The Indie Comics Spotlight is a series that aims to bring attention to independent comic books, publishers, and creators deserving of wider recognition. In this installment, we speak with Aaron Reese, creator of the webcomic, Bytchcraft.
Tristian: Hello Aaron! Thank you for taking time to speak with Geek Vibes Nation about your comic, Bytchcraft. Could you tell our audience a bit about yourself and your comic book?
Aaron: Absolutely, my name is Aaron Reese. I’m a digital marketer by day and comic writer by night. My webcomic (and soon to be print) is called Bytchcraft. Its a love letter to black queer folks, magical girl tropes and all wytchy things that go thump in the night. It follows a coven of three queer black wytches (Em, Adriyel and Michele) as they naviagte power, imposter syndrome, religious trauma with the help of their incredible familiars along the way.
Tristian: What made you want to create your own comic? What were some of your inspirations?
Aaron: I’ve [always] loved storytelling since I was a tiny tot. But wytches are something special, that supernatural connection to the divine feminine in something that’s innately queer and black and yet the comic space still lacks that representation. So one day I thought, why tf not? And it’s been the ride of a lifetime ever since. Now my inspirations are all over. It’s my love for mythos, the supernatural, anime, fantasy and biblical storytelling all in one. Other inspirations was a ton of music. Artist like Lous and The Yakuza, Florence and The Machine, Solange and Caroline Polachek really permeates throughout the comic itself.
Tristian: Rarely do we get a chance to see black and queer characters as the protagonists of supernatural stories. Why was it important to you to center queer African American heroes in this story?
Aaron: Honestly? I’m a black queer, non-binary writer that rarely sees themselves in the fun stories like this. Or if I do, there’s trauma always thrown in for the sake of. My wytches are a vibe and a safe place.
Tristian: What are some of the highs of producing your own comic? How do you deal with the lows?
Aaron: Writing itself IS magic. Creating worlds with your words is powerful. The lows? Well, haha, creation of any kind can lead to burnout if not properly nurtured. So for me the balance is always making sure what I write is fun. Would I personally squeal at the pages I’m writing? Am I gagging over the panels? If the answer is no, I scrap it completely. All in all it’s a beautiful process, even at it’s most taxing.
Tristian: What’s it like collaborating with an artist? Are there any difficulties? If so, how do you deal with them?
Aaron: I have so much respect for artists. For my original one page shorts, each was done by a different artist. It’s certainly a process, one that requires constant communication and detail, but every artist I’ve worked with has taught me something about collaboration and I’m grateful for that. Currently, Bytchcraft is an on-going webseries, so I’m working with David Stoll (who I think is a an illustrative genius) on making sequential storytelling for ultimate impact. And that’s been so much fun. Ultimately it’s an ongoing conversation between artist and writer.
Tristian: What advice do you have for others who aspire to create their own comic? Or to start their own comic book company?
Aaron: Just do it! I think a lot of us will ask how, where, what? But just start! Way before I had the proper resources to illustrate Bytchcraft, I wrote the premise on a Google doc one night and it grew from there. Bytchcraft is my heart and I’m so glad I took the leap to create it.
Tristian: Where can our audience connect with you online and find your work?
Aaron: Please don’t be a stranger! Say hi please so we can vibe out to Sandman, Steven Universe and all things wytchy! You can find me here on these socials and you can read Bytchcraft on webtoons here!
Writer. Video Essayist. Film/TV Critic. Pop Culture Enthusiast.
When he isn’t writing for Geek Vibes Nation or The Cinema Spot, Tristian can be found typing away at one of the novels or screenplays he’s been working on forever.
