With the release of Archaic #1 from AHOY Comics, we are delighted to be joined by writer Melissa F. Olson. Melissa has written numerous books, short stories, and novellas. Melissa is the author of the Old World and the Nightshades series.
Hi Melissa, it’s so wonderful to have you here with us.
Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi, readers! I’m Melissa. I live just outside Madison, Wisconsin. I watch too many TV shows, I have too many dogs, and I am constantly wishing for more dogs and TV shows. Believe it or not, I am a professional writer.
ARCHAIC is my first full-length comic, but I’ve written a lot of urban fantasy novels and novellas.
Can you tell us about the origins of Archaic?
Very early in 2021, I was going through a divorce during a miserable Wisconsin winter in COVID lockdown. My kids were living away from me part-time, for the first time, and I felt pretty futile– sort of a premature empty nest feeling.
Because I tend to view everything in terms of mythology and legend and cool action sequences, I started imagining the very extreme of that useless feeling. What would happen to an ancient god if everyone who’d ever worshipped them was gone?
That was the beginning of the idea that became ARCHAIC.
How would you describe Archaic?
I like to think of it as an action-adventure murder mystery on a controlling magical island.
What can you tell us about Tess Halliday?
Tess is smart, tough, and resourceful…but when we first meet her, she’s in the process of hitting rock bottom. Her ex, the former governor of Illinois, ran off after racking up a lot of debt to some Chicago loan sharks. Since then, Tess has been trying to stay off the grid with nine-year-old twins and a teenage stepson.
What made Sally Cantirino the right artist for Archaic?
When I first had the idea for ARCHAIC, I asked a friend who’s written in comics and novels, Paul Cornell, if he thought it might work as a comic book. Paul was incredibly enthusiastic and supportive. He’d recently worked with Sally on a book called I Walk With Monsters, and he raved about her ability to draw legendary creatures.
How did Sally Cantirino, Gab Contreras and Rob Steen become part of the Archaic team?
Because I’m new to the comics industry, I was the target of some grade-A matchmaking by AHOY editor Sarah Litt.
Can you tell us about the world that Archaic is set in?
Like most of my writing, ARCHAIC is an urban fantasy, meaning it’s about a world where reality and magic exist alongside each other. The first issue spends some time in Chicago and on the road, so we get to see the gritty reality they’ve been living in. That makes it even more disorienting when the Hallidays arrive on a sentient island, Demonde.
How did AHOY Comics get involved with Archaic?
I first met with Sarah Litt to pitch a short comic for AHOY’s Project: Cryptid anthology. We had a really good meeting, and I ended up writing a story called “The Tall Tale Tour,” about the hodag, which is a big deal in Wisconsin but hardly anywhere else. During the process of making that story, I started talking to Sarah about ARCHAIC…although it would take us three more years to settle on that title.
What has it been like working with AHOY Comics, Sally, Gab and Rob?
This process has been so fantastic. The comics world is pretty closed-off to new people, and it’s a weird moment to step into the industry, with so many things in flux and new companies coming and going. I feel lucky to be working with a team that’s still enthusiastic about the work and happy to do everything they can to bring me in. I try not to take that for granted.
How long have you been working on Archaic?
From first idea to first issue on shelves, the process has been just under four years!
With Archaic releasing in December, how do you feel?
Let me just list my feelings like ingredients on a food label, from most to least: worried that no one will read it, relieved that it’s finally out in the world, grateful to Sally and Sarah and the rest of the team, apprehensive about what readers will think, hopeful that my urban fantasy base will come over to comics to find it, and delighted that I already know what I’m getting all my family members for Christmas.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
Obviously, I hope that you’ll seek out and enjoy ARCHAIC…but whether or not this particular comic is for you, I encourage you to use your voice (online and in person) to talk about whatever it is you’re enjoying right now. This is a tough time for creators in every artistic industry, and it’s easy to feel like what we put out in the world isn’t really reaching anyone. If you love a book, talk about it. Recommend it to friends, gush about it online, tag the creator. It doesn’t cost you a dime, and it reminds the people who make things that things are still worth making.
We would like to say a big thank you to Melissa for chatting with us and wish her and the whole of the Archaic team the best of luck with the series.
