Interview with author of Cleric: Mfundo Mzolo
- Jun 21, 2018
- 4 min read
"It was a rainy day and i was looking outside at the union buildings. They had this ancient, mystical quality about them and i thought, what if more than politics happens inside"-mfundo mzolo
Mfundo Mzolo is the author of the Cleric graphic novel. It is a Sci-Fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic South Africa. The country is clandestinely run by the Cleric Mega Cooperation using its agents, the Cleric Monks. Through this force they are able to insight fear and control the politics of the land. Cleric, centres on a pessimistic agent as he makes his journey across the world, executing his mission. The world is seen through his melancholy thoughts and the characters that he encounters on his missions.
What was your inspiration behind the cleric book?
I am inspired by many things really, and they all inter mingle in my imagination. Architecture, fictional novels, historical events and movies just to name a few. As I have always had the affinity to draw comics I realised that ideas can come in different waves. Sometimes the world comes into few view, but you don’t know the people that live in such a world and what their lives are like, in this case you may not even have a protagonist, but only the rules of the world and a semblance of how the locations in it look like. Sometimes a character pops into your head almost fully formed and then he guides into his world and then you find out how he became the person he is and the journey that he is on. Sometimes, because comics are largely fictitious, the fantastical powers of the people come into view and then you just have to keep asking yourself what kind of world would have such physics defying powers. Ultimately writing is a process and you never know the story, characters and world until you do.
With Cleric, It was a rainy day and i was looking outside at the union buildings. They had this ancient, mystical quality about them and i thought, what if more than politics happens inside. So I began to flesh out the Cleric order and how it is the corrupted version of an ancient spiritual order. I discovered that they have a little understood ability called “the power of intent”. I discovered their holy book and the martial laws which they live by, the SEVEN ENEMIES OF MAN. So as I write it, the world continues to grow and I am really enjoying bringing something new to the readers.
Who and which works are your influences for this comic?
I really love watching movies and series on tv. For this comic, I wanted each page to feel like a flowing scene from a movie. As a result spent two years, self-studying screenplays, cinematography and composition. This made me understand the movie language and then translate that onto the page. I also love good literature, monologues and captivating visceral dialogue.
For this comic, I have to say that ReMind by Jason Brubaker and Amulet by Kazu Kibiushi were powerful influences from the comics media. ReMind was a spectacular designed book and I learned a lot from studying Jasons’ compositions and use of Negative space. Kazu’s pacing when storytelling is just superlative so I wanted to create the same feeling even though I had less pages to work with. In terms movies I looked at films like the Matrix, way of the warrior, star wars and Oblivion. I just love th epic scale of those movies as well as the grand ideas that they deal with. I feel that South African films and content aren’t about bigger ideas, they keep the way of presenting the issues which they will with very pedestrian. So I wanted to present a lot of our lives and issues but in a much grander and imaginative way.
You mentioned that it is a series, how many books do you plan on doing?
Honestly, I cannot see myself doing any less than 4 books. It could be slightly more, perhaps six. I am writing it to be a immersive experience and I am actually writing for that lucky kid who’s going to read the whole series back to back and be blown away. Also it is a way to pace my storytelling. Being in South Africa means that printing is expensive and I can’t write very thick books because they would be too expensive for the potential readers.
What is your message to other people who would like to pursue the path that you are on, whether it be writting a book or starting a business?
Start!
Nothing beats putting action behind your vision. You think you don't know enough to do it? So what, just go for it, you will learn. There was a time that you didn't know anything about anything because you were a child but you learned what you needed in time. With time you will know what you need to know to get to where you want to be. But the key is to start.
It took me two years to learn about movie making but I kept at it. It took me that long to get my illustration capabilities to the level where I could consider them professional enough to published, but I persisted. It took me just as long to learn how to write a good story and the principles of good writing and i am still learning. I got this far because I keep executing, I never give up and I stay focused.
In business I am still figuring out my business model and solidifying distribution but I am able to do it because I work on it everyday. If you work on anything long enough, you become an expert at it.
Stay Focused and Never Give up.
Cleric is available for purchase in our online book store. If you would like to order a copy, click here.
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