Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1467182
MERLIN Books have published Malta's first-ever serialised com- ic book series for adults. Mibdul is a cutting-edge series in six monthly instalments that uses science fiction and horror to "mercilessly satirise the environ- mental mess, construction orgy and corruption going on in a cer- tain island." Mibdul is written by Teodor Reljić and illustrated by Inez Kristina and published, with funding by the Malta Book Fund, in monthly instalments by Mer- lin Publishers. The first issue is already out and can be purchased from Mer- lin publisher's website, while the second issue will be out on 12 May. MaltaToday spoke to Reljić and Inez Kristina about the creation of Mibdul and what readers can expect from the six-issue comic. What was the inspiration be- hind creating Mibdul? TR: Funnily enough, for me it was triggered into being by the announcement that virgin land at Zonqor Point in Marsascala was to be taken up by the American University in Malta – announced by then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Workers' Day (of all days) back in 2015. I lived a lit- eral stone's throw away from the proposed site at the time, and the news was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back in terms of the ongoing eradication of Malta's natural landscape (as was the case with many others, and as evidenced by the unprec- edented wave of protest that the proposed development unwit- tingly jolted into being). I want- ed to transmute my frustration into something tangible that also spoke to my primary creative in- stincts and impulses – reaching all the way back to my childhood and adolescence. And a 'space fantasy' comic was the most aes- thetically and emotionally acces- sible allegory for me at the time. IZ: Teodor approached me at some point in 2016 saying he had been working on this idea for a comic series, and after talk- ing for a while we found out we were pretty aligned about how angry we were not only regard- ing Malta's lack of respect for our natural environment but al- so about the proposed American University which would have been built in Zonqor, Marsas- cala. Since Marsaskala is my hometown and I feel very strongly about it (and both Teo and I were liv- ing there back then), I jumped wholeheartedly on board. Can you tell us about the process of creating Mib- dul? How did go from an idea to something tangible? TR: After Inez got involved, the project began to grow more or less organically on my part, because I knew I could continue writing out the story, safe in the knowledge that my ideas will be understood, incorporated and given visual life by an intelligent and capable artist! (We both hap- pened to live in Marsascala for a bulk of Mibdul's creation, so that was also quite handy.) The writ- ing underwent a fairly standard process of chipping away at the initial ideas, concepts and char- acters and dividing it all up into the serialised six-part journey. It ultimately all boiled down to two key challenges: making sure that I could fit the story into the 22/24-page six-issue format, and making sure that each individ- ual issue, while being part of a larger whole, both advances the story forward and is a dynamic read in its own right. Overall, I'm very proud of the way the story is structured – readers will notice its peaks and troughs as they read along in the coming months – and I'm both nervous and excit- ed to see it finally be released in monthly instalments in the 'real' world! IZ: It was definitely a huge chal- lenge! I had never worked on a project this ambitious before, so it took some getting used to being thrown in the deep end. Luckily Teo was super to col- laborate with since he would get very excited whenever I would show him sketches or tell him my ideas, so we had a great back and forth discussing story, characters, designs, layouts, etc.... from script to final page. In the beginning we had some early concept sketch- es from Mark Scicluna to riff off (who was on the project before me) but we ended up taking the designs and the vibe in a totally different direction, as the project grew. The art also gets progres- sively better throughout the se- ries as my skills developed. I was very happy that Chris Gruppetta from Merlin was on board from the very beginning and support- ed us through the entire process which lasted way longer than we had expected. I learned a lot about time management, work- life balance and expectations t h r o u g h d r a w i n g all these pages (the project took 5 years to complete, instead of the originally planned 1, due to life and financial circumstances, as well as a total lack of experience) but it was our passion project and little by little, we pulled through. What was the reason behind choosing to use a comic book format to tell the story? TR: I've worked both as a film critic and a screenwriter, and my academic background is in Eng- lish Literature, but when we get right down to it – comics are my first love. I've loved them since I was a kid and committed to col- lecting them on a regular basis during my teen years... which re- quired some effort in mid-to-late '90s Malta. In short, I've always wanted to write a comic book. And with Mibdul, the opportuni- ty finally presented itself, thanks to both Inez and our brave, risk-taking publisher (Chris Gruppetta at Merlin) taking the plunge. IZ: I've always wanted to draw comics since I was a little girl, and this was the perfect opportu- nity for me. What does Mibdul offer that other comics out there do not? TR: The fact that it's Mal- ta's first serialised comic book from a mainstream publisher is a 'historical' mile- stone. However, I'd say it also offers a uniquely Maltese take on certain archetypal stories: Mal- tese fans of properties such as Star Wars, Arcane, Dune or Mad Max will find a Maltese strand added to that particular set of in- fluences. The comic will also be an exaggerated, expanded take on certain very Maltese topical issues... along with some 'East- er Eggs' of local flavour which eagle-eyed readers will have fun spotting. IZ: I think readers will enjoy the rawness of it. It's very human and emotional at times, but also really silly. It's also very Maltese in many ways, but not overtly so – I think people will enjoy draw- ing parallels between the world of Mibdul and Malta, but it's also a universal story that can be un- derstood and enjoyed by anyone. I don't think it's that important for us to be 'groundbreaking' with Mibdul – we just wanted to make something that expresses how we felt, in a way that is ours. I think it can be rough around the edges in parts, which I think can be charming. maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 MAY 2022 5 BOOKS Up close with the creators of 'Mibdul', Malta's first serialised comic for adults