BOOM! Studios: TAKE 10! is an interview series asking writers and artists about their new series or graphic novels.
Continuing the celebration of the 10th Year Anniversary for the award winning BOOM! Box imprint, BOOM! Studios is proud to bring S.I.R. to shelves in Summer 2024! Ringo Award-nominated indie darling cartoonist Fell Hound (Commander Rao) brings an over the top sports and battle anime-coded series that is not one to miss!
Get ready for your new obsession…MOTORCYCLE JOUSTING!
Fate brutally separated Avery Sakai from her girlfriend Nico Xing, but acceptance to the Bridleham Academy might be just the thing to bring them back together. But shockingly, Nico’s extracurriculars are the last thing Avery expected from her.
Now, to win a second chance at love, Avery will need to throw herself into the violent but captivating world of the underground motorcycle jousting fight club known only as SEISMIC IRONCLASH ROULETTE!
1. What was the most challenging aspect of working on this series?
Fell Hound: Trying to figure out the motorcycle fight scenes! I think in my head I was all “it’ll be so cool!” and then realized choreographing action scenes…on motorcycles…from multiple angles…was going to be a struggle. So I added ramps, defied the laws of physics and put some magic realism in it to give the jousting some flair. Though I gotta admit, my brain is usually mush after thumbnailing.
2. Could you explain the title?
FH: S.I.R. stands for “Seismic Ironclash Roulette,” which is the name of the motorcycle jousting ring at Bridleham Academy. At the S.I.R. students gamble and make bets on the riders, who’re all knighted nicknames like “Sir Ares” or “Sir Reaper.”
I actually came up with the title before I even knew what the book was going to be about! I knew I wanted something that sounded insane, like “Neon Genesis Evangelion” or “Revolutionary Girl Utena.” It doesn’t mean a whole lot without context, but it sounds cool, so maybe they’d read the book to find out! It was a complete coincidence the acronym ended up being “S.I.R.”
3. What is the elevator pitch for the series?
FH: MOTORCYCLE JOUSTING! (I yell, very loudly, with great enthusiasm).
S.I.R. is “Fight Club reimagined as a 90’s shojo anime on motorbikes.” A romantic sports drama about two estranged lovers who reunite at a prestigious private college, only to discover the only path to saving their relationship is to face the trials and tribulations of the school’s underground motorcycle fight club – the Seismic Ironclash Roulette!
Equal parts bloodsport, equal parts sapphic romance.
4. What does your writing and drawing space look like?
FH: It’s a tiny corner of my bedroom propped right up against the window. I’m a bit of a vampire so I got blackout curtains to curtail the glare, a standing desk, a very expensive ergonomic office chair I love to shrimp on, and a 22-inch monitor tablet.
I miss sunlight.
5. What was your biggest inspiration for S.I.R.?
FH: I’ve been obsessed with ‘Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury’ ever since it aired back in 2022. In early 2023, when Elizabeth invited me to pitch, we were between seasons 1 and 2 of Witch from Mercury and I was biting rocks waiting for the show to come back. So I decided to pour my love of insane GL school dueling into a pitch instead. Mix in some inspiration from crazy sports anime like ‘Sk8 The Infinity’ and ‘Birdie Wing’, plus some homage to 90’s classics like ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ and ‘G Gundam’, and now we get S.I.R.!
6. What are you reading now and what’s on your pull list?
FH: I’ve been reading a lot of webcomics lately. My favorite is My Dear Lass by Tracy Hu – it’s about a baker who moves to a small town and develops a slowburn romance with the local peach farmer. I’ve been obsessed with it for two years and haven’t been able to stop talking about it. Other webcomics I’ve been digging are The Guy I Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy At All, Covenant, and Keeping Time.
On my pulls right now, I’ve got I Heart Skull Crusher, Briar, Poison Ivy, Helen of Wyndhorn, and some others I’ve been trade waiting. Sadly the boxes have overwhelmed my room…I’ve had to pare down my pulls a bit.
7. Describe your ideal way to sit down and read a comic or graphic novel.
FH: I LOVE reading before bed. Mostly because it’s the only time I have to read stuff nowadays. I think ideally, I’d love to have my own library room one day. With a big comfy chair, mood lighting, and shelves of books like in Beauty and the Beast.
8. What is your favorite writing/drawing snack or drink?
FH: I’m very weird and don’t usually snack while I work. It’s too distracting! It starts with a “5 minute snack break” and next thing I know I’m 30 minutes into an internet rabbit hole. I just occasionally sip water like a boring, hydrated person.
9. Who would you cast in your dream movie or TV adaptation of the series?
FH: In my dream adaptation S.I.R. would be animated so I’ll take any Asian VA who passes the auditions for the leads!
I’m woefully out of touch with pop culture, but thankfully this is a written interview which meant I had time to consult my friends for a live action casting.
My friend Kody Okamoto suggested Alice Hewkin for Nico. She was in The Brothers Sun and was a complete badass in a leather jacket, so she’s already overqualified. Angela Wu had facecasted a 90’s Faye Wong as Avery – and I agree, she’s definitely got the romantic, edgy look. If they can make S.I.R. look like a Wong Kar Wai movie, that’s a bonus.
10. What piece of advice would you give to the main characters? What about the villains?
FH: Avery has done nothing wrong so my advice to her is keep going! Continue to be kind and have faith in people! Don’t let (people behaving badly) grind you down!
On the contrary I have a lot of advice for Nico. Please stop being so hard on yourself. Please don’t feel like you have to tackle the world alone. Please don’t let your parents’ dreams for you crush you like a black hole. Please continue to destroy the corrupt systems in power gatekeeping the underprivileged from ever attaining success.
My advice to Oscar comes at the expense of a minor spoiler, but it is to stop lying to himself. Can’t hide behind his luscious locks forever.
S.I.R. #1 is available now at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.
