Velinxi (Xiao Tong Kong) is an Eisner Award-nominated webcomic creator, illustrator, and aspiring novelist. Her chronic daydreaming has led to the creation of Countdown to Countdown, DPS Only!, and most recently the USA Today bestseller Daughter of a Thousand Faces. The few hours of the week when she’s not drawing or sleeping are spent on D&D, video games, and going down historical rabbit holes.

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

First of all, welcome back to Geeks OUT! For those who might not be familiar with you, could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks for having me! I’m Velinxi, creator of the webcomics Daughter of a Thousand Faces, Countdown to Countdown, and DPS Only! I’m also a freelance illustrator that does a little of everything.

What can you tell us about one of your latest projects, Daughter of a Thousand Faces?

Daughter of a Thousand Faces is about Shen Yuhua, a girl that comes from a prestigious clan of warriors but is ostracized for being powerless. That all changes when she meets Chu Tian, a powerful ancient demon that her father imprisoned years ago, and accidentally sets him free. They become bound together as teacher and disciple. At its core, DOTF is about their toxic, doomed, bittersweet, and sometimes hilarious found family dynamic.

Can you give us any trivia (that hasn’t already been given) about the characters from Daughter of a Thousand Faces?

There’s probably a lot I can’t think of off the top of my head but are in the recesses of my mind somewhere… I would say for now that Yuhua can’t really remember her mother’s face anymore, especially given any portraits of her have been destroyed. Also, Swallowtail’s choppy hairstyle comes from a young Yuhua attempting to cut his hair and failing miserably. He’s kept the same haircut through the years as a weird unnecessary sign of devotion.

Daughter of a Thousand Faces is said to be inspired by your love for the xianxia genre. I was wondering if you could list any favorite examples here?

And wuxia and xuanhuan! The genres tend to overlap a lot. I feel like many people know me from MXTX’s amazing works, so I won’t dwell too much on that. I grew up watching Return of the Condor Heroes (2006) and Journey to the West adaptations like many fellow Chinese kids, and those have a special place in my heart, too. Some recent favorites, however, include Nezha 2, White Snake (though I actually enjoyed its sequel, Green Snake more), Love between Fairy and Devil, and Till the End of the Moon (I’m a romance fantasy fan, what can I say?). There’s a recurring theme that I really enjoy in the xianxia and wuxia genres about becoming more than what’s been given to you in spite of societal expectations.

As a creator, what are some things you feel you learned about yourself while building your creative career?

Many things! I have a 50/50 chance of drawing hands correctly on the first few tries. I also realized I draw best when I draw what I like, and I think it shows. When I get hired to draw for IPs, many of the editors who reach out to me cite specific fan art I’ve drawn out of passion as to why they wanted me. This was the case for SVSSS, Overwatch, HoYoverse, and several other IPs. When I’m drawing something because I get the inspiration for it and have the itch to put it on paper, that’s when I’m in peak flow state, I think. I try to keep this momentum going to avoid burnout and to keep my portfolio stacked with things I’m proud of.  I’m sure this is the case for many others, too. Lastly, I think I really love drawing beautiful flowy fantasy clothes. Which is great when I’m drawing DOTF! Less so when I’m drawing CTC.

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)?

Nobody ever asks me about the 3D models I have for DOTF! That or I haven’t seen them. Back when DOTF was still starting out, I commissioned my friend (@chunyou_ on Instagram) to make models of the characters! Swallowtail was still the main character at the time, so he was the first one to be made. They turned out so beautiful! I was the one that painstakingly rigged the models, too, haha (since my friend does modeling, not rigging). In the end, I’m really glad I ended up commissioning her because the 3D models were used as references for the comic, and the consistency and look of the models really brought out the style of DOTF in my opinion.

What advice might you have to give for aspiring queer creators there?

For all creators, I always give the advice that you should never have your first work be the one you REALLY want to make. It should be short and manageable enough to finish. Get the experience you need before you make that magnum opus. For queer creators specifically, don’t water yourself down to appeal to what you think are the tastes of the majority. No matter what, you’ll always find a niche or a readership if your passion and skills show through in your story. Whether you want to write the craziest, unhinged, horniest story or want your readers to suffer terribly because you refuse to give easy romances or happy endings—just write what feels right to you and your experiences.

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

I’m working on my own thing on the side currently which is a dragon/monster romance! I’m focusing on DOTF and CTC as my main projects to complete right now, but having this bit of work on the side helps my workflow and keeps my creative juices running. As for non-personal projects, I always enjoy working with the folks on the Overwatch team! There’s a lot of passion and interesting things going on there, and it’s a pleasure to be able to peek behind the curtain when I’m given the chance to.

Finally, what queer books/comics would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

It’s such a tough list! There are so many amazing queer authors and stories it’s hard for me to keep up! I remember there was a time I was 14 on Tumblr, trying my best to just consume all things gay and having to really dig around. Some personal enjoyable reads are The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar, This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, Castle Swimmer by Wendy Lian Martin, Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money) by Suoh, No.6 by Atsuko Asano, Go For It, Nakamura! by Syundei, Tamen De Gushi by Tan Jiu. Also the Heaven Official’s Blessing comic by MXTX and STARember, which is absolutely gorgeous and another book published under Inklore!