The Xcentrikz - Interactive Comic

Interview with Joseph Kovell and Alex Kolesar on their incredible adventure!

July 3, 2009

Just finished up a really nice long chat with Joseph and Alex about their amazing work with No Need For Bushido. This feudal-Japan adventure features great character development, an epic tale, a BIG archive, super comedy, and very lovely illustrations. Please have a view, it is updated Mondays. Use the new reader's page if you like. Thanks for reading the interview, I had a lot of fun doing it! :)

July 3, 2009

The Xcentrikz Team: Thank you so much for taking time for an interview today guys! We’d always enjoy bringing in new viewers to “No Need for Bushido.” Most people know it’s an adventure set in the exciting Feudal-age Japan. But in your opinion, what makes the comic particularly captivating?

Alex: The readers seem to like all sorts of different things! There's a lot of love for the main cast and many of the side characters seem to have a much greater following than they probably deserve. The story seems to addict plenty of people, what with all its intrigue and drama and comedy. I know I love the action! This is probably because I love drawing action. Probably what most of the readers find most attractive about the comic (or rather this is what I hope) is the amount of loving detail and care that goes into all aspects of NNFB. We totally dig our comic as much as the readership.

Joseph: The key is the characters. It doesn't matter how interesting the story is if the reader doesn't care one bit about the characters involved. Fortunately we seem to have stumbled upon a very likable and varied cast – including an extensive list of secondary and tertiary characters.

THE XCENTRIKZ: So you guys have come a long way in cartooning in the past years. Did you do comic work before NNFB?

Alex: I spent a lot of time sketching little comics in my sketchbooks for years. I can't say they were any good, and the only people who ever saw them were my friends, but around the time I discovered webcomics, I'd been drawing my own comics for so long that I figured I could totally do that!

Joseph: Like Alex, I had drawn short comics for my family and friends, but nothing quite like NNFB. I didn't read comic books, so most of my comics were more like funny pages strips. When I began writing NNFB I treated it more like a movie script than a comic book, which accounts for a lot of its unusual pacing near the beginning.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Well that's fun to know. So how were you inspired to get started with NNFB? What was it like getting the word out to people about your comic, when you were just starting out?

Alex: NNFB was an expansion of a comic idea that I'd worked on in high school. When we started the comic, we spent a lot of time just emailing other webcomics that we liked to read, asking for link exchanges. The first several years of the comic, though, we were very obscure, just expecting people to find our comic out of nowhere. We did pick up a very dedicated small readership, though, many of which are still reading the comic years later!

THE XCENTRIKZ: Why did Feudal Japan intrigue you? And could you explain to the new viewers what the title means?

Alex: I was (and still am) into stuff like anime and video games, especially the ones centering around Feudal Japan and samurai adventures. I have no problem admitting that I didn't know much about Japan when I started the comic, which is partly why the series doesn't try very hard to be historically accurate, mostly pulling from ideas we've seen in movies, cartoons, and games that we like. The title itself is inspired by the Tenchi Muyo episode titles that all start with “No Need for...” The main character in the comic is very into the idea of fighting as an honorable samurai warrior, and he's always confronted with those who don't really share his noble ideals. The Line 'no need for bushido' gets used several times by characters fed up with our hero.

Joe: Since Alex had come up with the basic idea while he was still in high school, the setting was decided before I came onboard. At the time I knew nothing about Feudal Japan. Fortunately Alex had the entirety of the anime Rurouni Kenshin on hand and that provided a basic crash course on the subject. I believe that a comic with a similar feel to NNFB could really take place in any historical or fictional setting, but I enjoy being a part of one of the few webcomics that takes place in this timeframe.

THE XCENTRIKZ: How do you feel about the illustration and writing techniques NNFB has developed? Are you looking forward to continuing to improve certain aspects, or are you reaching more of a satisfaction point?

Alex: My hope is that the comic will never stop improving! I kind of started the comic as a way to just practice my art. I never thought it would grow into what it has, or that it would still be going! I think much of the readership is just as excited to see how the art and writing will improve as we are.

Joe: It's really humbling to look back at something you were really proud of years ago and cringe. I guess that's a good sign, but it teaches you not to be complacent. I don't think we'll ever stop trying to make NNFB a better comic.

THE XCENTRIKZ: If there was something about NNFB that you could “magically” fix at no cost, no repercussions… What would it be?

Alex: There are NUMEROUS things about the comic I'd love to see improved. Most people don't complain about the beginning of the comic, but I'm always concerned that new readers will be turned off by the older pages. We've worked to rewrite some of the older pages' poorer dialog, but I don't have the time to go back and clean up the older art, which looks like an eyesore! I also wish we had designed the old pages for a print format so we could sell print version of the comic. As it stands, we've got a lot of work to do to get a print version of NNFB done.

Joe: I'd rewrite the first few chapters of the comic to focus more on Yori's backstory. At the time we tried to keep a lot of Yori's identity secret, but I realize now that Yori's current development more than carries his half of the story. I'd also try to introduce the supporting cast a little sooner. A lot of readers love Cho and Ken, but they aren't introduced until pages 40 and 60.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Are there people you know, or experiences you have that heavily inspire your work?

Alex: There are a lot of artists that I'm inspired by, but one of my favorites is Nobuhiro Watsuki, the artist behind the manga Rurourni Kenshin, which is still my favorite manga of all time.

Joseph: NNFB is heavily influenced by popular movies and television. A quick look through the archive will turn up references to Starwars, Monty Python, Kill Bill, and South Park, although these homages have become more subtle as the comic evolved.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Great inspirations there, yea. What’s your favorite part about updating NNFB every week?

Alex: Reader feedback, naturally! The comic wouldn't be nearly as fun without reading everyone's reactions to each update.

Joseph: I enjoy reading fan speculation. As a writer, it's the closest thing to having the story told to me since I get to hear possible outcomes that I hadn't considered. It's also a guilty pleasure to see readers follow an intentionally placed red herring.

THE XCENTRIKZ: What typically inspires the storylines in NNFB? Obviously you guys know a lot historically, but what other inspirations do you use?

Alex: I play far too many video games and watch far too many movies and cartoons to list all the inspirations for NNFB's plot. Seven Samurai is receiving some parody love in the current story arc. Concepts from Rurouni Kenshin, Naruto, Samurai Jack, Onimusha, Tenchu, and so on have managed to work their way into NNFB. I wouldn't say we rip off anything specifically, but we definitely pull a lot of inspiration from different sources.

Joseph: In its early phases NNFB was going to be a much more blatant parody of Rurouni Kenshin, but the characters really took the comic in a more divergent direction. Each individual story arc seems to go through a similar process where we have a particular parody in mind that quickly gets reinterpreted and personalized.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Do you have a favorite character you’ve invented? By contrast, does one of the characters really annoy you?

Alex: What a loaded question! I honestly love every NNFB character, but I think we may have too many... The cast may need some thinning in the near future... But I dare not say more. My personal favorite character is Ken, which was a last minute addition to the main cast. After working out Cho, Yori and Ina, I suggested to Joe we needed a tough guy who would get into people's faces, and be a general jerk to everyone. Joe wasn't sold on the idea, but I threw Ken in anyway. I think it all worked out in the end, seeing how most people agree Ken steals every scene he's in.

Joseph: I really don't dislike any of the characters in NNFB. There are a few “love to hate” characters, but that's a different matter. My favorite character has to be Ken's polar opposite, Cho, the blind Taoist priest with a wise (not really) saying for every situation. Lately he has passed the role of comedy relief somewhat to a couple of the smaller characters, but Cho still has some of the funniest lines in the comic.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Too many characters?! Naw. Hee hee. Well it’s fun getting to know the guys behind the comic… What do you like doing to relax after a hard day of work?

Alex: I play the occasional video game when I can find the time! I'm currently waiting for Katamari Forever and Muramasa: The Demon Blade. I also listen to a lot of audio books at my day job. I've fairly recently fallen in love with Terry Pratchett's Discworld. I'm also a huge scifi nerd, with an intense love for anything Star Wars (pre-prequel), Star Trek, and Stargate. In fact, if it's got Star in the title somewhere, I probably like it.

Joseph: I'm a gadget geek, NPR junkie, Nintendo fanboy, and avid webcomic reader. Right now I have nearly 50 comics bookmarked for reading and I follow most of those religiously.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Neat! ... Doing comics can be really fulfilling. Although especially since many web-comics are for free or non-profit, it can be challenging for some creators to reach all their goals... like paying the rent! What are the pros and cons for you guys in this regard?

Alex: I've got a full time job, and the comic feels like a whole other job on top of that. It doesn't leave me with a lot of extra time, and I have other artistic goals I'd like to achieve. Sometimes it can be a real pain trying to get everything done that I want. But I love the comic and the fans, so I'll probably never give it up, although we have had to make some tough decisions as of late related to our update schedule.

Joseph: The time really is the only sacrifice. Ultimately if you don't like making the comic it's just not going to last. The greatest benefit is hearing from readers and other webcomic makers. Having a hobby is good, but you can't beat sharing that hobby with thousands of people.

THE XCENTRIKZ: What other entertainers and cartoonists have you admired? How, if at all, do they influence your work?

Alex: I'm gonna plug my friends! Because having a bunch of art friends is always helpful when it comes to artistic motivation and bouncing ideas off of. Mad Sniper, artist and writer of the webcomic White Noise (http://wncomic.com/), Pascal artists and co-writer of Zap! (http://zapinspace.com/), and the GF, Jessica, the Neon Dragon (http://neondragonart.com/).

Joseph: Alex and I are fortunate to have a lot of very talented friends. There's a bit of a competitive spirit there that helps us push to improve our own comic and how we've managed it.

THE XCENTRIKZ: That's wonderful... How about opinions on the “webcomic industry…” Are there things you hope will improve or evolve?

Joseph: I think the industry is going in the right direction. The print comics industry is just beginning to see the worth of webcomics. Many online ad companies now recognize that webcomics can provide valuable page views like any other site, and even smaller comics can at least pay for their own hosting through services Project Wonderful. There are more social networks and online resources for webcomics to take advantage of than ever before.

Regardless of the growing opportunities to make a living off of webcomics, I think the industry will always be, first and foremost, a hobby and a learning experience for those who enjoy creating and sharing stories.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Thank you for the nice thoughts. Anything else to tell your fans out there? Are there any upcoming appearances you’re making, that we should all know about?

Joseph: We have two conventions coming up. We'll be at San Diego Comic-Con this July with a lot of our friends at Keenspot, and we're guests at Matsuricon in Columbus Ohio in August.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Oh great! Well - how about a hint on new developments in the epic NNFB storyline…?

Alex: Oh, upcoming story events are going to be intense! One could almost say the comic's story is at a major turning point, with big revelations and crazy fights just around the corner. I'm very excited to see how everyone reacts to the resolution of the Wataro army invasion story arc we have going currently.

Joseph: We're fast approaching an important part of the comic I've been planning for years, a new starting point, you might say, for the story.

THE XCENTRIKZ: Looking forward to that, neat. Again, you guys’ in-depth character development and captivating illustrations are really great… As well as your sense of humor! Thank you again for the interview, Joseph, Alex!

Alex: It was fun! Call upon us whenever you like, we are but your humble servants.

Joseph: Hey! I didn't sign up for this servant thing, but thanks for having us!

THE XCENTRIKZ: *laughs* Thanks guys, you're welcome. Everyone, please check out No Need For Bushido!

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