LySandra Vuong is a comic artist and the creator of COVENANT, a WEBTOON Originals series. Formerly a mechanical engineer, they now draws hot priests for a living.

I had the opportunity to interview LySandra, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome back to Geeks OUT! For those who’ve never met you, what are the some of the first things you would want someone to know about you?

Hi! Thanks so much for having me! I feel like people should know that I’m a virgo, have two cats, and am a myer briggs ISTP since I feel like that gives a lot of context as to why I am the way I am.

As a queer supernatural fantasy comic, Covenant is inspired by religious themes, particularly by challenges and questioning of faith. As a creator, what drew you to exploring this in your fiction?

I think a lot of people’s first assumption of me will be that I’m super atheist and hate religion, when the reality is I’m fascinated by religion and have the utmost reverence and respect for the people in my life who are religious. Growing up I had the typical battles that any queer person raised in religion would have, and while I feel like this part of my personal history is a bit boring and old, I still feel like it’s exciting to re-explore it in fiction, and that specifically it’s more interesting to me to explore the people who had the same struggles that I did, yet they still hold on to their religion and find new ways to engage with it that are compatible with who they are. 

As someone who’s been creating comics for a while now, how would you say your creative process has changed or stayed the same throughout the years?

Oh gosh, my process has changed so much but some of it has stayed the same. I think at the beginning I was seriously just winging it. Covenant is my first project, first serious endeavour, and first attempt at writing so really I was just flying by the seat of my pants. These days I have much more method to my madness and am much more orderly about how I write and draw. The thing that stays the same, however, is my shower time ideas. All my best ideas always come to me in the shower or at 2 am right when I’m falling asleep, and I’m sure that will always be the case now and forever. The only difference is I’m better at stringing together my day dreams and making them come to life these days. 

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

I wish more people would ask me about where my username comes from. Explodikid. No one ever asks.  It comes from my favorite character Bakugou from My Hero Academia, King Explosion Murder himself. 

What advice might you have to give for any aspiring comic artists or writers out there?

My advice for aspiring comic artists and comic writers is to try the other side to truly understand the craft. If you’re an aspiring comic artist, try writing comics, and if you’re a comic writer, try drawing comics. You will never truly understand the craft until you have experienced both. 

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

I’m cooking 🙂

Finally, what books/authors/media would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

I’ve been really loving Castle Swimmer by Wendy Lian Martin and revisiting Animalheads by Son M and Sam Curtis!!