Mirka Andolfo’s Unnatural is an absolutely gorgeous gift from Italy published stateside by Image Comics. The book offers razor sharp and unflinching commentary on pervasive social pressures around conformity and sexuality, as well as on institutional sexism and discrimination. This month Image will release Unnatural Volume One: Awakening, featuring the first four issues of the comic. If you’re a fan of socially relevant, character driven narratives, occult conspiracies, phenomenal artwork, and sexy pigs, Unnatural is a must have. At NYCC 2018 I spoke with the writer and artist to talk about her inspiration and the transition to working in the USA.
ComicAttack: We’re here with Mirka Andolfo who is the writer and artist on Unnatural. Now for our readers who might not be aware of your previous work, what projects aside from Unnatural do you feel really exemplify your style and your contribution to comics as an artist? And more generally, as a creator, what are you most proud of that you’ve done?
Mirka Andolfo: I don’t know because I’m kind of new. I don’t feel like.. I have to improve more, but I always try to do my best and I hope to can [sic] always make a better work year after year. Sorry, my English is not good.
CA: I understand. The art that you’ve done, that I’ve seen especially, is really great. How is the process here different from Italy?
MA: To be honest, the process of comics, my creator owned in Italy and here, is not so different. Also because my comic Unnatural, also if it’s born in Italy, I think about it like an American comic, with the twenty pages in something. Also, but in Italy it’s published in books, not like issues. So one book has four American issues. But it’s not so different honestly, because I work the same way. The only big difference is that the deadlines are different. In American I have very.. Not large, but small deadlines. Small time, not so much time. In Italy I have more time. I worked on Unnatural three years ago and this is finished in Italy just one month ago. So the time is different.
CA: Now where did you get the idea for this story? Is it something that’s personal, or just imagination?
MA: No, it’s imagination. To be honest, the first thing was the main character Leslie. I created Leslie for fun honestly. And when I think about her, I imagined a world for her. I think immediately about a world with the animals and it was very natural for me to think about this kind of dystopian world. But not inspired by something (personal), no.
CA: Now the decision to go with anthropomorphism, the animals, is essential to the story. Did you ever feel like that would simplify the story you were trying to tell or make it more difficult for people to understand?
MA: I think simplify. It’s easy.. It’s like similitude.. No similitudes, sorry no accessing English word. Yeah, I think is easier for the reader this way. And I have also fun to draw the characters in this way. This is also my first time with anthropomorphic characters and I just wanted to try. I think with animals it’s more easier for the reader to understand something about the message in something like that, because everybody can.. They have no race, they are universal in some way.
CA: So it’s easier for the readers to relate.
MA: Yeah, I think so. And I also think it was fun to draw, honestly. But it’s very difficult because animals, to draw faces like animals, are a nightmare.
CA: How did you decide which characters would be which species?
MA: Honestly, I just.. It is not so important for the mood. I think it’s fun. For example Leslie is a pig, but she’s not bad or ugly. If we think at pigs, they are not nice animals, but I wanted to create a contrast about. And when I created Leslie I had fun because she’s nice, she’s cute. So, the race of the animals is not so important to be honest.
CA: So you went against the stereotypes of the animals?
MA:Yeah, yeah!
CA: That’s great actually. Now the way that you’ve written the story it makes some very good points about how agency and how some rights have been kind of stripped away from women and and stripped away from the LGBTQ community. And that’s institutionally in society. Was it more important to you to just tell and interesting story, or to really find the representation for these characters?
MA: I think the good way is between. I wanted to create a story, an entertainment story, a pop story, but also give a message. I don’t like to tell a story without a message. I don’t know how to say, but I think when you create a story it’s important to say something. Not just something useless. I don’t know how to explain.
CA: You feel it’s a responsibility as an artist and a creator?
MA: You don’t have to do it, but I prefer. It’s a personal choice.
CA: And just one point, because I know that it’s a definitely book that gets a lot of attention because of some of the more sensual scenes and some of the expression there. Did you feel like it was important to not shy away from Leslie and her sexual exploration? Do you think it’s important to tell that story very honestly and not try to hide it?
MA: Yeah. I like to be honest and I also think that sexuality is something.. It’s normal. People are scared of it sometimes. Especially, I honestly was very.. I didn’t expect so much scary people about these things in USA. In Italy also a lot, but here more. I also like to draw figures, sensual figures. So this is the main reason, because I think the sexuality is a normal part of our lives. So I don’t think it’s something we need to hide, okay? I’m sorry, I’m terrible.
CA: Unnatural existed as a twelve issue series. Do you have plans to continue the world on beyond what you’ve completed?
MA: To be honest it’s not in my program, because I prefer not to go too much after. When a story is done it’s done, but never say never. I always.. If one day I have another idea okay, but if I don’t have I don’t want to find an idea because I have to continue. I prefer to go on another project. In fact, now I’m already working on another project because the twelve issues are completed in Italy. So I have time to work on another project.
CA: Thank you so much.
We at ComicAttack.net would like to thank Mirka Andolfo for participating in out interview. Unnatural Volume One: Awakening will available November 21 @ imagecomics.com. Our in depth review will be available soon.
Christian Davenport
cable201@comicattack.net
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