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We had the pleasure of chatting with 66 the creator of City on Blank.
“In a world where ghostly Blanks can steal your face – and your life – at any moment, a young boy named Rex hunts for his brother’s killer. Cursed with the unique power to physically touch Blanks, Rex starts to uncover darker secrets at the city’s center and in his own past. Will Rex unmask the killer, or will he become just another faceless victim in the City of Blank?”
Be sure to check it out! Perhaps this interview will inspire you to continue your craft and perhaps give you a new comic to read! Check it out HERE!
1. What inspired the distinctive art style of “City of Blank,” and how does it contribute to the atmosphere of the story?
Mostly media I grew up with, the majority being anime and manga, with a couple of Western influences here and there. However, when I got into an art school, I did go in fully expecting to be criticized for drawing “anime,” as I heard that was a really standard experience for people going to school for art. I went through a phase where I tried to “Westernize” my art…just to find out later down the road I had some pretty cool teachers who weren’t anti-anime like I assumed, and if anything, encouraged us to embrace that style if we were into it, since they were training us to enter the commercial art field, and they knew anime was only getting more and more popular. So I ended up with a style that’s kind of a weird hybrid of the two. I think it really fits City of Blank though. City of Blank can be a really light-hearted series, but it can also go to some really dark places, and I think I’ve developed a style that suits both of those.
2. Can you share the process behind developing the concept of Blanks and how it shapes the world in “City of Blank”?
Blanks were inspired by my fear of shadow people- You know, like the ghosts. I just think they’re the creepiest thing in the world. But at the same time, I thought it’d be fun to make a world where this thing that’s so creepy to me was a mundane thing you see every day. Like imagining going into your living room and seeing this creepy shadow person standing in front of your TV, but instead of being terrified, you were just like “Ugh, it’s still there? I can’t see the TV” because you know it’s completely harmless as long as you don’t do the one specific thing that would make it attack. But at the same time, if you do that one thing, it means almost certain death. I just thought that was a fun concept, and I wanted to get across the nonchalant nature of how harmless they usually are while also making it clear how dangerous they can be.
3. What are the main goals you wish to achieve with “City of Blank” on the Webtoon platform?
I’m not really sure I actually set out with any goals other than actually telling a story in completion. Honestly, back when it was on CANVAS, I had kind of accepted the fact that I was probably just gonna be working on it for the majority of my life, or until I eventually got disinterested in it. I think that’s one of the coolest things that’s come from working with WEBTOON, getting to do this comic full time and thus actually telling this story that’s been in my head for 10+ years in just a few short years. It’s wild that City of Blank is actually nearing its end and that I’m getting to actually think about what I wanna do next after it. A few years ago, I never thought I’d get to explore other stories unless I was willing to drop City of Blank to make time for them.
4 .How has being on Webtoon helped “City of Blank” reach its audience, and what benefits have you seen from this platform?
Like I said in the last question, getting the opportunity to make the comic full-time is a big game changer. The weekly schedule is brutal and not for everyone, but I do find it nice how it keeps people engaged. I see people counting down every week to the new episode, and it’s really cool to see a community of people getting excited about something I created like that in real-time. I think being on WEBTOON has given City of Blank the opportunity to actually have a fanbase, which is a really cool thing to see.
5. Can you discuss any specific influences or inspirations that helped shape the storyline and characters in “City of Blank”?
Various shows and video games. The mask idea itself was inspired by a short anime film called Kakurenbo, where all the characters wore masks. I thought that was a really cool idea. I wanted to make a world where all the characters wore masks, and blanks were made up as a reason to make all the characters do so. Other than that, I’m not really shy about crediting Fullmetal Alchemist as one of my biggest inspirations. I see a lot of people saying City of Blank reminds them of it, despite not being that similar. I think I just picked up a lot of tone and inspiration from that series that really influenced my writing style.
6. Tell us about Rex
Rex is probably my most important character. I don’t even know if he’s technically my favorite, but he’s the most important. I made him in middle school before I even started the earliest versions of the comic. I don’t know if this is weird to say, but I think he’s the closest I’ll ever get to having a son. He’s been around for almost literally 18 years and I’ve watched him grow from an edgy Kingdom Hearts rip-off OC I made in middle school to the main character of this big webcomic that so many people love. And now that City of Blank is actually nearing its end, it almost feels like he’s about to go off to college. I’m gonna miss writing and drawing him every day when that happens. I hope he comes back to visit.
7. How do you balance the elements of mystery and action in “City of Blank” to keep readers engaged?
Good question I’m not super sure how to answer this one, other than keeping in mind other people are reading this. I do write this story sort of for myself first and foremost, to be clear. Everything in it is exactly my favorite elements and themes and what I ideally want in a comic. But that said, I keep in mind that a lot of other people are reading this, and might not want 20 chapters of a side villain’s backstory, even if he’s one of my favorite characters. It’s still important to delve into all the characters’ backstories and motivations, but I try to balance it with stuff that will also keep the more casual reader interested, and sometimes that includes action. I know City of Blank is categorized as a sci-fi action series, but I honestly don’t feel like there’s THAT much action in it. Just when the story calls for it. But a lot of times characters hash things out through words rather than fists, and I acknowledge that might not be as thrilling, so I try to insert action here and there to make up for that. If characters talk their way out of an argument instead of fighting about it, maybe we have a chase scene that leads up to them meeting before it, for example.
8. What future developments can readers look forward to in “City of Blank,” and how do you plan to evolve the story?
Like I said previously, the story is actually nearing its end. There is still plenty left to enjoy, but we are getting to the point where we’re wrapping up some character arcs and I’m thinking about closure on a lot of plot points. In particular, the first big “final showdown” of two characters is in my current outline of upcoming episodes. I’ve got an entire cast of characters to write those kind of conclusions for, but the fact the first one is now on the horizon makes the impending end of the series feel more real. Basically, start bracing because the end is nigh and I certainly have big things planned the closer we get to the finale!
9. Advice for new comic artists?
Just start your comic! You don’t need to be a big professional artist who has mastery of perspective and anatomy, nor do you need to have every plot point hammered out. I was absolutely an amateur artist and had no idea where the story was going when I started City of Blank back in high school. But just seeing it actually come into the world and exist got me so excited to work on it. It definitely wasn’t good back then, and I had to restart it a couple of times, but just starting it, even if I didn’t feel like I was ready, is what gave me the motivation to keep it going.
10. Where can folks support your work?
First and foremost, just Fast Passing the series is appreciated! I do get a share of that and it’s actually a pretty big part of my income. But if you wanna support me directly, there’s always my Patreon or Ko-Fi. In addition, I always appreciate a follow on my social media! It’s the first place that gets any updates or news about City of Blank as well as any other projects I’m working on!
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