With the launch of her new comic, Rangers of The Divide II: Into the Depths #1, next month from Dark Horse Comics, we got a chance to sit down and chat with writer, artist and creator Megan Huang. Her work can be seen in many titles including Double Jumpers, Princeless, Aggretsuko, Rick and Morty, Jia and the Nian Monster, Jenny Zero and Star Wars: Hyperspace.
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! Yes! I’m a Canadian comic artist hailing from the Greater Toronto Area. I’ve been a comics professional for about 6 years now? Probably going on seven. Ah, my brain has a unique concept of time, haha!
For any of our readers who are not familiar with the Rangers of The Divide series, what can you tell us about the series?
So, the series follows a group of cadets and their very secretive and rather abrasive commander. After a mysterious force starts to terrorize their lands, the Rangers and their companion dragons set out across dangerous wilds to find and stop said force.
How long does it take to create an issue of Rangers of The Divide?
Oh dear… it depends. But I think the fastest I’ve gone is maybe a month and a half. Lately I’ve taken on a lot more work outside of Rangers, so the pages have come in slower than I’d like. 6 (or 7) years and my time management is still a mess!
Do you have a favourite scene from the first series?
I think the entire Squall Owl chase was super fun. I feel I managed to capture what I was imagining fairly well on the pages, which is super duper crazy hard. I have a similar sequence in series 2 that takes up most of an issue. Just an action-packed ride! And it gets my blood pumping even as just the creator to draw the scene, so I hope readers feel the same way when they dive in.
How important is pre-ordering for an independent comic?
Oh very important! It tells the stores to stock more, and it tells the publisher to push the book more. It’s just good all around for the longevity of the series/ book, as comics can very easily, flop, not simply due to a mere lack of quality, but due to a lack of backing. We really do rely on readers so much, and we definitely appreciate when we have that backing from fans!
What part of the creative process did you enjoy more, the writing or the art?
Hm… I’d have to say the art. I think for series 1 it was the writing, but now I really just like seeing a page come together. That may be my impending deadlines talking though!
What was the feedback like from the first series of Rangers of The Divide?
It was positive from what I recall. People would reach out to say how much they loved it and that made my day every time. I did get one odd comment though from a review where they said the dragons looked more like Pokémon. You can take that either way, but I like Pokémon, I think a lot of us do, so I personally see it as a positive thing, even if that wasn’t the intention.
How did Rangers of The Divide find a home at Dark Horse Comics?
Oh, well, I think my work on Jia and the Nian Monster before Rangers, had a part to play. I was able to work with veteran editors and of course, and Mike Richardson himself, on that one, so I think that held some weight when pitching Rangers. Though it certainly could easily have been rejected too if the art or story or just everything in the pitch wasn’t up to par. Overall, I’m grateful that it has a home here!
The last issue of Rangers of The Divide ended on a cliffhanger for the Commander and the cadets. What’s in store for them in The Divide II: Into the Depths?
More creatures and more drama for sure. But also… more questions! Though the origin of the Juggernaut slowly begins to be answered. I can’t say more than that. But I think it’s gonna be a fun ride.
For anyone who has not read the first series of Rangers of The Divide; will Rangers of The Divide II: Into the Depths be new reader friendly?
We tried to make it so that it would be accessible to new readers. But I think there will honestly be some disconnect if you didn’t read arc 1. Though if you’re simply in it for cool new creatures, and strange new lands, you should be totally fine! Series 2 has a lot of that.
The first issue of Rangers of The Divide II: Into the Depths will be available on October 26th; what can readers expect from the second series of Rangers of The Divide?
Lots of underground jazz. Jazz as in events, not actual jazz, haha! this series goes subterranean, so I hope to surprise people with a whole new world in Into the Depths.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
Yes! Please read my comic! Haha! But on a serious note, thank you for taking the time to read through all my ramblings here.
A big thank you to Megan for chatting with us; we wish her the best of luck with her new series Rangers of The Divide II: Into the Depths.
