We recently sat down with Issac Fox from Astral Ticket Publications to talk about his creative journey as a writer of comics. His company Astral Ticket Publications specialises in Anime inspired fan service but with meaningful stories.
Issac Fox About Issac
Q: A Brief background about yourself and how you got into comics?
My name is Isaac Fox and I’m the founder of Astral Ticket Comics. I’m also the writer on a few different comic series including SuccuBUSTED!, Cremisi, Pure Intent, Foxxy Vacations, and a new series unveiling next year titled "The Manti-Corps".
I grew up with Batman the Animated Series and got into comics with that show serving as my introduction to superheroes. I had been writing a story for a few years until I realized it would make a far better comic than novel. From there, I started working on my first series, Cremisi.
Q: What are your favourite comic book characters, Indie and/or mainstream?
My top favorite would go to Atrocitus, with Darkseid, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Charles Xavier being not far behind. If I can include manga, Hellsing’s Alucard takes my favorite spot. About your Creative Inspirations
Q: What kind of characters excite you in comics?
I tend to gravitate towards vengeful characters. Someone who’s been deeply wronged and dedicates their lives to revenge on those responsible. Give me that, or a character so absurdly zany they make every panel they’re in a joy to read. Shirtless Bear Fighter is a great example of this entertaining absurdity.
Q: What kind of stories should your audience expect from you?
I work within a variety of series. Cremisi, my debut series, is a somber exploration of mental health and self-medication in a science-fantasy universe. This is a complete tonal shift from my most popular series, SuccuBUSTED!, which is an ecchi comedy with buddy cop elements and romantic subplots.
I have a new series coming next year which explores a world war 1-esque high-fantasy world and follows a mixed-species squad through the traumas of war and their own risque romps.
Q: What’s the last comic book you read?
CANCELED by David Byrne. If you haven’t read it, you should. I’m also currently reading the Rooster Fighter manga series and cannot recommend it enough. About your latest project
Q: Can you describe your latest project without spoilers?
Absolutely! We’re about to launch Foxxy Vacations 2024 on Kickstarter on the 23rd of July. This title is part of a series of one-shot NSFW pinups books starring the ladies and guys from across my universes going on vacation. Even a comic book character needs some time off. This year, our characters are vacationing at a fictional adults only cosplay convention.
Q: How did you develop the concept behind your latest project?
I’m a huge fan of Udon Entertainment’s work with Darkstalkers. Through that, I found their swimsuit series and pinup books. I received a lot of comments from backers asking for our characters in different outfits and decided to make a comic focused on that. I also wanted to provide a space for up-and-coming artists to shine. I show the artist the characters available and they make their choice. From there, they are given the theme and craft the pinup how they see fit, letting them play to their strengths for some truly gorgeous, and sexy, artwork.
Q: Who else other than you collaborated on the project?
I have two editors who go behind my scripts. Even as a former English teacher, I make mistakes. My first editor is a grammar master and helps keep me in line on that front.. A second editor checks me on story and characterizations. My art team also offers feedback on panels as they go through them. Keeping an open ear and open mind to your team is critical to success. No one person has all the answers and I’m grateful to my team for their honesty.
Q: How was your experience collaborating with the rest of the team?
I absolutely love my team. When work comes up, I let them choose what they want to do. A reader can feel when an artist really loves the story they are working on. They can also tell when an artist is doing it for the paycheck and cares little for the material. We all want readers to be happy with our work. To do that, we must first ensure our artists are happy. Risque works often fall to Krius and SrxNico97 as they enjoy that content. Darker or sillier work go to Mitsu-Blinger and Nila Fox based on their preferences. My artists decide what they want to work on. Making a comic is a team effort and I cannot stress enough how important it is to focus on the team’s satisfaction first and foremost.
Q: What's your next project, any ideas you're working with?
More ideas than I can count. We are scheduled for the next two years of Kickstarter and next five years of comic production. I am beyond excited to show off my newest series, The Manti-Corps, which will become my next flagship comic.We have been working on it for about two years now with heavy emphasis on the feedback our backers and readers have given us.
Q: Where can people buy your books?
We run a Kickstarter for everything we do and that’s the best place to get exclusives. Due to rising costs, most of my covers are now first print run only. You can still see our full catalog at foxxycomics.com. If there is ever something in particular you’re looking for you don’t see there, we always encourage people to contact us on Kickstarter or in our Discord server. Backer and customer satisfaction is our highest priority.
Q: Any words for fellow creators?
I heard the Vtuber Tonkatsu Sinclair say something once which really resonated with me as a creator and it’s one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard. When you look at other works, other creators, comics, manga, etc… the question we tend to ask ourselves is “how can I can be like that?” But, the question we should be asking is “How can I be different?”
