If you were about to die, how would you spend your final days? If you’re Mia, the star of Slightly Exaggerated, you might go out on one hell of an adventure.
Slightly Exaggerated is the brainchild of writer Curtis Clow (Beastlands: Keepers of the Kingdom) and artist Pius Bak (Eat the Rich), and originally started life as a Kickstarter-funded series. In it, the aforementioned Mia and her pal Watson are treasure hunters that “must steal back a sacred artifact from a crazed cult leader to restore order before her sickness overcomes her.”
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
Marked by big set pieces and “Sky-whales,” Slightly Exaggerated is an action fantasy story with ample heart, exploring themes of friendship, legacy, death, and existentialism in a way that’s fun and accessible but always thoughtful. RIYL: alien gods and exploring the meaning of life.
If you didn’t back Slightly Exaggerated the first time, you’re in luck: the entire series has since been collected by Dark Horse Comics, and that TPB hits shelves next week (December 3). In the lead up, Clow was kind enough to answer a few of our questions, including working with Bak, the story’s messaging, and Mia’s larger journey.
AIPT: This world in Slightly Exaggerated feels so very much alive. How would you describe the ideas and influences that gave us a world of airships and sky-whales?
Curtis Clow: Much of my work is influenced by Studio Ghibli and [Hayao] Miyazaki’s storytelling and worlds. I had such a love for those films growing up and still do! I also just love original fantasy worlds. One of my favorite part of being a comic writer.
AIPT: Why focus on someone who has just a few weeks or so left to live — what about that kind of “unlikely” hero felt so important and/or interesting?
CC: The time crunch made an interesting story tactic for me. The “ticking time bomb” in any story adds some urgency, especially in a treasure hunting story. Plus, this is a story about death and religion and all that stuff. So I think it just adds a layer of interest for me.
AIPT: Similarly, you touch on ideas of what happens after death and personal legacy. Was this story born out of anything from your personal life? Do you feel like you’re trying to tell yourself something?
CC: Oh yeah, definitely! In everything I write I try to put something personal into it. Something I’m saying about myself. Death is my biggest fear and something I’ve pondered since an early age. As well as personal legacy and being remembered after death. Whether from the work I created or the type of person I was to my family and friends. How I’d hope to be remembered.
AIPT: What was it like working with Pius Bak? How did they help develop and/or interpret the larger look of this lively world?
CC: It was a joy! Me and Pius got close through working together and have more projects planned! I make comics over novels for the collaboration, among other things. When you have an artist that injects himself and adds to the world and story, it makes a project so much better and more fun! A lot of the creatures and world design was improved by Pius, from my initial ideas.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
AIPT: This book does a great job exploring spirituality not just outside of but almost in defiance of religion. Why is that an important idea or approach to these ideas?
CC: I think it’s important to do the right thing in life, even if you’re not religious or it’s in defiance of your religion. I’m not religious, but I still try to live by my own morals and put good out into the world.
AIPT: How much of the history and lore did you develop for this world? And does that matter even if we don’t see all/enough of it?
CC: I developed a lot! I think it can matter, even if I don’t ever share that stuff. At the same time, you don’t wanna waste too much time world building and not get any actual writing done. You have to find the middle ground and build a real world with depth. But also focus on the outline and scripts.
AIPT: Do you have a favorite moment from the four issues that speaks to what you were trying to do with this story?
CC: The final pages with our main character, Mia, is one of them. I actually teared up when writing them. I also like when Mia recognizes how she’ll spend her final hours of her life in issue The character choosing to do the right thing. Character choices are important to me.
AIPT: I also like the way you treat Mia’s sickness here: it’s not explicitly addressed and/or explained. Why opt for that approach?
CC: As a reader, I don’t like heavy exposition. I like showing rather than telling. Let the reader figure out the puzzle of what’s happening and how it works. It’s tricky, sharing enough clues for them to put it together. And it relies on smart readers. But I think readers are a lot smarter than most people realize.
AIPT: Do you think Mia is someone to look up to and/or admire? Are those sentiments maybe better suited to the cadet?
CC: I think who Mia becomes could be someone to be admired. But no one’s perfect. We all have our flaws and history. We can just try to become better in the future and learn from our mistakes. Those are the kind of characters I like to write and I feel it makes for a more realistic and interesting character.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
AIPT: Do you see this book/story having a future? Maybe Mia’s early adventures, or continue on with Watson/the cadet?
CC: Yes! Both of those are viable options. We had to tell the story in only four issues being that we started as a Kickstarter self-funded book. Comics are expensive to make, so telling a good story in fewer pages is important as an indie creator. But I’d love to jump in and show Mia’s early life, or how she got her disease. Volume two, I envision, will follow Winston and the Cadet, Lacey.
AIPT: Is there anything else we should know about Slightly Exaggerated, the TPB, comics, art, death/dying, life, etc.?
CC: The trade paperback will be out in comic shops, Amazon, and bookstores on December 3! Besides that I’m @curtisclow on all social media, and [I] have some new Kickstarters coming up featuring some brand -new series!
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