Kara Bodegón-Hikino Interivew - Squalo & Mage Vs The Rage Of The Bakunawa

[00:00:00] - [Speaker 0]
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[00:00:11] - [Speaker 1]
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[00:00:55] - [Speaker 2]
Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Cryptic Creator Corner. I'm Byron O'Neill, your host for our comics creator chat. Jim and I seem to be covering lots more middle grade projects recently on the show. Not surprising really is there are so many great books being released in the space, and today's is no exception. All the way from The Philippines, I have illustrator Reda Karabodigan Hakino.

[00:01:20] - [Speaker 2]
She's got an absolutely delightful friendship fantasy, Squallo and Mage versus the Rage of the Bakunawa. It hits shelves near you. It should be on well, it's on shelves everywhere now, I guess. Right? Actually, Fair

[00:01:33] - [Speaker 3]
in The UK, it's it goes on sale on the eighteenth, and Australia, New Zealand on the thirtieth. Okay. June. Awesome. Yeah.

[00:01:41] - [Speaker 2]
Well, it's your first major solo graphic novel adding. Squaloming Mage is now on shelves everywhere. So what's the reception been like thus far? Like, how are you feeling having put out your first graphic novel?

[00:01:55] - [Speaker 3]
It's been really good. But, like, honestly, when I first found out that it was already available for review for, like, the book reviewers and stuff, I was so nervous. I kinda had a panic attack. And, like, I like it was so bad that I cried. And, like, I mean, I was because, know, it's your first it's your first baby out there in the world.

[00:02:20] - [Speaker 3]
And I don't know. I was nervous, but I at the same time, I knew that I wanted this. So it's been pretty good. After that whole episode, when I started accepting the fact that people have read it and good things have been coming out. I think I'm a bit more confident about it.

[00:02:46] - [Speaker 3]
Good. Yeah.

[00:02:47] - [Speaker 2]
Yeah. Don't dive too deep into the reviews at the beginning.

[00:02:51] - [Speaker 3]
Like Oh, yeah.

[00:02:52] - [Speaker 2]
That that can can be very overwhelming.

[00:02:54] - [Speaker 3]
Oh, yeah. For sure. But, like, I don't know. I'm just relieved that people like it.

[00:02:59] - [Speaker 2]
Yeah. I absolutely love it. I mean, I was immediately You know? I mean, the cover alone, you have a pink shark holding a balloon battle axe. Come on.

[00:03:09] - [Speaker 2]
Like that is that is the best ever. So initially my my first question was why a shark? Why is Squallo a shark? You know? And then and then I did a little research and was excited to see that we apparently both share a love of marine biology, specifically sharks.

[00:03:23] - [Speaker 2]
So tell me about that, because it absolutely has to be connected.

[00:03:29] - [Speaker 3]
Well, okay. So I love sharks. And I grew up wanting to be a marine biologist, but it didn't happen. I guess my path was really more towards writing and the arts. And I don't know, I feel like I'm either not smart enough to be a marine biologist or too lazy.

[00:03:50] - [Speaker 3]
But, instead of being a marine biologist, I guess I pay tribute to sharks by drawing them and making comics about them. Yeah.

[00:04:01] - [Speaker 2]
Very cool. So what's your favorite shark species?

[00:04:03] - [Speaker 3]
Oh gosh. I love great white sharks and whale sharks. They're my favorite.

[00:04:09] - [Speaker 2]
Okay. Okay. Nice. Yeah. I love the the wobbegons.

[00:04:13] - [Speaker 2]
They're kind of my favorite. I don't know if you're familiar with those.

[00:04:15] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. Yeah.

[00:04:16] - [Speaker 2]
Cool little, like, comb on on their their snout. So I think they're absolutely adorable. I think they're really cool. Well, beyond cartilaginous fishes, we both spent a good time deal of time in the music industry. I was on the tech side of things.

[00:04:31] - [Speaker 2]
One of my degrees is in anthropology with a focus on mythologies. So it's no wonder that this book appeals to me so much. It's this cross section of music and gaming and folklore and cultural expression, which is a pretty big pot to cook in. There's a lot going on there. So when you were first conceptualizing the project, how did you imagine blending all this stuff together?

[00:04:56] - [Speaker 3]
I think well, Squabble and Maid started out as like a mini adventure. I had like a small, like a mini comic. I guess you can call it, I can't I don't think you can call this series because I only did like two. But, yeah, it just naturally, it just naturally clicked for me to head in a video gamey direction. Okay.

[00:05:21] - [Speaker 3]
I guess you can say it is kind of like a clutch for me to to use video game references, in my storytelling. And I guess it kinda worked out in the end.

[00:05:33] - [Speaker 2]
I think so. I think it's, it was a great blend of it. It was unexpected. I've never quite seen it done like that, you know, with the gaming elements woven in, into the fabric of the comic. So I was kind of getting old school Legend of Zelda vibes, but I'm old.

[00:05:50] - [Speaker 2]
So Skull and Mage's relationship doesn't feel dissimilar to Pokemon Trainer. I get like, you know, Ash Pikachu thing going on. So what were some of your own personal gaming influences on the project?

[00:06:05] - [Speaker 3]
I guess my age will show also.

[00:06:09] - [Speaker 2]
It's okay.

[00:06:13] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. Definitely Final Fantasy and Neverwinter Nights. There are also some Pokemon and Assassin's Creed Easter eggs, I guess. Yeah.

[00:06:26] - [Speaker 2]
Okay. Yeah. My wife was a big Neverwinter Nights fan. She, she was a junkie for that for years. Never got into it.

[00:06:33] - [Speaker 2]
So tell me, tell me the appeal. Tell me the appeal.

[00:06:36] - [Speaker 3]
I mean, I guess it was just like it was my first, like, fantasy adventure RPG game. And Okay. I don't know. I just it's actually, specifically, Neverwinter Nights two. That's where I I was, like, really into it.

[00:06:53] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah.

[00:06:54] - [Speaker 2]
And it's the it's a basic party game because I'm I'm coming from, like, the okay. Yeah. The old school it was TSR at that time when they were putting them out. And you would put a party together, maybe so, six characters, and they would go adventuring. Is that -Yeah.

[00:07:12] - [Speaker 2]
-Pretty much the blueprint?

[00:07:13] - [Speaker 3]
-Mm

[00:07:14] - [Speaker 2]
Okay. Well, how did you then envision putting Neverwinter Night its influences? Like, how does this actually play out in the book in terms of, like, putting that video game element into the narrative? So it didn't trip it up?

[00:07:33] - [Speaker 3]
I think I think it's really like like I said, I using video game references was like a clutch for me as a storyteller. And also, like, you know, I just wanted to slip in as much of as much of the as much as I can of, like, the things that I love. And Sure. Yeah. Okay.

[00:07:54] - [Speaker 2]
Well, you also have a Filipino cultural element in the book, with folklore and emphasis on the Hawaiian. Am am I getting that right?

[00:08:02] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. Hawaiian. Yeah.

[00:08:03] - [Speaker 2]
Okay. Yeah. So if yeah. Great. The Internet didn't let me down on that one.

[00:08:08] - [Speaker 2]
But it I guess it means bamboo, and the mage's own personal journey is intimately tied to both being Hawaiian and connecting with the larger community. So is there a personal connection for you, or is it just intended to highlight the larger cultural movement? I read a little bit about it.

[00:08:27] - [Speaker 3]
I guess you can say that, I do feel a personal connection to it because that's what I grew up with, you know? I was surrounded by these elements.

[00:08:35] - [Speaker 2]
Okay. Okay. And then in terms of putting that in the book, you know, don't want to give too much away here, but, you know, mage is essentially found as people, or someone of the bamboo. Mhmm. So as this progresses, there's another volume planned as we understand it.

[00:09:00] - [Speaker 2]
You know, is that gonna be increasing in in terms of significance in kind of the narrative?

[00:09:06] - [Speaker 3]
Yes. I will not you

[00:09:08] - [Speaker 2]
can't give away more, that's fine. Well, there, there are multiple ways to convey a strong cultural identity in a project. You know, you could use cooking. You did use music, clothing, you know, you highlight other things. There's a lot of music Easter eggs in there.

[00:09:25] - [Speaker 2]
But that focus on mythology and folklore is kind of the nucleus of it. You know, my exposure to Filipino comics is now plastered by the Aswang filter with Tres and now this. So why did you make that folklore angle pivotal to the story?

[00:09:43] - [Speaker 3]
Well, first of all, Filipino folklore is cool. And I think

[00:09:47] - [Speaker 2]
It is cool. It's very cool.

[00:09:49] - [Speaker 3]
I think it's about time that more people around the globe knew about it. And, like, I mean, honestly, there are some people here in The Philippines who aren't very familiar with a lot of the creatures in our mythologies.

[00:10:05] - [Speaker 2]
Okay.

[00:10:06] - [Speaker 3]
Like the Bakunawa people, some people are like, what's that? And I'm like, I do not know this. But you know, and just tell them about it and explain, I have a book with has it, and yeah.

[00:10:20] - [Speaker 2]
Well, how much did you take in terms of liberties then with the folklore? Because I did a little bit of, you know, background, I watched some videos and stuff about the Bokinawa. And I guess the lore is that it swallows the moon. So this was a way to explain, like, a lunar solar eclipse type thing.

[00:10:37] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. Yeah. Actually, like, back in the day, there there were seven moons in the night sky. Okay. But the Bakunawa eats like six of them.

[00:10:51] - [Speaker 3]
And the people managed to scare the Bakunawa away by making lots of noise. That's why there's one moon left in the sky.

[00:11:00] - [Speaker 2]
Okay. Okay. So is the the Bakunawa, like, your your favorite, mythological creature than in sort of the Filipino canon? Okay.

[00:11:08] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. It's cool.

[00:11:10] - [Speaker 2]
It is. I mean, I absolutely love winged serpents. I mean, I have one on my arm here. You know, I have a familial attachment to the octenna, you know, which has roots in the southeastern ceremonial complex, kind of where I'm from. So it's the most prominent thing on my tattoo sleeve.

[00:11:27] - [Speaker 2]
And there's this really interesting history with, I guess, Spanish colonization essentially demonizing the Bakanawa and kinda changing its roots and some regional variation as well, you know, cross pollination with India and with Chinese, you know, belief structures. So your version of it is is that, like, the distinctly Filipino? Like, where did you pull from aside from, okay. This creature is cool. So so

[00:11:56] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. I think I I just really pulled mostly from, like, Filipino folklore for the Bakunawa. Like Okay. When I I first discovered it in high school, and I don't know. I wouldn't say I was obsessed with it, but I always found it fascinating.

[00:12:12] - [Speaker 3]
And it's also pretty cool how, like, different countries have their own version of it. So yeah.

[00:12:18] - [Speaker 2]
Okay. Yeah. The big bad in there is a, and I'm probably going to butcher this one, but is a Mananangau? Is that

[00:12:26] - [Speaker 3]
the Ah, yeah. Pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. Mananangau.

[00:12:28] - [Speaker 2]
Pretty good? Okay. Yeah. Okay. Okay.

[00:12:30] - [Speaker 2]
Those things are absolutely terrifying. That is a very strange looking creature. So what's the story with those?

[00:12:40] - [Speaker 3]
So the Manananggal is a swang, and they're okay, so like their body cuts in half and then the upper body flies around and like terrorizes people. Sometimes they eat babies, you get your blood, kind of like vampire y stuff. And the other half just stays, like, on the ground. And one way to defeat a Manananggal is to put salt on the lower half. Yeah.

[00:13:14] - [Speaker 2]
Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah. Was it trying to remember what the Western correlation with the you put salt. I think it's a witch thing.

[00:13:22] - [Speaker 2]
Uh-huh. Unlike a windowsill. Uh-huh. Can't quite remember. But from from the book, I thought the most interesting one, and I was wondering if if this is actually canon accurate here, is the the Nuno.

[00:13:36] - [Speaker 2]
Can you actually bribe a Nuno with adobo?

[00:13:41] - [Speaker 3]
It depends on the Nuno. Mean, like everyone has their preferences, including, you know, mythical creatures. So, like, there's this this bike trail that I passed one time. And my brother warned me to be careful with a specific tree or this bush because Anuno lives there. And there's this guy who stepped on it and this guy got gross boils all over his skin and he only got cured after he offered Dunkin Donuts to that to the Nuno there.

[00:14:22] - [Speaker 3]
So yeah. How did he figure

[00:14:23] - [Speaker 2]
out that Dunkin' Donuts is the right thing to bribe a Nuno with?

[00:14:26] - [Speaker 3]
I mean, I don't know. I think it's just like what the the locals say. You know? Sometimes it's like a lot of times it's like chocolate. It's a local, you know, sweet here.

[00:14:39] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah.

[00:14:40] - [Speaker 2]
Sure. Well, and who doesn't like Dunkin' Donuts? I mean, like

[00:14:43] - [Speaker 3]
Oh, yeah.

[00:14:44] - [Speaker 2]
Yeah. No brainer there. Well, you mentioned the tree that was on the trail there. So there is a tree in the book that has the new no with it, right? I was reading about your own battle with postpartum depression while you were working on the book.

[00:14:59] - [Speaker 2]
We talk a lot about mental health in the show. My wife is a psychologist. So there was a that moment in the book was ultimately they're trying to get the, koala, if I'm pronouncing that correctly.

[00:15:13] - [Speaker 3]
Koala. Yeah.

[00:15:13] - [Speaker 2]
Okay. Koala tree to smile, you know, and a problem that ultimately gets solved with the kindness of others. Know? Mental health is a struggle that everybody goes through. It's not the book's overarching message, but I'm glad you included it in our project that's targeting a younger audience in such a simple and elegant way, because we need we need more of that in comics for kids.

[00:15:38] - [Speaker 2]
Yeah. So walk me through kind of why you wanted to put that in there, and the importance of it to you, or

[00:15:46] - [Speaker 3]
Well, I don't know. I've always been I think mental health and, like, struggles with mental health, you know, mental health issues, like something that I I was I've been passionate about. And I think, like, a lot of kids don't really understand what they're feeling, you know, especially, like, if they're growing up in a confusing environment. When I was growing up, parents split up. My therapist told me that's not a normal environment for a kid.

[00:16:29] - [Speaker 3]
And I want to help. How do I say this? I want to tell kids who have been in that kind of situation that it's okay. It's okay that this isn't, you know, like, everyone's normal. But, you know, you're gonna be fine.

[00:16:52] - [Speaker 3]
Surround yourself with good people. Take care of your mental health. You know? Yeah. I don't know.

[00:17:01] - [Speaker 3]
I think it's just really something that I have big compassion for also. A lot of my friends have been diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety, like myself. I think it's important for people to understand and be more compassionate about these types of situations.

[00:17:25] - [Speaker 2]
Yeah. I mean, going through that, my understanding is there was a bit of a hold on the book, while you were working through things. How did you end up channeling what you were going through, which ultimately represent the book is overwhelmingly positive, right? So there was certainly at some point, the shift or something clicked in your head. You know, what happened?

[00:17:50] - [Speaker 3]
Well, honestly, like, I didn't, the whole, the whole story came to me, like, before my dad passed away and before I became a mom. So I guess it's just coincidence that my main character goes through grief and I went through grief. I still am. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:18:13] - [Speaker 3]
Sorry. What was the question again?

[00:18:15] - [Speaker 2]
No, no. I mean, I was just asking why or how you were able to channel it and, you know, make it such a positive expression in the book. Right. You know, cause it wasn't the folk mental health is not the focus of the book at all. Yeah.

[00:18:30] - [Speaker 2]
But it's just an element that I locked onto, I guess. It's from my read through.

[00:18:36] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. Well, I guess I kind of make fun of my own mental health issues. That was that's like you know, I I make not that I make fun of it. I I try to make it a bit more playful so that I'm not sad all the time. You know what I mean?

[00:18:57] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. So, like, I I tried to, like, make sure that I get to hang out with, like, a lot of my a lot of my friends. And they'd also help pitch, like, hey, this can be something funny that you include in the story. And I was like, oh, yeah.

[00:19:14] - [Speaker 2]
Okay.

[00:19:15] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah, it's really like, really all about like surrounding myself with good people. Yeah.

[00:19:21] - [Speaker 2]
Oh, okay. That's awesome. I was, I was wondering if kind of what the, the scene was like there, because in The Philippines, it's with comics and oftentimes people will end up writing the thing that they didn't have access to when they were a kid. Right? So I want, you know, other people to have this thing that I did not have.

[00:19:42] - [Speaker 2]
Was was that an element of it at all

[00:19:44] - [Speaker 3]
for you? I'm not sure. Not really. Okay. Yeah.

[00:19:55] - [Speaker 2]
Okay. Well, one of the the most memorable aspects of the book is the the color palette to me. It's right. It's not surprising. I'm a self avowed color junkie.

[00:20:04] - [Speaker 2]
I actually fancied myself an amateur colorist until I really tried to do it and learned how hard it was.

[00:20:09] - [Speaker 3]
Oh, yeah.

[00:20:10] - [Speaker 2]
Oh, my God. It's really hard. But it provides a very distinct visual identity while keeping it very simple and uncomplicated. You have pink and teal and purple and gold tones. So did you draw the whole thing and then start coloring?

[00:20:27] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. Actually, like, I guess it's just like your typical, like, sketches and then inks and then color, you know, process. Yeah. So sketches, inks, colors. And then but then I I think I got stumped with the colors, actually.

[00:20:49] - [Speaker 3]
The palette that you see now wasn't the original palette that I had. I felt stuck with the original palette that I had. So I asked a friend for help. He's this huge his name is Rob Cham, and he's this huge he's this huge guy in the comics world here. And, we got in a video call and literally he just played with sliders in Photoshop and then we landed with the palette that you see now.

[00:21:20] - [Speaker 3]
And when I offered to pay him for first his time in his office, dude, I didn't do anything. It's just a few adjustments and that's it.

[00:21:32] - [Speaker 2]
Well, it works. It's very, very memorable in terms of a color palette. Okay. So you you clearly have had a journey with coloring. Is that the thing that you found to kinda be the the hardest element of of doing this whole shebang by yourself?

[00:21:46] - [Speaker 3]
I think so. Like, I mean, like, the line art was pretty hard too. But like, I think the coloring was where I got stuck. Because I was I really wasn't happy, especially like the night scenes. Yeah, it felt like it didn't feel right.

[00:22:04] - [Speaker 3]
Or like, these colors didn't go well together. But I guess it turned out nicely in the end. Yeah.

[00:22:14] - [Speaker 2]
I think so. I think it's great. And I think the to me, the the endearing thing about it is just how darn cute the So whole thing I gotta ask the balloon battle axe, like where, where does that come from?

[00:22:30] - [Speaker 3]
I don't know, man. It's just like, I guess, like, I was just trying to come up with, a weapon for Squallo because actually, he originally had an actual battle axe like a big thing that actually than what you see in the like the later half of the book that was his original battle axe but I was like no this is too hardcore especially like for like from the start. So I tried to think of what's a cute, funny weapon that he can have that can still be a weapon. And yeah, I looked up balloon weapons and, yeah, landed with that.

[00:23:19] - [Speaker 2]
That's cool. Yeah. So you started with the, essentially, the evolved form of the acts to begin with, then had to pair it back. Where who are some of your comic influences then? Like, with the style?

[00:23:34] - [Speaker 3]
Oh, shucks. Well, with the style, I mean, as I think my one of my earliest, influences is Ben Temple Smith, which who's like, super, like, dark and scary vampire, weird art. That's like, I don't think you'll see that influence in my work at all. Another one is Andy Stevenson, who did Pneumonia. Yeah, who else?

[00:24:06] - [Speaker 3]
Oh my gosh. Kay O'Neil. I really I really like there's this oh my gosh, I forget. I'm forgetting the title. But like, one of the books that Kay O'Neil did was a Dewdrop.

[00:24:22] - [Speaker 3]
It's super cute. And there's also Megan Nicole Dong. Like, I think a lot of my influences, like, my later influences, they all have, like, shark characters too, actually, come to think of it. Yeah.

[00:24:44] - [Speaker 2]
So you're a big King Shark fan?

[00:24:47] - [Speaker 3]
Oh, yeah. Yeah. But I think if we're going go to the superhero sharks, I think I like Jeff.

[00:24:56] - [Speaker 2]
Yes. Yes. Everybody loves Jeff.

[00:24:59] - [Speaker 3]
Everyone loves Jeff.

[00:25:01] - [Speaker 2]
So did Squallo then come before Mage when you were kind of Yeah. Conceptualizing this?

[00:25:08] - [Speaker 3]
Actually, like, I just wanted to make comics out of Squallo before. And my husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, he was like, no, he has to have, like, a partner. And when I I came up with Mage to partner with Squallo for this one comic that I did, and it was inspired by this band called December Avenue. They're friends of mine from college, actually. And wherever I went, there's this one song.

[00:25:42] - [Speaker 3]
It's called Kung Tirin Lang Ikao. And it was playing everywhere. And I was so proud of them. They're your college friends. You go to bar gigs with them.

[00:25:53] - [Speaker 3]
And then suddenly, you're like, everywhere. So like, you know, I just wanted to like pay tribute to them. Like, hey friends, you've made it. And, yeah, so this, my version of that, I made Squallo and Mage adventure around battling bad guys, traveling to this place called December Avenue and where their song is always playing. So, yeah.

[00:26:20] - [Speaker 2]
I have experienced that myself with, the Dave Matthews Band who I worked for for a while. And the first time that I did a show of theirs that was a frat house, and it had about 12 people in it. Woah. Yeah, that was probably around December, and then by the next June, they were the biggest band in the world and selling out every single band. Crazy.

[00:26:47] - [Speaker 2]
-TATI: They show that. It was nuts. I've never seen quite a meteoric rise the way that Dave Matthews' band did. It was crazy. So, you know, they caught lightning, but yeah, I get, I get a 100% what it's like when, when your mates, you know, make it and you're like,

[00:27:05] - [Speaker 3]
yay. Yeah.

[00:27:06] - [Speaker 2]
So, yeah, yeah, that's really cool. Well, I'm excited to see that book two is apparently already in the works. Are there any teasers on where the duo's journey might be taking them that don't give the whole thing away?

[00:27:21] - [Speaker 3]
Well, they go to another side of Mundo. And what can I see? I guess, like, with book one, I I give a lot of shout outs to, like, Filipino bands, December Avenues and the really, really tiny fair. And there's a band called Itchy Worms, my friend Gabba. But for book two, if my editor will let me, I'm going to go towards the heavy metal route.

[00:28:02] - [Speaker 2]
Oh, sweet.

[00:28:03] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. So let's see if they agreed like that.

[00:28:09] - [Speaker 2]
That's awesome. Yeah, I worked in metal for years, Yeah. And it's it's so much fun. So is you gotta forgive me here. I have no concept of what the Filipino metal scene is like.

[00:28:24] - [Speaker 2]
So who should I listen to? Who should I check out?

[00:28:27] - [Speaker 3]
Oh my gosh. Putting me on the spot here.

[00:28:32] - [Speaker 2]
Sorry. Not sorry.

[00:28:35] - [Speaker 3]
Okay. I don't know. I guess because, like, there's, like, a whole mix of bands. But one of my favorites growing up was this band called Greyhounds with a z at the end. And then there's this band called Lost Threads.

[00:28:52] - [Speaker 3]
They're cool. If you're into like the Genti metalcore sort of stuff, them for sure. More and there's this other like, post hardcore hardcore band, Brick City. They're really cool too.

[00:29:10] - [Speaker 2]
I have heard of them.

[00:29:11] - [Speaker 3]
I don't know why, What? But I've heard of

[00:29:14] - [Speaker 2]
I I the name rings a bell in my head. I don't know why. Maybe I've got other friends that are, like, big, big metalheads. They have podcasts that all they do is talk about metal. So maybe it's from that.

[00:29:26] - [Speaker 2]
I don't know.

[00:29:27] - [Speaker 3]
That's cool. What else? There's this other other band. I'm forgetting their name. I haven't actually haven't really been active in the metal scene in so long.

[00:29:40] - [Speaker 3]
But, yeah, I think you should check those out. Yeah.

[00:29:44] - [Speaker 2]
Oh, I definitely will. I I'm expecting don't give anything away. I'm expecting Squallo to have at least some kind of air guitar sort of solo thing happening. Don't have to elaborate. I'm just I'm just I'm I'm manifesting this happening because I wanna see a pink shark playing a guitar.

[00:30:07] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. Let's see.

[00:30:08] - [Speaker 2]
That's just me. That's just me being hopeful. So, all right. Well, dear listener, do yourselves a favor and please check this out. Incorporating all these varied elements that we've talked about.

[00:30:18] - [Speaker 2]
It could have easily gone off the rails, but Cara has successfully blended all these influences. And if you're not sold on Squallo, the cute little shark that rocks up with a balloon axe and rec shop on some bad guys, then I'm sorry. I can't help you. But it is it is like the coolest little character that I have seen in a very long time. And I know Kelly's Kelly's gonna be mad at me, but I think I think he looks cooler than Jeff.

[00:30:47] - [Speaker 2]
So

[00:30:49] - [Speaker 3]
No. Don't say that. Oh my god.

[00:30:52] - [Speaker 2]
But anyway, marketing a book in today's overstimulated social media landscape is tough. Right? I'd imagine, especially so in in foreign markets. You've got a great interview that you put up with Mage on the Instagram. So you've worked in music.

[00:31:09] - [Speaker 2]
You know the grind. What else do you have up your sleeve that that you can look forward to so we can push people towards following you on the socials?

[00:31:18] - [Speaker 3]
Well, I also have, like, some Squalowin' Mage. I don't wanna call it merch, but it's merch. Like, I have this, here. I have a blind box.

[00:31:29] - [Speaker 2]
Oh, cool.

[00:31:30] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. And it has, like there's a key chain and the sticker inside. So, like hang on. I have a key chain here. This is, like, this is the oops.

[00:31:40] - [Speaker 3]
This is, the secret key chain that comes with it.

[00:31:43] - [Speaker 2]
Oh wow.

[00:31:44] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah, it's pretty cool. Like, squallow and mage there. And then I have, the other ones like just mage.

[00:31:54] - [Speaker 2]
Okay.

[00:31:54] - [Speaker 3]
And then, Squallo. There. And then, there's the Bakunawa. Cute Sweet. Version of And then, I have like a washi tape for the journaling guys out there.

[00:32:10] - [Speaker 3]
So yeah, like, I've been doing I've been promoting Squalid Mage and the Grounds, like when I when I do art markets and stuff. So going so far, this stuff is still just available here in The Philippines. I'm going to New York though in September for an event, so hopefully I can get some stuff out there too.

[00:32:34] - [Speaker 2]
Hoorah. Yeah. If you need a shop to connect with, to help you do that, I will be happy to set you up.

[00:32:43] - [Speaker 3]
My friends

[00:32:43] - [Speaker 2]
at Any One Comics, they're in Brooklyn, and I guarantee you, they will love you. So

[00:32:49] - [Speaker 3]
I mean, cool. Thank you. Yeah.

[00:32:52] - [Speaker 2]
Yeah. A 100%. I mean, that's what comics are for. It's one big community. Everybody should be helping each other out.

[00:32:57] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah. Aw, that's so nice. Thanks.

[00:33:01] - [Speaker 2]
Oh, no worries. I'll put a link in the show notes so everybody can find you on Instagram. Definitely do give her a a follow there. It's definitely worth it. I I think more people should be interviewing their OCs because I haven't seen it and it's a fantastic angle and I'm like why haven't people thought of this before?

[00:33:18] - [Speaker 3]
I guess guess I'm just lucky because I have a niece who voices mage and like her voice is perfect for it like it's so cute right? Her voice is just perfect for me. She's like, love talking to her about, you know, doing squalowing, more squalowing mage stuff. So more on that soon.

[00:33:43] - [Speaker 2]
Very cool. So have you thought about animation as a as a possibility for it? Has that you know, have you explored that?

[00:33:53] - [Speaker 3]
I mean, like, I I've been doing, like, really short animated clips. Yeah. I I think my latest one of my latest reels is one of the scenes from the book where Mage was still a baby, and she tries to wake Squallo up. I have you you should check that out. The one the one who actually voices Mage is my son.

[00:34:15] - [Speaker 3]
He's like three

[00:34:16] - [Speaker 2]
years old.

[00:34:16] - [Speaker 3]
It's really cute.

[00:34:18] - [Speaker 2]
Oh, that's so cute. That's awesome.

[00:34:20] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah.

[00:34:21] - [Speaker 2]
That's awesome. So does he, have you read Squallo and Mage with him yet?

[00:34:26] - [Speaker 3]
Oh, no, not yet. Like, he pretends to read it. You know, he likes going through the pages, but I'm afraid that he's gonna tear the pages. I don't really let him hold the book. But yeah, I supervise his reading time when it's my book, but it's like other books, whatever.

[00:34:46] - [Speaker 2]
It's no big deal. I just picture him running around the house at some point, you know, with Oh a battle axe and

[00:34:52] - [Speaker 3]
my gosh.

[00:34:54] - [Speaker 2]
Yeah. That's inevitable. That's going to happen.

[00:34:56] - [Speaker 3]
Oh, for sure.

[00:34:59] - [Speaker 2]
All right. Well, it's my cousin to keep things on, wrap things up on a positive note. So we do a shout out here. This can be somebody who did something nice for you or somebody you'd like to recognize, something that inspired you recently, you'd just like to share in the hopes of spreading a little joy. So I'll go first to give you a minute to think about it.

[00:35:17] - [Speaker 2]
Regular listeners will know the considerable health struggles that my family has been going through in 2026. My son had a very rough senior year on that front, but he's on his senior trip right now, and he's overseas in Italy. He checked in with a phone call the other day, and he was talking about how stuffed he is on all the the best pasta that he has ever had. You know, and even though I can't be there personally, I'm beaming to just hear he's out there and, you know, healthy and having a great time. So that's mine.

[00:35:48] - [Speaker 2]
What do you got?

[00:35:49] - [Speaker 3]
Oh, gosh. Okay. I think I got one, but I'm shy. Okay. So I'm really grateful to everyone who's gotten my book and who's read it.

[00:36:06] - [Speaker 3]
But like, there's this one person who got my book recently, and I'm like, I cried, I think a bit. Yeah, did. He's Randy Bly from Lamb of God. The vocalist.

[00:36:19] - [Speaker 2]
He

[00:36:22] - [Speaker 3]
sent me a message that he picked up my book and I'm like, I love you. Personally, he's a huge hero to me. And, like, as, you know, as a as a singer, as a writer, and, you know, all around good guy. Like, super, like, super look up to him. And I worked with him for a bit as an illustrator for his newsletter on Substack, and for his book tour.

[00:36:57] - [Speaker 3]
And, yeah, just the fact that he picked up my book felt super full circle to me. And, yeah, man, I really feel that I picked the right hero. Know what I mean? Yeah. I really appreciate and admire generally kind people.

[00:37:19] - [Speaker 3]
Yeah, it's cool.

[00:37:21] - [Speaker 2]
Very cool. That's awesome. Well, Kara, it's been a pleasure getting to host you on the show. I'm absolutely looking forward to book two and would love to have you back on and and hear more about it. And we can actually go into a little bit more of at least the spoilery stuff from book one at a minimum.

[00:37:38] - [Speaker 3]
Oh, yeah.

[00:37:38] - [Speaker 2]
But thanks for thanks for coming on. I know it's, it's earlier, in the morning there in The Philippines, so

[00:37:45] - [Speaker 3]
Alright. Thanks for having me. I really had fun. Yeah.

[00:37:48] - [Speaker 2]
Of course. No problem. Well, this is Byron O'Neil, and on behalf of all of us at Comic Book Yeti, thanks for tuning in, and we will see you next time. Take care, everybody.

[00:37:56] - [Speaker 3]
Peace.

[00:37:57] - [Speaker 2]
Bye. This is Byron O'Neil, one of your hosts of the Cryptid Creator Corner brought to you by Comic Book Yeti. We hope you've enjoyed this episode of our podcast. Please rate, review, subscribe, all that good stuff. It lets us know how we're doing and more importantly, how we can improve.

[00:38:16] - [Speaker 2]
Thanks for listening.

[00:38:18] - [Speaker 0]
If you enjoyed this episode of the Cryptid Creator Corner, maybe you would enjoy our sister podcast, Into the Comics Cave. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.