INTERVIEW: Meet Newton Lilavois

As the creator of some of the most spectacular comics around, few provide genuinely captivating stories like Newton does. A comic book creator absolutely dedicated to their craft, it was nothing but a pleasure to have the opportunity to interview Newton on his inspirations, process, and comics.

What’s the name of your comic or your publishing company?

The name of my publishing company is Dream Fury Comics. We currently have two titles out- Kisha Demon Eater and Crescent City Monsters. We also have a collaboration with RAE Comics for a Shattered Visions

What inspired you to write the story of Kisha Demon Eater?

The inspiration for Kisha Demon Eater came from two sources. The first was my teenage daughters. I wanted to create a story with a character they would enjoy reading. The second source of inspiration was an actual Angolan myth about a demon named Kishi. When I first read about him on Wikipedia, I was drawn to the African myth and decided that was going to be the starting point of my character’s origin story. 

What was the process of getting your story from idea to comic book?

Once I have an idea, I try to get a feel for the story in my mind. I work out most of the general ideas like what motivates the characters, how will the story end, how do I want to structure the story, etc. If the story is complicated, I’ll then create an outline to help me keep track of things. If I feel like I have a handle on the story, I’ll skip the outline and start writing. Many times the idea I originally envisioned looks different than the final product. I might add characters or a twist that I hadn’t originally thought of.

Were there any major roadblocks in the production of Kisha?

There were no major production roadblocks for Kisha Demon Eater, but I originally wanted the book in full color. I wanted the book printed by a certain date and unfortunately, I couldn’t find a colorist in time, so I asked the artist, Gian Carlo Bernal, to use grayscale and add color accents to the book. It was a good choice because people seem to love it. But I’m currently working with a colorist to get Kisha Vol. 1 colored. In fact, I’m launching a Kickstarter for funding the coloring soon. 

How has Kisha changed from the initial idea to now?

There were two major changes. The first change was Kisha originally was going to live with her Uncle instead of her Aunt. The second change was Kisha’s group of friends. Originally she mostly hung out with her friend Lexi, but I decided to include two male teenagers, Ishan and Ronnie. So Kisha and Lexi hang out together a lot. Ishan and Ronnie hang out together a lot. But they also hang out as a group with all four characters.

What advice would you give to individuals wanting to get into comic books?

There’s a lot I could say, but there are two things I would recommend. The first is to build your fanbase before you finish your book. The second is to try to create a story that’s really unique. It’s going to be difficult to grow an audience if your idea is a derivative of the Marvel or DC Universe.

What’s next for Kisha?

I’m currently working on the next volume of Kisha Demon Eater. I’m not sure how long it will take to complete but it will be worth the wait. The next volume will go deeper into Kisha’s relationship with her demon. We’ll get to see the new crazy world Kisha’s been thrust into. It’s going to be fun and interesting.

Is there anything that you’d like to say to followers of your comic book?

I’d like to say look out for more books to come out from Dream Fury Comics. There are a few more books I want to introduce. I’ve got so many stories that I want to share with you so stay tuned for what we’re coming out within the last half of the year.

Many thanks are owed to Newton Lilavois for the opportunity to interview him. It’s incredibly important to see representation in the comic book field and to know that you can do it too because you can do it too! If you’re interested in checking out Kisha Demon Eater and Crescent City Monsters be sure to visit https://dream-fury-comics.myshopify.com/ and grab yourself a copy!