By: Mithrandiel
A couple years back I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Andrew Kafoury – a talented storyteller and world-builder who had constructed a Conan-esque comic series called No’madd.
Our paths crossed yet again recently at WonderCon 2019 – where I saw that his comics had received a visual overhaul, which prompted me to swing by and check in on how things were going. Check out my interview with him below!
Hello again, Andrew! It’s been a while since we first showcased No’madd – what’s been going on with the property over the last year or so? Can we expect more comics?
This last year has been about growth and patience. Diamond has agreed to push our books, but I wanted to improve the art and story a little more and then begin distribution.
Illustrator Aaron McConnell joined the team – Aaron is an incredible fantasy illustrator. With his help we have seven No’madd books completed – and an eighth book on the way.
What’s been your biggest learn in bringing No’madd to publication, and beyond? Was there a problem you weren’t expecting to have, and got blindsided? Or did things largely shake out as you imagined they would
Things have gone better than expected considering fantasy adventure is a tough sale. You have to be really committed to make fantasy. Printing is the toughest part.
We had a great conversation around the nature of creating a world and the influence external forces like TV studios have when we connected at WonderCon. What has been your experience so far with No’madd beyond the comic space? If you could go back in time, what would you do differently with that in mind?
My experience with Hollywood and its story formula system has been wonderful. I’m grateful for the people in story development for film and television who have reached out help me better understand myself and my story. But at the same time, I’m also grateful that I found out how to get this story told my way. I don’t think I would change anything I did in this process. Except I would have stayed off social media and worked harder.
We’re in an interesting time – creator culture is rampant with services like Twitch, Etsy, Patreon and Kickstarter helping people to bring projects to life that would otherwise be laughed out a “traditional” boardroom. Do you think that these services have made it harder for unique works to stand out and get recognized?
I don’t think so. I think the most important thing is to make your story as good as you can. Don’t worry about what other people think or do. Just try to produce good work.
What’s next for you? Any sneak peeks into the next world that you want to bring to life?
I’m collaborating on an environmental story for a graphic novel that could be adapted into a major motion picture but everything is under contract so I cannot share more than that.
Last question – reading any interesting comics at the moment?
These days, I mostly reread Classic X-Men. But I love Sansa Takeda’s art in Monstress.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out No’madd – we highly recommend it! You can find the books here.
