An Interview with Robin Childs - Creator of LeyLines

We've been fans of the awesome comic LeyLines since Girls of Geek was born and with the Kickstarter for Volume 3 heading into the home stretch, we thought it would be a good idea to take a little time and speak with the creator of the series, Robin Childs and learn more about this rich and imaginative series.  

Girls of Geek: What led to the creation of LeyLines?  
Robin Childs: LeyLines is my second project.  The first was an 800 page comic called "Shades of Grey" which I started when I was 15 or 16 as a personal project to keep me sane through high school and college.  When I finished it, I thought I was done with storytelling, but after a few weeks I realized that creating stories was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, not just a single project.  I immediately started brainstorming and world-building, which after months of work yielded the LeyLines tale.

Girls of Geek: For folks that may not be familiar with your comic, what is LeyLines all about?
Robin Childs: The Empress of Itsuri has mysteriously died, bringing her three children together for the first time in years.  When a goddess of dreams entrusts them with a mission, their bonds and their future are threatened by a dream-eating god, a band of assassins, and their own tangled relationships.

---

Girls of Geek: LeyLines is nearing it's third year anniversary, what do you think has given it such lasting power?
Robin Childs: A lot of love goes into this story, and the fans have been very dedicated in return.  People enjoy how much depth I've given the story and characters, and they appreciate how unique it is.  Readers have told me they've never seen anything like it in content or in style.  As a result, when it speaks to a person, they tend to stay.  So the story has a small fan base, but it's full of people that are incredibly kind, generous, and supportive.  We have a lot of really incredible discussions on the site, and I'm so fortunate to be able to connect with these exceptional people.  

Girls of Geek: What are you most proud of when it comes to this comic? 
Robin Childs: I'm proud of how it continually gets better.  That may be a little strange to say, but I'm always excited to work on the next chapter, because the writing and artwork is my best work every time.  I'm always challenging myself, and at the end of every chapter we have a Feedback Day where readers can critique as well.  I'm never satisfied. I always want to improve my skills.

Girls of Geek: What kinds of stories influenced you to get into creating this series?  
Robin Childs: Growing up, a lot of fantastic independent creators had a big impact on me.  In particular, ElfQuest by Wendy and Richard Pini and Finder by Carla Speed McNeil.  Recently, the Full Metal Alchemist manga series and Avatar: The Last Airbender animation both impressed me with their involved stories and worlds.  

---

Girls of Geek: As a writer, is there any particular story that you are dying to tell but haven't had the chance to yet?  
Robin Childs: Usually when there's a story idea that pops up in my head, I just write it.  Whether that's into the story I'm working on, or into another project.  Cory and I are currently working on a second comic series that we'll be releasing in 2014 or 2015.  We also run several storytelling competitions, where we present a premise and environment for people to develop their own stories within.  It gives both of us an opportunity to explore any extra ideas that don't fit into whatever projects we're currently working on.

Girls of Geek: What's next for you and LeyLines?  
Robin Childs: Cory and I are very excited to be expanding our business this coming year.  We'll be traveling to more conventions, including Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, Washington and Phoenix Comic Con in Arizona.  I'll also be starting a Storytelling Coaching service in 2014.  For the LeyLines story itself, I can't wait to share the next few chapters.  We'll be uncovering the agenda of a dark god, Mizha will finally harness her Dreamer abilities, and we'll be exploring one of my favorite cities in the LeyLines world, a place "fondly" known as Pirate Town!  It's going to be a lot of fun and I hope that I can surprise my readers more than a few times in the process.


To learn more about this amazing comic and to donate to Volume Three, check out these links:

LeyLines Volume Three Kickstarter:  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2088273372/leylines-volume-three?ref=card
LeyLines Homepage: http://leylinescomic.com/

---