Sebastian A. Jones didn’t launch Stranger Comics to chase trends. He did it because the industry told him a Black, female-led fantasy series just wouldn’t sell. Fast forward to today, and his lead character, Niobe, has become a total icon of representation.
After diving into The Untamed, I was blown away by the sheer scale of the world Sebastian has built. He’s spent seventeen years turning Asunder into an independent powerhouse, navigating everything from the chaos of Hollywood options to those massive, record-breaking Kickstarter wins. We caught up with Sebastian to chat about the grit it takes to stay independent and the specific sounds that get him in the zone. He also opens up about why he walked away from chasing movie deals to get back to the raw craft of making comics.
On Building an Independent Powerhouse
Phillip Creary: How did the name Stranger Comics come about?
Sebastian Jones: I remember walking to an audition when I was young. I’d shopped around the idea for Niobe: She is Life and The Untamed to various publishers. Most of them said they didn’t do female-led comics, Black-led comics, or fantasy. They claimed those things didn’t make money. I was doing all three. The ones that were interested only wanted to do a Black History Month announcement. It felt hollow.
I had a buddy suggest “Integrity Comics,” but that was a terrible name. I was a huge fan of spaghetti westerns. I loved the Man with No Name: the stranger. It also hearkened back to the olden days of Strange Tales. The lead character in The Untamed is “The Stranger.” I checked if the domain was available, and it was. That’s the origin.
You’ve been building the world of Asunder for decades. Has your “North Star” changed since you started?
The North Star changed as reality set in. I’ve been creating this world for 39 years, and Stranger Comics has been around for 17. Early on, there was naive optimism. I thought everything would be a movie immediately. We had big options and development deals that didn’t happen. Eventually, I hit a place where I realized the movie stuff is great if it happens, but I’m here to honor the craft of comics.
I modeled Stranger Comics after three specific companies. I wanted HBO-quality storytelling like The Wire or The Sopranos. I wanted the physical presentation of a Taschen book. Finally, I wanted the “voice” of Blue Note Jazz. When you see a Blue Note record, you know exactly what it is. It’s like a Spike Lee or David Lynch film. We have a voice. Now, the goal is just honoring the work within the world and making our version of a Marvel Universe, but for fantasy.
On Niobe and Collaborative World-Building
Niobe is an icon for representation. What’s it like seeing her grow from a sketch to someone who means so much to the fans?
It’s humbling. When you’re a truly independent company, not the “indie” companies funded by Silicon Valley, you’re the one driving the truck to the convention and dealing with it when the truck breaks down. Seeing cosplayers come to the booth as Niobe is surreal. I remember a little girl, maybe eight years old, whose mother dressed her as Niobe. It’s dumbfounded me.
I love the representation. You don’t see many Black female leads in fantasy outside of maybe Storm from the X-Men.
Thank you. She’s half-elven, half-human, half-angel, and half-demon. It reflects the duality of spirit we all share. We try to honor the culture deeply. For example, Niobe has dreadlocks. That’s not just a style choice. It’s her last memory of her mother. As her mother was pulled away, Niobe was holding onto her hair. It’s her emotional and spiritual connection to her tribal side. It’s about how people who feel “othered” try to find where they belong.
You worked closely with actress Amandla Stenberg on Niobe’s journey. What did she bring to the table?
Working with Amandla was amazing. In 2015, we didn’t realize it, but we were making the first nationally distributed comic with a Black female author, artist, and hero. Amandla was fifteen at the time. She brought the honesty of a fifteen-year-old girl’s perspective. I’d write something poetic, and she’d tell me, “Seb, this isn’t what a fifteen-year-old would say.”
She helped break the story. We’d go over pages where Niobe finds a dead body, and Amandla would insist Niobe react with that grounded, teenage uncertainty. She’s wise beyond her years. Now, years later, Viola Davis is helping us make the movie. It’s all coming full circle.
On the Process: Rituals, Roots, and “Cinematic” Art
Stranger Comics has a very specific visual identity. How do you collaborate with artists to maintain that?
I’m a bit of a lunatic when it comes to the feeling of each character. I believe the best idea wins, but someone has to have the final say. For the interiors, Daryl May (our chief creative and a co-founder) lays everything out. We’ve created an aesthetic where everything feels cinematic. We send his layouts to the inker or painter, so the foundation is pre-designed.
The coloring in The Untamed is incredible. It isn’t just bright; it’s rich.
“Rich” is the perfect word. We also do a lot of homages. I love using covers that tap into the relationship fans have with things they already love, like a classic Batman homage. It’s about creating a mood before they even open the book.
What’s your writing ritual? How do you get the words flowing?
Tea. Every Englishman knows you can’t go to war without a good cup of tea. And music. I used to run a record label, so music is my first love. When I wrote The Untamed, I’d listen to Alice Coltrane or Fela Kuti to put me in a specific mood.
I don’t wait for the muse. You have to be disciplined. My mom always told me to write what I know. I don’t know elves, but I know what it’s like to be a father, a son, or someone dealing with regret. I wrote a line once: “Regret lingers longer than sin.” I explore themes like forgiveness and whether you can forgive yourself.
On Expanding the Universe: From Gore to History
You usually live in the world of sword and sorcery. What was the “aha” moment that made you dive into something as chaotic as Ruining Christmas?
It’s funny because people see my kids’ books or the high fantasy stuff and wonder how it all fits. I tell them, “I like sex and sandwiches.” You can like different things. Ruining Christmas came from my very English, very non-PC side. Daryl May and I tossed the idea back and forth: two idiot Christmas elves who get the crap beaten out of them by the rottenest kid in the land and lose Santa’s hat.
I love Guy Richie’s gangster movies, so I wanted to blend that voice with a holiday story. It’s about entitlement and apathy in today’s society. The irreverence is just a splash of water to the face to remind people about humility.
Defiant was a shift for you, moving from fiction to the real-life story of Robert Smalls. Was it harder to use those world-building muscles for a historical figure?
Luckily, I didn’t have to write that one. I edited it with my Editor-in-Chief, Josh, but Daryl May did the layouts. He had to shift from fantasy to something cinematic for a project destined for the big screen. We had Rob Edwards as the writer, the guy behind Captain America: Brave New World and The Princess and the Frog. He’s a heavy hitter. We had weekly meetings for hours to dial that in. It was intense because I don’t own that IP; I’m an executive producer and a partner with Legion M, so I had to make sure the client was happy while maintaining our quality standards.
On Joining the World of Asunder
If someone wants to dive into the world of Stranger Comics today, where should they start?
It depends on what you like to read. If you want a dark fantasy vengeance story that moves toward redemption, start with The Untamed: A Sinner’s Prayer. That’s where it all began. It’s the foundation of the world.
If you want something a bit lighter, quicker, and focused on an iconic lead, pick up Niobe: She is Life. For the One-Shot Experience: Tales of Asunder. It’s a fully contained one-shot.
You can find them all at StrangerComics.com. We also have D&D material for the gamers who want to play in the world of Asunder.
Bonus Question
If you could write any Marvel or DC character, who would it be?
The Hulk. He relates to me. I was a skinny kid who got picked on and dealt with a lot of racism in boarding school. I created fantasy worlds to hide in. I understand the fear of the “monster” coming out. I deal with fear every day. I’m afraid of being misunderstood or feeling like a coward. Writing Niobe lets me put those fears on her shoulders, but the Hulk is the ultimate expression of that internal struggle.
To see the full breadth of the world of Asunder and support independent storytelling, be sure to explore the incredible collection of books and more at StrangerComics.com.
