ARIELA KRISTANTINA Draws us into her Epic Tale, THE GIRL WHO DRAWS ON WHALES

Eisner-nominated creator Ariela Kristantina stops by with editor Will Dennis to discuss her graphic novel, The Girl Who Draws on Whales, available now in digital format through Comixology, available in print on March 31st through Dark Horse Comics.

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COMIC BOOK YETI: Ariela, it is a delight to have you here today, and Will, thanks for making time to join the discussion. It’s my understanding this project has been a long time in the making, so we are glad to see it available for the public to enjoy. How are you both doing in Jakarta and Brooklyn, respectively?

ARIELA KRISTANTINA: I’m doing okay, thanks for having us! Indonesia’s been dealing with a pretty major ecological disaster—thankfully I’m not directly affected where I live, but it’s been horrible. Really hoping for the government to better our environment policies in the future.

WILL DENNIS: New year, New Mayor...Things are looking up! 

CBY: It's been very alarming to see a natural hazard exacerbated into a disaster due to human degradation of biodiversity, and I hope the linkage drawn between deforestation and flooding helps motivate rapid policy and regulatory change toward ecosystem restoration and preservation in Indonesia. With determination and coordination, New York is poised for its own significant shift towards proactive, progressive policy with Mamdani taking office. Turning to the comic at-hand, Ariela, when did the idea first come to mind, and what sort of process was involved in bringing it to the world? Will, how did you get involved? I know you’ve got colors by Sarah Stern, letters by Bernardo Brice, and design by Kassandra Starkell, with thanks to Jeff Dibartolomeo and Pamela Horvath - how did everyone get involved in the project, and prior to working on The Girl Who Draws on Whales, how did you two meet? 

AK: It actually started from a random sketch—a little girl floating in the sea with a whale behind her. It was just a “cooldown” drawing after another project, and I didn’t think much of it at first, but for some reason it wouldn’t leave my brain. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals, so that image kept tugging at me until I finally turned it into a real story.

While I was wrapping up Adora, I showed the pitch to Will and asked him to tell me if it didn’t totally suck. He said it didn’t, so we took it to Chip Mosher at Comixology, and that’s where things really started moving. Chip left not long after, but Jeff DiBartolomeo, the GN and CTO of Comixology Originals, ended up being one of the book’s biggest supporters.

As for how Will and I met—back when I was still an international student at SCAD, I joined a summer program where a group of us visited Vertigo in NYC. Will will definitely say he gave me the world’s most glowing portfolio review…but trust me, it was traumatizing, haha! Still, it made me swear that one day I’d work with him—and here we are.

WD: We were working together on Adora and the Distance and I was talking to Ariela about all the strange drawings she would do in her free time and post on Instagram. I just started asking if she had any aspirations to write and draw her own thing one day, and this was really the first thing she talked about. We were already working with Comixology, so we had a call with Chip Mosher and Ariela walked him through the idea and he loved it. It has that immediate appeal! We first met years ago when I was an editor at Vertigo and she was a student at SCAD. I did a portfolio review that I recall was fairly positive but she will swear I was a total jerk who ripped her work to shreds. And that’s what motivated her to forge ahead in her career. You’re welcome! 

CBY: Funny how an experience varies in the eye of the beholder, eh? Available digitally on September 23, 2025 through Comixology Originals, readers can find The Girl Who Draws on Whales in print from Dark Horse on March 31, 2026, which provides a lot of lead time for digital readers. Ariela, I know you’ve worked extensively with Marvel, and have published through BOOM!, DC, Image, Lion Forge, Vault, and others. Can you share a bit about the publishing arrangements, which seem to revisit your process for your Eisner Award-nominated collaboration with Marc Bernardin, Adora and the Distance? What led to your initial relationship with Dark Horse and returning to them for publication of this title?

AK: Honestly, I like working with people I already know and trust. I’ve talked about how I first met Will, but Chip Mosher was actually someone I met way back when he and Mike Marts visited SCAD. They both sat down with me, went through my portfolio, and were generous with their time. And when I was finishing Adora and the Distance, Comixology treated Marc and me really well —fair, supportive, and very straightforward. So, when I have a new idea, it feels natural to bring it to them first. They’re responsive, they champion the creators, and their partnership with Dark Horse just makes sense to me.

As for Dark Horse, we go way back. My first work with them was a short story in 2015, and then in 2018 I worked on Mata Hari, one of the first books under Karen Berger’s imprint. I’ve done a handful of covers for different creators there, too. It’s always been a positive relationship, and they’ve consistently been great to me.

CBY: Ariela, noting you’re from Indonesia, but you’ve written this title in English, including some verses meant to convey the interpretation of inter-species communication such as whale song. What sort of interplay do you engage in when scripting? When in your drafting process does the story settle into English? Will, what does the editorial process look like for capturing the range of voices portrayed in a story of this scope? 

AK: For me, the story always starts in images. I think in visuals first—I see what the characters are going through in scenes, then the language comes later. English shows up pretty early because it’s the language I’ve worked in for the past decade, even though the “heart” of what I write is still Indonesian. And honestly, the interplay is pretty seamless. We learn English young in Indonesia and I grew up drowning in English books, so my internal monologue is already in English. I’m not translating anything—the story lands in English the moment the idea shows up. Writing dialogue is a bit harder because the way I structure conversations is definitely affected by how I talk in Indonesian. And honestly, Will gives me a lot of freedom. If anything, he’s like the world’s most supportive air-traffic controller—just making sure I don’t crash into anything. I wrote what happens on each page loosely, then I thumbnailed everything, and somehow he just… okayed it, haha. So there really wasn’t a full script until the pages were basically done.

WD: It’s really a singular vision that’s based on all of the influences both artist and cultural that Ariela has experienced. It’s her job to find the right voices for things and I try hard not to interfere in that process. Especially with our differences in culture and ethnicity, I feel like the last thing I want to do is try to dictate the “voice.” I am mostly for moral support and to be a sounding board, and I do my best to help the trains run on time! 

CBY: It's always good to have a co-pilot when taking new ideas on a test run. Are you simultaneously releasing an Indonesian language edition (or have plans to in the imminent future)? I’m curious, based upon my own experiences working with translation and localization; what sort of additional considerations goes into putting together an international, multi-language release? What goes into determining whether the extra preparatory effort is worth tapping into additional markets around the world?

AK: Not at the moment. Based on my understanding, foreign-language editions usually happen through licensing, so an Indonesian publisher would have to pick it up and translate it officially. I’d love to see it in Bahasa Indonesia someday, but right now our focus is on the English release—and since English is pretty widely read back home, the book’s still accessible to a lot of Indonesian readers. That said, translating a comic is its own beast. It’s not just swapping words; you’re adjusting tone, lettering, sometimes even the art. So it’s definitely something I’d be excited about if a local publisher reaches out.

CBY: Hopefully the English language edition pulls in enough interest to drum up support in the imminent future! I'm also curious about your influences; what comics have inspired you, and what elements of the natural world? What sort of references did you keep on-hand for all your characters? What media did you turn to while writing and illustrating this graphic novel, Ariela? Will, when you first saw Ariela’s work coming across, what did it evoke in you?

AK: My influences are a mix of different things but manga is my biggest influence if we’re talking comics. Visually, I was heavily shaped by 70s and 80s manga—specifically Hiroshi Uno’s Captain Kid, Yuuho Ashibe’s Crystal Dragon, Kyoko Ariyoshi’s Swan, and a lot of CLAMP's books. I feel like I really learned storytelling from those specific titles. On the narrative side, I read dozens of Indonesian folktales and Wayang-related literature. While I didn't read the actual Wayang comics (like Kosasih’s) as much, the stories themselves—and the epic scale of those legends—have always stayed with me.

As for the media I "turned to" while working on this book, I actually turned away from fiction and focused on the real world. I watched nature documentaries and series on world history and ancient civilizations. I kept folders full of reference photos for every element in the comic—from whale anatomy and water textures to "candi" (temples), "jukung" (boats), and batik patterns. Even though the story is fantasy, I wanted the world itself to feel grounded.

CBY: Deep cuts from the manga canon, for sure! I also hope this interview inspires more of our readers to explore the traditions of Wayang design and performance. Ariela, I also wondered; what sort of tools and techniques did you use to create this comic? How much of your illustration is done digitally, and did you change your workflow at all from previous titles?

AK: Most of the line art was done traditionally on paper, using brushes, G-pen/Maru-pen, and Rotring technical pens. However, about 30% of the work—mostly towards the finish line was done digitally. This is actually my first work that incorporates digital penciling and inking. The workflow itself wasn't affected much—Will can attest to that!—but I am using less paper now, and I'm very happy about that eco-friendly shift.

CBY: Speaking of ecological considerations, I was particularly interested in The Girl Who Draws on Whales, as I’ve recently published “Human-Cetacean Relations” in the latest issue of OmniSci Magazine, focused upon mechanisms for interspecies communication. While I realize your story employs many elements of fantasy, when operating at the intersection of art and biology regarding depictions of our greatest marine companions, what sort of research into your process of capturing the look and character of the whales?

AK: When it came to designing the whales—especially MAAHA—my first instinct was entertainment first, storytelling first. I draw what I want to see in comics and I wanted her to feel like a guardian, a co-storyteller, a friend to the tribe rather than just a mode of transportation. 

Obviously, I’m not a full-time marine biologist, but I did my homework: binge-watched Blue Planet and Changing Seas—the “Vanishing Whales” episode was tough, and I read articles on whale migration. I also dug back into Indonesian sea myths and the lived realities of coastal communities.

Indonesia has a complicated relationship with the ocean. The Lamalera in Flores, for example, practice traditional whaling to sustain their entire community—spiritual, subsistence-based, and exempt from the global whaling ban. Meanwhile, the Bajo people—the “Orang Laut” or Sea Nomads—live almost literally on the sea, in stilt houses, sailing before they can walk. Their symbiotic relationship with the ocean is what influenced the vibe of The Girl Who Draws on Whales far more than the hunting traditions.

So yes, the book is fantasy—but it’s fantasy anchored to real oceans, real cultures, and real creatures. I wanted the magic to feel like it grew out of something true.

CBY: In my conservation work across the hemispher, I've heard about both communities, so hopefully our readers take the chance to read up on their practices and relationship to the ocean. On the topic of genre and melding disciplinary approaches; what led you to gravitate towards a fantasy world over, say, sci-fi or a more grounded realism? What sort of genre conventions do you enjoy, and what tropes put you off? What rules do you like to follow in worldbuilding, and what boundaries are you happy to break?

AK: As I have mentioned above, I grew up with manga (thanks to my parents!): from shojo to shonen, from drama to horror (which I love the most). Also, tons of Indonesian myths and folktales, as well as those from other parts of the world. I read the translated version of the Grimm brothers, Hans Christian Andersen, and Tony Wolf's The Woodland Folks from a very early age. After that, I read a lot of Agatha Christie, and in my 20s, I tried to get used to reading in English. I started with Eva Ibbotson, Kate DiCamillo, and ended up with JRR Tolkien (that one was tough). Sci-fi is something I discovered in my early to mid 30s through Hollywood. Regarding conventions I enjoy: I love the "Hidden World" convention—the idea that magic exists just underneath the surface of our mundane reality, which is very common in Indonesian folklore and it's the same approach used in many, if not most, Ghibli movies. On tropes that put me off: I struggle with the "Lone Wolf" archetype. It’s very common in actions or thrillers, but coming from a culture that values community, the idea of a hero who refuses help or connection often feels frustrating to me—unless it’s deconstructed or done very well. When it comes to worldbuilding, my main rule is: keep the magic mundane. I love incorporating magic into daily life, but I believe the less I have to explain it, the better. I generally dislike heavy exposition where the author stops the story to explain exactly how the magic system works. I prefer to trust the reader to just accept that this is how the world functions.

As for boundaries … I don’t mind bending biology, geography, or physics if it serves the story. I grew up with folklore where the supernatural just exists alongside your breakfast. That’s the energy I believe in—the emotional side is always more important to me than scientific accuracy.

CBY: I think the predilections you've shared certainly come through clearly throughout The Girl Who Draws on Whales. As mentioned, this book has been a few years in the making; what is next for both of you? Also, I often like to pose the hypothetical wishlist shout-out – if you could work with anyone across the industry on a project that you’ve been developing, who would it be, and what would the project be about?

AK: I have a few ideas brewing, but I'm patient with development–they’re still in the very early stage. In the immediate future, I am finishing CHAIN with Scott Snyder. Will is back as the editor on that project, too! We’ve had it on the back burner for a while, and I’m ready to finally cross the finish line.

As for a hypothetical wishlist–technically speaking, I already am working with two of great names in the industry right now but if I could work with anyone, it would be Katsuya Terada or CLAMP. I would love to do a horror project with them—perhaps set in an alternate history or even in deep space.

WD: I continue to freelance across comics — Comixology, DSTLRY, Image, Marvel, DC/Vertigo and more…I’ve been very blessed in my career to have worked with nearly everyone I wanted to. I would love to work again with Cliff Chiang, who’s a good friend. And I’m a complete fangirl for John Buscema and John Byrne, but those will have to stay dreams!

CBY: Exciting prospects, all around. We look forward to seeing what you both come up with next! So to conclude, we provide guests with an opportunity to share recommendations for other creators that deserve some attention. What other comics, films, music, art, literature, and other work would you suggest everyone check out once they read The Girl Who Draws on Whales?

AK: Haha! I agree with Will. In the beginning of the project, I told Will that I didn’t want to create a fantasy story for exclusively kids or teens. I want adults to be able to read it and enjoy it as well. It has to have a certain darkness to it in a way that only adults recognize. I’d recommend something like Kate DiCamillo’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Adrià García’s and Víctor Maldonado’s animation, Nocturna, any of Makoto Shinkai’s movies, and everything Will recommends below.

WD: It’s a delightful adventure, but also has a bit of dark edge to it. I think the best children’s literature film and TV has that quality. It puts me in the mind of Lord of the Rings, The NeverEnding Story, Miyazaki’s films of course…but also traditional literature like James and Giant Peach or even Peter Pan… an "anything can happen and probably will” sort of story! 

CBY: Ariela and Will, it’s been a pleasure having you stop by the Yeti Cave to talk about this beautiful piece of work. If there are any portfolio, publication or social media links you’d like our readers to know about that we didn’t cover above, now is the time and place to share!

AK: I have an online portfolio: https://arielakris.myportfolio.com/ --I need to update it more often but it’s all in there. My handle everywhere is ARIELAKRIS (IG, Bluesky, Cara) though I think X deleted my account for some reason. I don’t post too often these days but they’re all active 😊.

WD: If you want to know more about the work I do you can check out my website: www.bespokecomics.com. I’m not on social media anymore. It was too toxic and I have Warhammer miniatures to paint!

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