Interview with the creator of FATL Clint Stoker

    ICU had the chance to talk to Clint Stoker, creator of Downcast and popular YouTuber about his newest project - FATL now In Demand on IndieGogo

F.A.T.L. is your new comic that you are crowdfunding. What is F.A.T.L.?
 FATL is a story about an intergalactic exterminator who needs some serious money. He takes a job on this planet that appears to be perfect. He soon finds out that the residents have been lulled into a sense of security while an invasion is taking place. It's a fun, action-packed space adventure with some of the most beautiful moments. I'm very proud of it.

What were some of the inspirations behind the story?​
   Charlie's artwork is the primary inspiration for the story. I also took inspiration from Grimm fairy tales and Guardians of the Galaxy. With the two of us working on it, we are really pulling inspiration from a lot of places.

You have teamed up with phenomenal artist, Charlie Snogans on this project. How did that come about?
   I had seen Charlie's artwork on Twitter, and had floated the idea of doing a book with him. Later, Charlie saw me on a stream and he thought that my pitch for Downcast was good, so he backed the book, read it, and loved it. We started talking, and FATL was born. 

F.A.T.L. is your third crowdfunded comic and is seeing great success so far. How do you think your previous campaigns helped you to approach this campaign?
   Each campaign is a learning experience. I learned a lot from the first two and tried to apply my knowledge to this campaign. Pricing and promotion are huge factors. This is my first $25 campaign, and so there are little differences that come up. How do you encourage people to back the campaign? How do you get people excited and stay excited? So many things you need to get right. It's been a big success so far, so I think we're doing something right. But even now, I'm learning from this campaign and making plans to grow it and improve the next one. I don't quite have the perfect formula for a campaign, but it feels like it's close.

​Speaking of your previous campaigns, Downcast is going to be published by Alterna Comics. How did that happen?
   I submitted Downcast to Alterna comics last year. I'm a big fan of Alterna, and I'm really pleased to be part of the lineup. The submission process went just like most of my attempts at publication, but Peter reached out to me and said he liked the book. We started talking about specifics, and I signed the contract. It feels like this all happened a long time ago, and it kind of was a long time ago. But the first issue is set to come out this fall. I'm so excited to see it on newsprint!

You also have a very popular YouTube Channel. How have you utilized that to help with your comic projects?
   My YouTube channel has been the essential ingredient. This is the single biggest factor in my success. It helped me build a mailing list. It helped me get the attention of other YouTubers. It helped me get the attention of Charlie Snogans.
​   It continues to be the best method for promoting my books. I wish my channel were bigger, because it would just be that much more helpful, but even at 5,000 subscribers, it's just such a powerful tool for connecting with readers and collaborators.

What do you see for the future of F.A.T.L. Would you like to make more books featuring this word and characters?
   I would LOVE to make more books in the FATL series, but I like to do these things one at a time. We are focused on making this book timeless. Something readers will go back to again and again. It's a big story, and I have ideas to make it even bigger, but the focus now is to make sure the campaign goes well, and that the fans WANT more.

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Back FATL on IndieGogo

Follow Clint Stoker on Twitter: @CastSweet