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Our final interview with the creative team that made our upcoming Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen possible is with Hank Kanalz, the comic's editor. Balancing script reviews and storyboard checks and artwork assignments, Hank Kanalz has helped us bring all the pieces together. He has previously worked for WarnerMedia and DC Comics, and is now Immortal Studios' Head of Publishing. When did you first become an editor? Hank Kanalz: Hahaha, a very long time ago. I started as a writer in 1988 for DC Comics, and after hopping around, ended up taking a staff position, editing comics. That led to a long career at Warner Bros and DC Comics, always keeping a finger or two on the editorial side, but also focusing more on the planning part of the business. Working with Immortal is bringing me back to hands on editing again, along with the long-range planning of what we plan to do in publishing. How did you get into the comics industry? Hank Kanalz: I was fortunate to “break in” during a time where there was an influx of new talent while the industry was experiencing rapid growth. I sent pitches to editors I met at comic conventions, listened to their feedback, then re-pitched follow-up stories in line with what they were looking for. Do you listen to music while you work? What music do you listen to? Hank Kanalz: Not so much, as I’m constantly on the phone, and when not, reading a tremendous amount of material. I find it hard to focus with music playing, as it’s usually awesome ‘80s, and I find myself humming along with those tracks, so it’s better for me to turn it off. What is your favorite food? Hank Kanalz: That’s a toss-up between sashimi and fried chicken. The perfect meal for me is a selection of sashimi served with an order of chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken). I could eat that every day (but shouldn’t). In wuxia stories, special weapons are often given names. If you had a special weapon in real life, what would it be (and what name would you give it)? Hank Kanalz: Obsidian Shards, allowing me to better multitask and get my “To Do List” done. What was the last video game you played? Hank Kanalz: Clash Royale and Mario Kart, with my kids. If you could go back in time, what positive advice do you wish you could give yourself when you were first starting out? Hank Kanalz: Bring balance to your work and personal life. Early in my working career, I worked a graveyard shift with an older, former Olympic Silver Medalist, who said “Work hard when you’re young, so you’re not working a graveyard shift when you’re my age.” He used more colorful language, but it stuck with me, and it was solid advice – but I think I balanced things more heavily on the work side, so my advice would be to balance that out a little bit better.

We are down to our last two interviews for the creative team of Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen before we launch the comic! Rex Lokus is a professional colorist from Mexico who has done some incredible work for Marvel, DC Comics, Capstone, and Furylion, and soon you'll be able to see his vivid coloring work in our Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen! When did you first know you wanted to be an artist? Rex Lokus: I have loved to draw ever since I was a child,but the moment I saw a comic book, I got intrigued: how do they do the comics? Who were the people working on them? At the age of 24, I met some friends working in the industry, and since that day it has been 15 awesome years of me doing comics! How did you first hone your artistic skills? Rex Lokus: I am a combination; I am self-taught, but also had some great mentors like Dono Sanchez, Raúl Treviño, Marte Gracia, and José Ladrönn. I was really lucky to be among these great artists, who guided me at the start of my career. What’s your favorite music to listen to while you work? Rex Lokus: I consider myself an eclectic person. I listen to soundtracks, rock, metal, electronic, hip-hop, and even reggaeton sometimes. I also like to listen audiobooks and podcasts while I'm working. What was the last video game you played? Rex Lokus: The last game I played was Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Spider-man for PS4, though I have not finished it yet, since I have more worlds to color in the comic space. If you could play Phil’s VR game in CIS, what class would you play? Rex Lokus: I think I would play a warrior. Did you know about wuxia before you worked on CIS? Rex Lokus: I didn't know about wuxia, but I am definitely a fan of The Matrix, Batman Begins, and Kung Fu Panda. In wuxia stories, legendary weapons are often given names. What tool would you consider to be your favorite instrument/legendary weapon of creation, and what name would you give it? Rex Lokus: Mine would be a giant ink pen, and I'd call it "the Story-Bending Sword." If you could go back in time, what positive advice do you wish you could give yourself when you were first starting out? Rex Lokus: I would tell myself: listen more to the feedback and be patient, you will make it.

We have been teasing you guys with Pop Mhan's dynamic art for ages now, and now that our launch is so close, we're here to interview him as part of the creative team that made it all happen! Pop has done some amazing work at Marvel, Darkhorse, and DC Comics, and did all of the pencil and ink artwork for our upcoming issue of Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen. When did you first know you wanted to be an artist? Pop Mhan: I realized I wanted to be an artist after coming across Jim Lee's X-men #4. How did you first hone your artistic skills? Pop Mhan: I was apprenticed first with Hoang Nguyen for a bit, and then with Jim Lee at WildStorm Productions. What’s your favorite music to listen to while you work? Pop Mhan: I like to listen to a lot of audiobooks when I draw, but when I get bored of those, I defer to the Emo-y punk, scream-core or whatever bad music from the 90's and early 2000's. What was the last video game you played? Pop Mhan: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I'm only able to play on my Nintendo Switch nowadays, it’s so great to pick up and put down! If you could play Phil’s VR game in CIS, what class would you play? Pop Mhan: I would play the NPC that gets slaughtered over and over again. Spawn, get blasted, repeat. Did you know about wuxia before you worked on CIS? If so, what was your favorite book/movie? Pop Mhan: I'm a HUGE fan of wuxia! I grew up watching old Chinese/Taiwanese Condor Heroes TV serials dubbed in Thai. My whole family would watch that all the time on VHS. In wuxia stories, legendary weapons are often given names. What tool would you consider to be your favorite instrument/legendary weapon of creation, and what name would you give it (and why)? Pop Mhan: The Heavenly Dragon Saber! That or the Beggar's staff (dog smacking stick) Classics, those. If you could go back in time, what positive advice do you wish you could give yourself when you were first starting out? Pop Mhan: Stick with it, straighten up and stop getting distracted!

As we get closer and closer to the launch of our first issue of Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen, we are continuing our interviews with the creative team that made it all possible. Today we interviewed Bernard Chang, the incredibly talented artist who designed and drew the alternate cover art for this issue! Bernard has worked for Walt Disney, Marvel, DC Comics, and Valiant, and is currently on the advisory board of Immortal Studios. When did you first know you wanted to be an artist? Bernard Chang: I have been drawing ever since I can remember, so around the age of three or four. At a young age, I got into comic books and cartoons, and those drove my desire to create and tell stories. When my family first immigrated from Canada to the United States, I really couldn’t speak English at first, so I brought in a drawing of Superman for “show and tell,” and it was a great way to communicate and share my passion with the other students! In many ways, being a professional comic book artist is like living out my childhood dreams. How did you first hone your artistic skills? Bernard Chang: I started out just drawing by myself. I would watch shows, or read books, and then draw my own additional scenes for those stories. During elementary school, my mother hired an art tutor for me, who pushed me to draw from real life; things like hands, still lifts, or even going to the zoo to draw animals. I auditioned and was admitted to a magnet high school in Miami, Florida, that specialized in the arts, and the teachers there pushed us towards a fine arts foundation of figure drawing, painting, sculpture, and printmaking. It wasn’t until I was in college at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, studying architecture, that I rediscovered my passion for comics and began my journey towards achieving that goal. What’s your favorite music to listen to while you work? Bernard Chang: I listen to a variety of things while I work: various podcasts, documentaries, radio shows, music, or audio books. During the layout design phase, I usually listen to things that are melodic, with little to no dialogue or words. But when it’s time to begin the technical phase of drawing, I can listen to anything! What was the last video game you played? Bernard Chang: I don’t play many video games; they are really time consuming and very addictive. When I do play, I usually play sports games like the basketball NBA 2K games, or football Madden NFL, and I usually like to play them online with my friends. I do have some Twitch streams of different games on in the background sometimes when I work though. If you could play Phil’s VR game in CIS, what class would you play? Bernard Chang: Hahaha, I wouldn’t even know where to begin! Did you know about wuxia before you worked on CIS? Bernard Chang: Growing up in the United States during the 80s and 90s, there was not a lot of access to things like wuxia. I would usually get my fix from the Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theatre on the local TV stations, with those heavily dubbed flicks? Or sometimes when my relatives in Taiwan would send care packages, they might include some wuxia comics or VHS tapes of different wuxia shows. In wuxia stories, legendary weapons are often given names. What tool would you consider to be your favorite instrument/legendary weapon of creation? Bernard Chang: Most people probably would say their pencil is their favorite weapon, but for me it’s really the eraser that counts. The eraser allows me to make as many mistakes as I need to, in order to create the most perfect drawing. If you could go back in time, what positive advice do you wish you could give yourself when you were first starting out? Bernard Chang: I would tell myself to drink more milk, so that I could’ve played in the NBA!

Ahead of the launch of our first issue of Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen, we sat down with the creative team that made it all possible. Here is our interview with one of the comic’s writers, and our own Founder and CEO, Peter Shiao. In Peter's own words: "We are all living during a challenging time, and the enormity of the tasks and difficulties at hand can feel dispiriting and overwhelming. These are also EXACTLY the backdrop for the emergence of heroes. I believe that stories can be an ignition to help us meet the challenges of our lives with courage and grace – and that Wuxia, and its heroes of all sizes, shapes and colors -- are its vanguard. In re-awakening my own hero to create a modern and elevated home for this timeless genre, we hope to awaken – and unleash – yours too. Here, I also dedicate Immortal to the memory of my father, who awakened my hero." What made you decide to be a writer? Peter Shiao: Even though I do function as a writer, I still have not made a decision to be a "writer," except in the case of Chronicles of Immortal Swordsmen. I felt very committed to my vision for the story and everything that I wanted it to be, and after trying for an extended period of time working with various writers, I ultimately decided to just put pen to paper myself. What sort of stories inspire you? Peter Shiao: Stories of people becoming the greatest version of themselves have always inspired me. For this reason, I have always been a fan of wuxia stories, because this thread is omnipresent in wuxia. The original Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen books inspired me a great deal when I first read them as a kid, and that inspiration has stayed with me through all the years since. In Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen, we see Phil competing in his favorite video game. What was the last video game you played? Peter Shiao: I am a bit out to lunch on this -- my latest, latest, video game was actually a game of Tetris, which I always enjoy. You’ve said in the past that Shiao Yi’s Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen trilogy was your favorite wuxia story growing up, what made it your favorite? Peter Shiao: I really liked Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen because it was the first book that introduced me to a world of Asian fantasy that so vast and awesome, and that was just really interesting to me. Behind all the great powers and cool energies was this simple idea that we all have this untapped potential in us, and that really resonated with me. There was something that was just so cool about the trials of Ironpond Du, and that feeling of being connected to a purpose that was larger than I had words for, and seeing everything come together for him…I really identified with his character, and that experience was a massive form of wish fulfillment for me. What are some of the adaptations you’ve made from Shiao Yi’s original work? Peter Shiao: As a lifelong Angelino, we moved the whole story to modern day Los Angeles. It was originally set in Yandang Mountains of ancient China, so that decision to bring it forward into the modern day was one of the major choices we made to the adaptation. The other very significant element is the introduction of technology, and especially the world of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) as a central element. We tied all of this together with the traditional immortal elements of the story, and that was another way that we tried to make Phil Du/Ironpond’s world in Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen uniquely relevant to today’s world. Who is your favorite character in Chronicle of the Immortal Swordsmen? Peter Shiao: Well, in my experience writing this, I have definitely developed a relationship with all these characters in many different ways. Ironpond Du would be much too easy of a pick (as I said earlier, I can certainly relate to him), but I would have to go with with our heroine, Ying Ying. She has the most intense and provocative arc, as both a human person and a character in the game. Her journey to ultimately join her heart and mind into one whole badass immortal is very different and fresh for comic books like this. In wuxia stories, special techniques/abilities are often given names. If you had a special ability in real life, what would it be (and what name would you give it)? Peter Shiao: One of my gifts is the ability to bring people together in common action - so how about something like the Unity Sutra or something like that? Having grown up with wuxia stories, what’s your favorite part of the genre? Peter Shiao: Haha that is an easy one. It is the underestimated underdog who ultimately becomes a hero.

In 2005, the first instalment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Batman Begins, was released, and changed our ideas of what a comic book movie could be. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel, said in 2012 that the first two films of the trilogy helped paved the way for the MCU films that followed. We’re taking a look at it today to see how it rates on our Essential Wuxia checklist. We gave it a 12/15, pretty darn high! Is Batman a Wuxia Hero? I gave this section a 7 out of 8. Batman in this incarnation (as in just about every adaptation) easily checks off altruism, courage, and loyalty. What makes Chris Nolan’s origin story particularly interesting is the deliberate attention put into building Batman’s persona, not only to give Bruce Wayne the ability to fight without the limitations imposed by society’s expectations of him, but also to allow him to build a symbol of something bigger than just one man. The infamy he builds into this legend is something we’ve usually taken for granted in earlier iterations of this origin story, but Nolan’s emphasis on this adds a very wuxia twist to Batman! Image source: https://screenrant.com/batman-begins-best-dark-knight-origin-story-movie/ Is the movie Essential Wuxia? I gave this section a 5 out of 7. Batman has always been somewhat unique in the DC pantheon of heroes, in that he has no superpower. He’s a (very, very rich) ordinary man, and works with and inspires those in Gotham who wish to change it for the better. In Nolan’s origin story, James Gordan and Rachel Dawes are just as critical to saving Gotham as Batman is. And while their work is more behind the scenes, Alfred Pennyworth and Lucius Fox are indispensable in helping Bruce create Batman (and his arsenal of unique weapons and gadgets). All of these characters are heroes in Batman Begins. Image source: https://sea.ign.com/batman-wristwatch/87397/news/gotham-reportedly-casts-its-lucius-fox When they first spar, Ra’s al Ghul comments that Bruce has learned at least three different kinds of martial arts, but insists that he needs to hone his skills even further. Bruce throws himself into this training, and uses it to work through his trauma and guilt over the deaths of his parents and his own lack of direction. The addition of the League of Shadows in this film brings that secret, subversive element that looms even larger than the criminals and crime bosses of Gotham, something only a legend like Batman can take on. Image source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2020/06/15/chris-nolan-batman-begins-beat-marvel-iron-man-to-the-punch-earned-climactic-joker-tease/ Essential Wuxia Score: 12/15! Missed points: there were a few Essential Wuxia points that Batman Begins missed out on. The first was truthfulness: it’s a crucial plot point that the main character deliberately crafts two fictional versions of himself to show the public; Bruce Wayne the billionaire playboy is just as much a fabrication as Batman. While the larger DC universe allows for more mystical elements, Batman has typically been all science and chemicals and crooks, leaving no room for things like chi or cultivation. by S. Sifton Immortal Staff

Naraka: Bladepoint is a Chinese battle royale game, deeply inspired by the elegant martial combat of wuxia media. Available on Steam, the Epic Games store or the Naraka: Bladepoint website, it beautifully melds the “loot and scoot” nature of a battle royale with the more “up-close and personal” nature of a brawler. Players have eight characters to choose from, each with unique abilities to augment gameplay. While it might seem like a small roster, the game - having been released in August 2021 - is quite new (at the time of this article). 24 Entertainment, the developers of Naraka: Bladepoint, have just released their eighth character - a dangerous sea captain with aquatic powers named Valda Cui - and will be continuing to expand their cast. While the player’s choice of character affects their abilities, most of the interesting gameplay spawns from the items players can find around the map. The game highly encourages players to use close combat, providing each character a grappling hook to quickly maneuver. They can close distances quickly, allow the player to reach high places, or even evade in unexpected ways. Beyond these however, players must pick up weapons to properly fight opponents. There are thirteen weapons in Naraka: Bladepoint, six melee and seven ranged. These weapons affect the character’s attacks, combos and range, making the player’s choice of weapon vital to their success. This variety ensures combat is chaotic, fast-paced and deeply enjoyable even as a spectator. On the whole, battle royales have been immensely popular. Originally inspired by the 2000 Japanese film, Battle Royale, it wasn’t until PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) - and later Fortnite, which hit as many as 10 million concurrent players - really set off the genre. Since then, the battle royale genre has become almost over-saturated, with more than thirty releases since PUBG released in 2017. Even despite the plethora of similarly-formatted titles, no other game uses such a skillful wuxia-style combat system. To create such a unique, entertaining battle royale like Naraka: Bladepoint is a deeply impressive feat. by S. Howie Immortal Staff

Kung Fu Panda introduced many of the core concepts of wuxia to new audiences back in 2008. Its popularity saw the creation of two more feature films, several short films, and two animated series to continue the story of Po, the Dragon Warrior, and his friends in the Valley of Peace. It proved that audiences of all ages can enjoy wuxia, and I gave it a 15/15 on our Essential Wuxia checklist. Is Po a Wuxia Hero? I gave this section an 8 out of 8. Po begins his journey as the son of a noodle merchant who dreams of something more: “Didn’t you ever want to do something else? Something besides noodles?” he asks his father. Po’s passion, we learn very early on, lies in kung fu, and his admiration and respect for those who have mastered kung fu borders on obsession. Though he struggles with self-doubt throughout the entire movie, he never backs down from doing what he thinks is right, eventually working up the courage to take on challenges far beyond what he initially believed himself to be capable of. His devotion to his master and training, his generosity to both friends and strangers, melts the doubts of those around him, though it takes him longer to realize his own self-worth. Image source: https://ew.com/movies/2018/06/06/kung-fu-panda-tenth-anniversary/ Is the movie Essential Wuxia? I gave this section a 7 out of 7. The resounding message of the movie is that “there is no secret ingredient” that makes people special. All you have to do is believe in yourself, and you can do great things. This is a hard-earned lesson for Po, who struggles throughout the movie between what he wants to do and what he believes he’s incapable of doing. His self-deprecation and jokes add some much-needed levity to the solemn cast of the film, as do his fanboy exclamations about famous swords, famous armor, and famous figures he meets; but his low view of himself at times overpowers the strides he makes in his training, and obscures the lessons that the (admittedly enigmatic) Grand Master Oogway tries to teach him. Essential Wuxia Score: 15/15! by S. Sifton Immortal Staff

In our upcoming comic, Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen, we are going to be diving right into the mystical world of the immortals. But what are immortals? Are they zombies, vampires, faeries, elves, dragons, gods? None of these are what we mean when we talk about immortals in wuxia. In the context of wuxia stories, immortals are human beings who have trained (or cultivated) their bodies and minds to a point of transcendence, where they reach the border between heaven and earth. Even before they ascend, those who are training to become immortals will have surpassed the need for food, the need for sleep, and will no longer be subject to the effects of the elements, or will no longer age. One way to think of them would be like the demigods in Greek mythology, who sometimes ascend to be minor gods after their trials in life. But rather than ascending to heaven by virtue of who your parents slept with, immortals ascend through many, many long years of grueling training, effort, meditation, and self-reflection. Like many pantheons in Western myths, these immortals can often cross back and forth between heaven and earth once they have ascended. In some stories, immortals will willingly enter the cycle of reincarnation, becoming mortal again to help others overcome trials, or help others in the path of ascension. In Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen, a small group of immortals has been tasked with protecting the earth…but from what is something you’ll have to read and find out! by S. Sifton Immortal Staff

One of the major differences between Wuxia and Kung Fu movies is the array of weapons the heroes wield. Today, we’re looking at one of the four most common weapons used in Wuxia movies, the elegantly lethal dao, or single-edged sword. This is the same type of sword used by Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005), by Mulan in the recent live-action remake last year, and by Jackie Chan's Huo An in Dragon Blade (2015). Though these individual swords all have unique shapes, they all share the key characteristics of the dao. Image source: https://atlaculture.tumblr.com/post/648114588680847360/cultural-anatomy-fire-nation-swords-pt-2 Called the “General of Weapons,” this sword has a single edge (as opposed to the double-edged jian), and a curved blade. Unlike Japanese katanas, this sword may have a few inches of edge on the opposite side of the blade, at the tip or point of the sword. The hilt often bends in the opposite direction from the blade. Like jian, dao swords may also have lanyards, tassels, or scarves attached to the hilt. Image source: https://www.sinosword.com/Chinese-sword-classify.html Though the origins of this weapon go back thousands of years, the dao as we know it today originated in the seventh or eighth century during the Tang dynasty, and dao were standard issue for soldiers from the 1300s to the end of imperial rule in 1912. They were also mass produced and issued to Chinese soldiers during World War II. Here's an episode from Man At Arms as they undertake a challenge to recreate a dao longsword with 19th century tools. Check out their video: If you're more interested in the sword's results, here's an episode from Forged in Fire testing the effectiveness of two beautifully crafted dao swords: by S. Sifton Immortal Staff

Naruto has been a huge hit for over 20 years now, becoming one of the most popular children’s series in the world. It might be surprising to some folks, but this ninja anime did really well on our Essential Wuxia checklist: we gave it a 12/15! Is Naruto Uzumaki a Wuxia Hero? I gave this section a 6 out of 8. Naruto’s tragic childhood allows him to empathize with many of the people he encounters, and he does his best to help them no matter what. He frequently finds himself in a position where he needs all his courage to jump into danger, to protect them. Image source: https://naruto.fandom.com/wiki/Team_7_(Kakashi) This tendency to go beyond the mandates of his missions to save folks is one of serval ways that we see Naruto's individualism. He frequently rejects the rules of ninja society, while still striving to become strong enough to hold the title of village chief, the Hokage. His neglected childhood also drives this desire to win the respect and admiration of the village, while also fueling his rebellion against his teachers and elders. Image source: https://louser.fandom.com/wiki/Naruto:Hokage_Monument Though he does not have much in life, he gladly shares it with those friends, even when he is competing against them. Yet Naruto extremely loyal to those friends, right up to a fault. It approaches a level of self-sacrifice that feels particularly heart wrenching in a child character. Is the series Essential Wuxia? I gave this section a 6 out of 7. The themes of self-discovery are especially prevalent when it comes to Naruto and his main rival, Sasuke. They learn more about themselves and their families, and for Naruto this widens his worldview. The people he meets help grow his self-confidence, which helps expands his connection to the people around him. Image source: https://twitter.com/shonenjump/status/1389708983024422916 Unsurprisingly, as Naruto seeks to be the strongest ninja, we see him constantly looking for new ways to get stronger. The long list of opponents (and new friends) he encounters adds to an incredible array of fantastic weapons, new types of jutsu, and special bloodline abilities. Most of these rely heavily on the character’s chakra, though some bloodlines dip into sorcery, though some exceptional ninjas have turned to cultivation to reach new levels of power. Essential Wuxia Score: 12/15! Missed points: I did feel there were a few Essential Wuxia points that Naruto missed. First, not everyone can be a hero. While Naruto’s hidden ninja villages are full of exceptional people, it is emphasized that without being born with some degree of talent, it is virtually impossible to succeed in that world. The only character to do so is seen as an anomaly, someone pitied by many. As far as truthfulness and justice, Naruto is a kid, who likes to twist the truth to avoid culpability (or just to make himself look cooler), and his extreme loyalty to his friends often closes his eyes to the things they’ve done. by S. Sifton Immortal Staff

Anyone interested in the wuxia genre, or great pop music, should check out 100 Ways. Everything from the choreography (by the Kinjaz) to the directing (by Daniel Cloud Campos) of 100 Ways is incredibly polished. In a mere three minutes, Jackson Wang tells the story of an ancient warrior (Jackson Wang), unjustly slain by a jealous prince. The video begins with four soldiers using a sequence of taoist-style hand seals. These hand seals are a very common way cultivators cast spells in wuxia media, and were the basis of Kuji-In - the hand signs used by ninjas - after they were brought to Japan. Image source: https://irezumiempire.com/blogs/articles/the-9-hand-seals Through the ninjas' efforts, they raise their leader from his grave and escort him through a dark, colorless forest to the single spot of light and color left to them - the resting place of the ancient warrior’s beloved. Reunited in death, the two sink back into the earth, their souls finally at peace. S. Howie Immortal Staff