Caster is a new series from Webtoon that chronicles the adventures of a world traveling antiques dealer. What may sound a bit funny on the surface turns out to be an adventure in espionage, betrayal, and a lot of risk. Austin Harrison is the creator of Caster and we got to talk with him a bit about the inspiration behind it.
Can you tell me a little bit about the inspiration behind Caster?
I was at my cousin Johnny’s place in San Francisco and he collects rare antiquities. I stood in front of one of them and the idea for the character jumped into my head – a dashing world traveler caught up in adventures and espionage in the world of antiquities which, in reality, involves some interesting characters…
Also, I discovered a combination yacht/submarine which I thought would be an interesting way for him to travel and serve as a home base.
The comic “stars” Common, known for his music. How did he come to be involved in the project and what was the process like?
I met his manager Derek Dudley in Los Angeles. He’s very smart and a creative producer. I showed him the character and he was interested and we went from there.
I imagine it must be interesting to create a comic “starring” a real person – was the writing process any different for you knowing the character had a real-life face?
When I was writing out the character description and backstory for Caster, I didn’t really think about a real person. I was thinking about the character. Common is a great actor and the idea was that he could embody the fictional character. I hope that makes sense.
Can you tell me a little bit about the team that’s been put together for this comic and how it was formed?
The creative team includes my Noble Transmission partners Zach and Mike. Zach recommended Jason Masters and Sebastian Cheng who have been amazing. Tom linked me up with our awesome letterer Taylor Esposito.
What made the team decide to release Caster along with its own original score and music?
We talked about it and thought it would be a good creative experience. The music has been such a beautiful part of the project.
What’s been your favorite thing about working on this title so far?
Great question. Hmmm. I would say seeing the art and music coming together. The music brings it to life. Derek said that music is like another character and I think that’s a great way to put it.
Finally, what are you most looking forward to that you can tell us about without too many spoilers?
As far as “Caster” goes? I would say the exciting action and new music that’s coming!
As with all things Webtoon, Caster is available for free to read right here. We hope you enjoy it! Our thanks to Austin Harrison for answering our questions and sharing a little bit about his creation.
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