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Getting to Know You

Tell us a bit about yourself: who are you, where are you from, and what should readers know about you?

Hi! My name is Lia, but many people know me as “Potcha”. I’m an autistic woman from Brazil who just really loves telling stories and drawing them out! I tend to be very energetic even in texts, so please be aware that there will be lots of “!!!!” throughout this entire interview hahaha!! Oh, and English isn’t my main language, so I apologize in advance if there are any grammar mistakes on my part!

What do you do when you’re not working or creating art?

I usually enjoy watching lots of series, movies, and K-dramas. I also tend to read a lot to help with inspiration and creativity! Every time I get stuck on a plot point in my stories, I stop everything and go watch or read something else!! And it often leads me to the answer! Sometimes it even gets me writing MORE than what I should be writing hahaha!!

What inspires you most as an artist?

I would say…… life experiences? Everything I write has a bit of my personal story in it. That’s how I survived through hardships. I tend to transform every bit of emotion I feel into a scene or character, so I think life experiences are what guides me the most on this artistic path.

What part about making comics is the hardest for you?

OH, ALL OF IT!!!!!!! Not a single thing about it is easy!!!!!!!!!! Hahahah, joking aside… the hardest part would be motivation. I mean, as long as you have a set routine, you can get things like coloring, lining, and rendering done, despite it being tiring… but if you don’t feel motivated to do it, it’s almost like walking on broken legs. That’s why I deeply appreciate my readers’ comments. It’s what gives me fuel to continue when all I want is to give up. I love and appreciate each and every one of them.

Is creating comics your full-time job?

Due to mental health reasons, I can’t easily go out of my house, so I would say it is basically my full-time job, yes, hahah! Do I get paid enough for it??? Not yet!!!! But hopefully I will one day!

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Quick Fire

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About “My Promise to You“

How much of the story have you already planned out?

Around 70%, probably? The funny thing about creating a story is that things tend to change a lot as you work on them. A few things get added, others get deleted, and some even get pushed aside to make a comeback later in the future. It can get pretty messy — But overall, I have most of it planned, especially the ending!

In a comment somewhere, you mentioned hating to draw Yelan. Were you joking, or is there actually something about that character that’s a pain to draw?

Oh, I was 100000000% serious! Jesus, what a PAIN it is to draw his hair! Super complicated!!! Not only that, but as the Diva he is, he’s always wearing jewelry! Different ones each time, at that!! I need to constantly keep track of which side of the face they are placed on when drawing, and every time it freaks me out. Why the heck do I keep doing that to myself?!!!

The tension between Yelan and Aria is real. Is there romance in the picture?

Oh dear, is there? HAHAHAH. I mean, it is under the romance genre, so we might as well expect something, right? One thing I can say, though, is that… Aria is a difficult person. Hatred guides her. Nothing will be easy.

The start feels very different from the rest of the story: Is “My Promise to You” going to get more tragic and dramatic or are you keeping the humor?

Differently from my other series, which had set genres, MPTY feels much more dynamic to write. When I first drafted it, I had only one thing in mind: “I want to be able to explore”. Again, Aria isn’t an easy character. She’s very gloomy and serious, but since she’s the main character, sometimes it can get quite frustrating. That’s when the humor comes in with Yelan and the others: to balance the weight out. Since the premise of the story is pretty serious, you can be sure that at some point something will have to change. But the humor will still prevail, though. Somehow surviving through the cracks that are bound to happen……. Hopefully.

Walk us through your process a bit – what tools do you use, and roughly how long does a single episode take from start to finish?

OKAY SO! First of all, I use Notion to write all of my episodes and keep them organized there. Then, I use SketchUp and Acon3D for my backgrounds! Sometimes I buy the models, other times I build them myself. It depends on what kind of scenery I need and the level of complexity. As for the drawing process, I use Clip Studio Paint. I owe my life to this software. It’s my favorite thing in the entire world!!!! I would not survive without it. Now, speaking about the episodes… it really depends on the length. I tend to write/draw a LOT, so sometimes they end up with way too many pages and complicate everything in my schedule. But usually, at most, 2 weeks is my time limit! One day is used to sketch out the entire chapter, the next is for text and backgrounds, and the rest of the days are dedicated to finalizing each page individually! Which works better for me, as my arm tends to hurt quite often.

Which panels are you most proud of?

Oh, dear….. so many! HAHAHA. It’s pretty hard to choose, but the ones where a moment is being “highlighted” are usually the ones I work the hardest on! Like in an earlier episode where Aria is talking about the moment she decided to go after Yelan, wondering why her parents had to die, during a flashback. Or the one where she’s talking with Wallan after figuring out the real answer to his “test.”

Usually it’s the panel where a strong emotion is being shown or a moment is being dramatized for impact! Like the mixture of flowers, colors, and brush patterns…! I abuse my brain cells the most when drawing them, figuring out what kind of composition would look best, and how to better portray the emotions of the scene, as if it were a collage? Kinda? Sort of? Anyways, THOSE. Those are my favorite panels. Hahaha!

Do you have a favorite character?

This is the hardest question ever, because I adore each and every one of them. I love Yelan’s duality, Aria’s unhingedness, and Wallan’s tragic existence (may the universe have mercy on this poor man). But……. if I have to choose…….. maybe Aria! Yelan is a freak, but she’s much freakier than him. And I adore that about her!

What do you want your readers to feel when reading “My Promise to You”?

I would like to be able to make them feel all kinds of emotions, to be honest. I want to make them laugh with the silliness, cry during the sad parts, get anxious with the cliffhangers, and feel butterflies in their stomachs when something exciting happens…! I want them to completely immerse themselves in the story and characters! I want to see them theorizing about every single thing they see and read, and freaking out over it!! Someone once even theorized that Yelan was a vampire!! I was on my knees laughing!!! Isn’t that awesome?!?? That’s absolutely my goal.

Is there a reader reaction or comment that has really stuck with you?

There isn’t one in specific, to be honest. I love all of them unconditionally. What I can say, though, is that the ones where readers debate over things they see in a chapter and create theories about it will always have a special place in my heart. Because that’s what I have always done with my favorite series. And being on the side of the one who reads the theories – instead of creating them – feels like a dream.

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Beyond “My Promise to You“

In a notice on “Requiem” you mentioned you’d had a heart attack. How are you doing these days?

I’m doing much better! Thank you so much for asking!!! Stress is our worst enemy, so ever since then, I have been carefully organizing my routine and schedule so it doesn’t become dangerous to my health! Please take care of yourselves, folks!!!! We are much more delicate than we think.

What are your plans for “Requiem” and “Catalyst”? Are they on hold, or are they projects you’ve moved on from?

I would say they are projects that are still with me and evolving as I get older. I do have many other plans for them, but the “Catalyst” and “Requiem” people got to know sadly don’t exist anymore! Although the characters are still the same, much has changed. Hopefully, one day I will be able to bring them back. But for now, my only focus is “My Promise To You”.

Do you have a passion project you still wish to complete, or a dream for where you want your creative journey to go?

My dream is to have a physical format of my comics!!!! Maybe even an animation! But my ultimate life goal is to live off stories, constantly writing and drawing them. I have so many to tell. So many characters I want to share! I wish to grow old working with this, with others enjoying my creations.

Anything else you’d like to share with your readers?

As I always say, comic creation isn’t easy. There are many more downs than ups. Disappointment walks hand in hand with you when you are on this path. What makes everything worth all the hardships are the readers themselves. I love writing, I love drawing, I love creating… But I seriously doubt I would have kept going if I didn’t have anyone listening to what I’m saying. They are both my strength and my weakness, and I wish to take them on all of my journeys with me. My most precious treasure. Thank you for staying even when I fail or when I’m not good enough yet. I will forever appreciate each and every one of you. Whatever awaits me at the end of this path, know that you have always been the brightest part of this journey.