With the release of volume one of the Covenant graphic novel on May 15th from Oni Press, we got to sit down and chat with writer/artist LySandra Vuong.
Hi, LySandra Vuong; it’s so wonderful to have you here with us.
Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi! I’m LySandra, better known as Explodikid. I’m a full-time illustrator and comic artist. My main project is Covenant, a supernatural action comic about hot priests and even hotter demons!
Can you tell us about the origins of Covenant?
In 2019, I was working in biotech, but I was miserable so I began to plot my escape. I set out to teach myself how to draw at an industry appropriate level and started conceptualizing a webcomic to practice my skills. I filled it with all the things I knew and loved: tattoos, fight scenes, exorcists and demons, Catholicism, and queer romance, and thus Covenant was born!
How would you describe Covenant?
Shounen manga meets fantasy Catholicism inside of a gay bar.
What can you tell us about Ezra?
Ezra is a powerful exorcist blessed by the archangel Gabriel himself, and tasked with carrying out Gabriel’s cryptic plans to defeat the rising dark forces. Ezra’s a bit dumb, optimistic, and self-sacrificing to a fault. But even with all of his potential, Ezra struggles with his faith, which is a problem because he’s got to find his conviction if he’s going to have any chance at saving Sunny.
Who is Sunny?
Sunny is the mysterious college student that Ezra has been assigned to protect. He’s spent a lifetime running from the demons who took everything from him and acts accordingly, mistrusting, abrasive, and oh so gloomy. Sunny has to start trusting Ezra, before the demons get to them both and he meets his prophesied fate.
You are creating all of the art for Covenant. What part of that process do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy drawing the most! Drawing will always be my favorite part of the comic making process, whether it’s sketching or line art. Thumbnailing hurts my head too much, and coloring is boring, backgrounds are even more boring! I love drawing my characters and their interactions and emotions.
What has it been like working with Oni Press?
I LOVE Oni Press! The staff have treated me with so much care and respect which has been so new to me in my time within the world of publishing.
As a creator, do you prefer writing or creating art?
I am an artist first and foremost! I just happen to struggle with working on ideas that aren’t mine, so because of that I also fell into writing. Writing is still not as natural for me, but I’ve been loving getting to practice and improve with it!
How did Oni Press get involved with Covenant?
My agent was seeking out a traditional publisher to print Covenant and the editors at Oni Press were interested! I’m so grateful to Oni Press and their affinity for unconventional stories for giving Covenant a chance!
How long, on average, did it take you to complete an episode of Covenant?
When I was bright eyed and bushy tailed it would take me a week to complete an episode of Covenant. These days I’m a bit more burnt out so it takes me 10-14 days per episode.
With Oni Press releasing volume one of the Covenant graphic novel on May 15th, how do you feel about Covenant being available in print?
As someone who primarily reads comics digitally, I wasn’t as in touch with the community of readers who ONLY read books they can hold! And that audience is much bigger than I thought so I am very excited that they will be able to experience my comic!
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
Thanks for reading and I hope you pick up a copy of Covenant!
We would like to say thank you to LySandra for chatting with us, and we wish them the best of luck with the release of the Covenant graphic novel.
