Stela showcases an already impressive stable of creators like Joe Casey, Ronald Wimberly, Victor Santos, and Jason Copland producing exclusive content for the mobile comic reading app . We at Multiveristy are excited to be able to announce Stela’s next new and exclusive series “Tribes” from the creative team of Fabian Rangel JR and Logan Faeber. Last year writer Fabian Rangel Jr exploded on to a lot of reader’s radar with his hit series “Space Riders” with Alexis Ziritt from Black Mask Studios. Logan Faeber most recently teamed up with writer Max Bemis to bring to life “Oh Killstrike,” the love letter to 90’s comics from Boom Studios. This creative duo now teams up to release the all a new series “Tribes” featuring savage children, demons, magic, monster, gods and much much more.
In addition to this exclusive preview of the new series we were able to talk to Fabian about “Tribes”, teaming up with Logan, and working within the Stela format for comics. Be sure to check out both the preview and interview below and check out “Tribes” exclusively on Stela.
Editor’s Note: Due to the fact that Stela comics are formatted for phones and tablets, they don’t always cooperate with our formatting on Multiversity. So, to present the best versions for all of our readers, we have split the images into smaller pieces.
“When the only adult in a tribe of savage children dies, it falls on his shaman protege Kol to learn the mystical ways of the jungle in order to defend his tribe from dangerous outside forces. And in a world populated by nature spirits, demon animals, vengeful gods, and other tribes of savage children, that’s no small feat. Thankfully, he won’t have to do it alone.”
Thanks as always for taking the time to talk. You and Logan have been teasing TRIBES for sometime now it feels like. As someone who is a fan of both of your guys work I am already on board, but just for any reader out there who needs some more convincing, what in the world is “Tribes”?
Fabian Rangel Jr: Tribes is an all-ages fantasy-adventure mixing elements of The Jungle Book, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Flies. It’s about a group of tribal kids living in a mysterious jungle, dealing with magic and monsters. They’re on their own after the only adult passes away, so it’s mostly about their trials and tribulations, coming into their own.
The book promises nature spirits, demon animals, vengeful gods, savage children and more. What can readers expect from the the series and how are you approaching world building for this very distinct environment you have created?
FR: They can expect adventure, drama, and fun. The two main characters have a an almost love/hate relationship, so it;s interesting to see them having to get along for the good of their group. The jungle itself is strange, and it’ll become clear by the end of the first chapter that the setting is more unusual that first perceived. I just wanted the setting to feel multi-layered, like there is more to discover as the series continues.
The book centers around the idea of a tribe of savage children. Children are tough to capture both in voice and appearance. How have you guys set about to tackling the enigma that are children?
FR: It’s a fine line for sure, but they’re not infantile at all. They don’t sound too proper, either. I guess i just try and find a middle ground. The Goonies is a big influence.
“Space Riders” (Fabian) and “Oh Killstrike” (Logan) stand out to me as great representations of you and Logan’s respective styles. You both have a great ability to evoke fun in your writing and art. “Tribes” sounds like it might hit some more serious tones. What type of mood are you trying to set with this series?
FR: It’s not as over the top as Riders for sure, but it isn’t all that serious either. It’s fun, but I was definitely aiming to hit some themes I don’t normally go for. Overall, I hope readers get that sense of freedom, and adventure from the comic, but also come away having recognize the lessons these kids have to learn in order to survive.
Continued belowAs creators you have worked with Logan previously on Namwolf. What’s the creative relationship been like for two as writer and artist on the series?
FR: Well, they both take place in the jungle! Logan and I are on the same page as far as what makes a story interesting to us, and we both like animals, old things, and monsters/creatures. We spoke on the phone about cool stuff we could show in Tribes before we got going, and Logan had a couple of ideas we used that really added another dimension to the story. I love working with Logan and i think it shows in this story.
Stela Comics obviously has a very unique format for comic presentation with the series being made for reading on a mobile phone. How has it been working in this format? Does it change the way you approach layouts or how you might pace the story? Are the benefits that you found as you worked more with the series?
FR: I had been writing Santos (with Jason Copland) for Stela for a couple of months before Tribes started, so I had time to adjust. But I do feel that by the time I got to writing Tribes, I learned to master it a little better, and was able to integrate it more in the scripts. Then Logan took it even further, and the result makes for an awesome experience. Readers will be impressed, I think.
You both have a lot of experience in the normal print comic publishers. What makes Stela the place to tell this story for you guys?
FR: The fact that Jim (our editor) trusted Logan and I to tell a compelling story just from reading the initial pitch. This story really benefits from the scrolling format, and I love the weekly serialized installments.
What do you hope readers feel at the end of the first chapter of “Tribes”?
FR: I hope they feel like they really dig these characters, and that they are stoked on all the cool stuff they laid their eyes on. Tribes is a fun story to read for sure (thanks to expert lettering from Warren Montgomery), but man, it’s also just beautiful to look at.
