INTERVIEW: The Creator Behind DECAF
Updated: Oct 21, 2021
Get to know the creator behind the LGBTQ, Romance, Drama, webcomic 'Decaf'
Art & story by Fritz Chang.
Synopsis
Hanse is a floor manager of one of the departments of the magazine “Decaf”. He’s going through an existential crisis as to where his life is going, or rather where it isn't, until Karl, the new intern, shows up and makes things around the office a bit more exciting.
INTERVIEW
1. How long have you been creating comic books?
I’ve been creating comics for as long as I can remember. I made my first “serious” attempt at
a comic at age 12, I think. So about 13 years give or take (I am 24, approaching 25 fast.)
As for (self-) published comics, my first webcomic (Sprudelwasser) launched on Tapas.io in
July 2016. So I have been on Tapas with my comics for 5 years.
2. What inspirations did you have behind this project?
Decaf started as a break from my main project at the time (Sprudelwasser.) I was feeling
stuck in the format and workload of making a comic so time-consuming (traditional art,
colored with watercolors) and I just wanted to have fun with my characters.
I always wanted to tell stories about emotions, mental illness, and the struggles of everyday life with LGBT+ characters, where the main plot wasn’t just the characters’ marginalized
identity. So I made Decaf as a thought experiment, started posting it as an “alternative
universe” iteration of Sprudelwasser, and since it gained an amount of traction I would have
never imagined, I decided to flesh out the story and make it a whole comic.
3. What are the main themes behind the series?
The main themes behind the series are nihilism and existentialism, really. I have a bachelors
degree in German literature and I love classic literature.
However, the themes are also healing from self-destructive tendencies, self-acceptance, and
friendship. I know it sounds cheesy, but Decaf is categorized as a romantic comedy/drama
after all, so it has to be a little cliché, right?
4. What do you have to say about a certain character from your series?
Oh man, I love my characters, I could say so much. Karl Jensen is very special to me
because I created him before I knew I had ADHD, and he has many of the same traits I have,
and also struggled with them undiagnosed. I got diagnosed and subsequently realized Karl,
like myself, is a person who struggles with ADHD as an adult. It’s a special feeling, because
you seem immature to other people, at least in my experience.
I like to make characters that struggle with things people don’t really talk about that much,
and show their vulnerability and let people who read the stories know, that maybe it’s not all
bad to be a hyperactive, spontaneous menace sometimes… Just don’t steal.
5. How do you come up with the characters in your story?
Well, in a sense, they’re all parts of me or parts of other people I know. I often base
characters on people I know or have known. Characters come very naturally to me, it’s hard
to explain the process. In the end, I just want my characters to feel like humans, you know? I
1 Karl steals in the comic, not because he has ADHD of course, but because he’s unhinged and also has no money. I want people to read my comics and feel like Hanse is someone they could see in a café, having a cup of coffee. Or that Nele is someone they could encounter on the bus. Just normal
people.
6. How long are you planning this series to run?
I already have it all thumbnailed, it’s going to be 6 chapters long, right now chapter 5 is
publishing on Tapas. I have taken a hiatus because I am currently doing my graduate degree,
so I estimate the series will be publishing on tapas for at least another year.
7. Any teasers you want to give your readers?
I hope you like Danish actors. (Yes I went into the Word ‘icons’ just to find an emoji.)
Also, I hid a lot of literary references in Decaf, which lends itself to further psychological
analysis of the characters. I know there’s little to no chance anyone will pick up on them, but
mentioning it may increase the possibility.
8. Anything else you want your readers to know?
That I appreciate all the comments, all the support, and everyone who tells me how my comic has affected them, helped them, or just brightened their day. I am excited to share the rest of Decaf with you all!
Support the Creator
ABOUT ME
My name is Imani aka MaddMoniArt, I’m the creator of the psychological thriller manga Bleakville, and the founder of MaddIndies, a blog where I review and support independent webcomics. Go behind-the-scenes into the creative process of Art & Comics with me, as I draw stuff, review webcomics, interview other creators, share techniques, and try to create my own manga.
Follow me on Instagram @MaddMoniArt
Watch me on YouTube.com/maddmoniart
