to find her childhood friend who was kidnapped twelve years prior. Discovering exactly what happened to this elf and why he was kidnapped makes up the bulk of the story. Acheron isn't much of a fighter, nor is he particularly smart, but he makes up for it in kindness and diplomacy. The other characters who assist him on his journey include thief Varden, mage Neirenn, and elven thief-catcher Lei'ella. The story is set on a small continent in a fantasy medieval era.

NRAMA: What kind of a character is Acheron?

SE: I've tried to make Acheron a bit different from regular manga heroes. Aside from being non-human, he's also pretty unskilled in all areas, and prefers peaceful solutions to fighting. He cares deeply for other people and selflessly does what he can to help them, and is almost always optimistic about whatever situation he's in.

NRAMA: Who or what are the da'kor? What's their history?

SE: The da'kor are an original race created just for this story, as I wanted to have something other than the standard fantasy races. They're a cultured people, and generally live in small family groups rather than settling in large cities. Because they tend to keep to themselves and appear beast-like, humans are especially wary of them and thus circulate rumors about them being primitive, ferocious monsters which is contrary to their true nature. Unfortunately, some da'kor are beginning to retaliate against the humans who kill them, only further serving to promote the fallacies spread by humans.

NRAMA: Who's this missing elf that Acheron and his gang are looking for?

SE: There is not a lot known about Kayn'dar, the missing elf, other than the fact that there was something about his magic ability that made him unique. It's tied in with a larger problem that's affecting the entire elven population, and may possibly be the reason why he was kidnapped.

NRAMA: Could you go into more details about his newfound companions?

SE: Lei'ella: She's an elven thief-catcher, also interested in finding Kayn'dar for reasons which are not entirely clear. She shares the unusual hair and eye colour of Kayn'dar, and is unable to use magic.

Varden: A thief who originally used the group as a distraction so he could sneak out of town, he's now tagging along out of both curiosity and an interest in Lei'ella.

Neirenn: One of the mages, humans with small amounts of elven blood which give them the ability to use magic. She's tired of her life at the magic academy, and sees joining the group as an opportunity to gather some real-world experience.

NRAMA: Where do things go from here? What could you tease about upcoming webstrips?

SE: The story online is several volumes ahead of the printed version - there is only a volume and a half left to go. The characters are about to have a lot of their questions answered - but there could be a high cost for this knowledge.

NRAMA: What do you hope to achieve with Inverloch?

SE: Mostly I just want to have fun creating something that people enjoy, and something that inspires others to create their own comics or perhaps go ahead with projects they had been putting on hold. Having it printed has just been a nice bonus.

Inverloch Vol. 1 (of 5) is in stores this week. Read the webcomics at www.seraph-inn.com.

Seven Seas’ official website is located at gomanga.com.

[kingofcities]

Wow, that art is fantastic. I'll have to check this out.

[Krishna Sadasivam]

Breath-taking art - I'm going to have to check this one out...

-Krishna

[the_sentry]

I've been reading this online for a while. Good to see it in print!

[ssava]

Inverloch is an incredible series and Sarah is a REALLY nice person!

It's like reading an animated feature! I advise everyone to pick up this book or at least start reading it online.
You won't regret it.

[spyflip]

I don't know how some feel about this, but between these previews and books like Mouse Guard am starting to enjoy the return of simple fantasy books. They are fun to read to kids and for yourself. Sometimes you just get tried of violent-controversial driven stories. Don't get me wrong I love Vertigo and a lot of Marvel stuff, but sometimes it’s great just to enjoy something simple and light

[sequart]

It's got a great cartoon feel. I'd watch this. Give her an animation deal!!!

[Cicero]

I've been waiting for the print release since last summer. It's great to see such a fun story finally reach the bound page.

[marioboon]

At the moment it's getting about 25,000 unique visitors / 1.5 million hits on update days, which is probably not much compared to some of the popular gaming and gag comics, but it's a number I'm quite happy with. My forum has started crashing a few minutes after my updates go online, so my site is beginning to get to the point where it can't handle the traffic!

manga is popular? Who'd have thought that!

[LunarDaydreamer]

Absolutely stunning artwork.

I think we're seeing an future superstar in our midst.

[CitC]

Very nice. I had not seen this before. Thanks for the heads up.

[skullduggery]

I've been following the web-comic for several months and was quite excited when I saw the printed volume solicited by Seven Seas.
I didn't hesitate at all in ordering it and I'm looking forward to getting it as soon as this month's order ships.

[kingofcities]

So is this book out RIGHT NOW or not? It says up above it's out "this week" but the website they linked has it out next week. Just wondering if I should hit Borders this weekend or not.

[skullduggery]

Finally got this in (my orders only ship monthly) and I have to say it looks outstanding.
Thanks to Seven Seas for picking it up and I hope it is a great seller for them (and Sarah of course).

[kingofcities]

When does Vol. 2 come out? I picked up two copies of the first volume. One for myself and one for a friend and her daughter. I need to make sure and get my hands on the second book.

[AbacusComics]

Inverloch is awesome, and it's now available on Wowio.com as full chapter e-comics!

Oh, and so is Earthsong Saga, mentioned in the article.

[Not From Around]

Originally Posted by CitC

Very nice. I had not seen this before. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm assuming by now you've tried this title out with students. What sort of reception has it had? I'm considering making this a library purchase.

[kingofcities]

Originally Posted by Not From Around

I'm assuming by now you've tried this title out with students. What sort of reception has it had? I'm considering making this a library purchase.

I bought a copy and gave it to Moonbeam for her daughters. She said they both really liked it.