THE MUSE - MY INTERVIEW WITH RYAN X. MESSCHER

'The Muse' is a 32-page comic-book one-shot that explores the seductive yet toxic relationship between an artist and their work. The self-contained story was written by Ryan X. Messcher and illustrated by Gabriel Fassina. Want to know more? Then please check out the following Q and A with Ryan.





1) Name three words that best describe who you are.   I'd say, expressive, obsessive, and creative.

2) What inspired you to create your comic book, 'The Muse'?   I think the idea came from a question I've wrestled with as an artist for a long time: How much of yourself can you put into the things you create?

3) In your own words, how would you describe your story?   'The Muse' is a body horror/science fiction story set in 2084 that follows Solomon Boone, a struggling painter whose life changes when he meets a biomechanical woman with the ability to make him a great artist again. However, each burst of inspiration requires Solomon to part with a piece of himself, such as a lock of his hair, one of his fingers, or other sections of his body. The story was inspired by the works of David Cronenberg, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Oscar Wilde, especially Oscar's Gothic novel, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'.

4) What song would you say best represents 'The Muse' and why?   To answer this question, I'd like to select 'The Caves of Altamira' by Steely Dan. On the surface, it may seem like a strange choice, but upon closer inspection, you'll notice that the song is about humanity's ancient impulse to create art and leave something behind. That idea of an artist's legacy feels very appropriate for 'The Muse'.

5) If you could get a celebrity - either living or dead - to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   To follow on from my answer to question three, I'm going to pick the filmmaker, David Cronenberg. His work has had a huge influence on the body horror genre, with 'The Fly' and 'Dead Ringers' being two of my favorite films. I would honestly love to hear his thoughts on my story.

6) What's the one thing about 'The Muse' that might surprise people?   It's the first comic book I've ever created. Even though I've been an avid comic reader for many years, this is the first time I've written one, as my background is primarily in music and voice acting. To some extent, I think my outsider's perspective has shaped the story's overall identity.

'The Muse' is a 32-page comic-book one-shot written by Ryan X. Messcher and illustrated by Gabriel Fassina. For further information, please feel free to check out Ryan's official website and Kickstarter campaign.