When I finally settled on doing this as an interview series, the first person I thought of was Lora Innes, best known as the creator of The Dreamer. The long-running, critically-acclaimed webcomic falls under the genre category of historical romance, something I never thought I would be into. However, when I stumbled upon this webcomic, I was captivated by the quality of the art and the execution of the story. I was also delighted to discover that the series was made available in print by IDW Publishing.
I talked with Lora about the origins of The Dreamer, her approach to building an audience, and how her relationship with IDW came to fruition.
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| Lora Innes, creator of The Dreamer |
Lora Innes: Researching The Dreamer is ongoing process. Before the webcomic debuted, I spent eight months learning as much as I could, taking two trips to Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown to gather photo reference and immerse myself in the 18th century. Colonial Williamsburg also has an amazing research library. I found a drawing of the Beekman Mansion greenhouse where Nathan Hale had been held prisoner. I wasn’t allowed to copy the book, but I made a sketch and used it in that scene in my comic. I like to make details like this as authentic as I can.
Using primary sources, I’ve found specific details in letters and diaries that aren’t significant enough to make it into history books. As a writer, I live for these hidden gems because they help me turn a name into a living character.
Telling the story as a webcomic made The Dreamer accessible—people interested in the characters and events I’ve written about find me pretty easily. My network has grown exponentially since I began: historians, biographers, descendants, docents, reenactors, and other like-minded history buffs make up my rolodex. These days, when I have a question about Joseph Warren, I can ask his biographer. When writing about Nathan Hale’s secret mission, I picked the brains of the team of historians I worked with on an exhibit for the Nathan Hale School House. I wrote my version of those events based the different, unique perspectives they shared with me which have never been recorded in a history book. I couldn’t have imagined having these resources (or friendships) when I started The Dreamer.
I draw The Dreamer digitally using a Cintiq touchscreen monitor that I draw directly on, using a drawing application called Sketchbook Pro. I letter the comic using Comic Life, which started out as an app to turn vacation photos into silly comic strips, but they’ve since expanded the program with professional comic creators in mind.
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| The Dreamer has been going strong since 2007. |
LI: I imagined the story would be nine volumes long when I started, so I knew it would take awhile. I’ve since reduced it to six volumes. (None of the story points have been eliminated, I’ve just tightened up the outline to keep the pace exciting.)
I have taken several breaks from the webcomic, some for health reasons, some to pursue other endeavors. Every time it’s been a difficult decision because I want to finish the story—for my sake, and for my readers’. I know that reading a long format story with interruptions makes it harder to retain interest.
I did not anticipate the other opportunities that would come my way because of The Dreamer, but are difficult to do in addition to The Dreamer. Sometimes I’ve passed on these opportunities, sometimes I haven’t. It’s difficult to juggle both, but on a few occasions I decided it was worth it to try.
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| The critically-acclaimed series found a print publishing home at IDW. |
LI: I met Beau Smith when I was still in art school. Beau has worked with IDW in different capacities since its early days. He was familiar with what I was doing with The Dreamer webcomic and recommended it to Ted Adams at IDW. I sent Ted a pitch, my web stats, my direction for the series, and why I thought IDW would be a good fit.
He called me and we talked and in that conversation, he began offering me everything that was on my list to ask him. I kept waiting for the catch. At the very end I asked him my one unanswered question: “What about my readers?”
I was in talks with another publisher at the time, but they had wanted me to pull the webcomic once the series was in print. This felt wrong to me—taking the comic from the people who had turned it into something a publisher would want. Ted understood that the webcomic was my main access point for growing and retaining my audience. He thought it was obvious I should continue the webcomic.
The rest is history as they say.
ADH: What is your advice on building a successful career in comics, particularly in webcomics?
LI: “Fish are friends, not food.”
Sounds silly, but it’s easy to cannibalize your readership—looking at what they can do for you, and not the other way around. Yes, as a comic creator, I want people to buy my books. But when you view your readers primarily as customers, the relationship is one sided. People hate feeling sold to. I know I do. When I venture into that realm with The Dreamer, I always feel a little slimy, not like myself.
The best way that I’ve grown my readership is by making friends. I’ve tried to pay attention to what my readers enjoy and do those things along side of them. With The Dreamer fandom, that often means silliness—from funny strips, to fan art contents, to our own set of in-jokes, to a “best comment” contest that is ongoing from week-to-week. I’ve tried to make the community a fun place to spend time.
When a beloved character in the series died, I could tell that my readers were having a genuinely hard time coping with it. So I wrote a short comic where he came back and broke the fourth wall to say goodbye to his devoted fans. It was actually therapeutic for me as well. That catharsis helped everyone move on and the comic continued on as usual after that.
I try to make my living through comics, so I do have to walk the line of selling to my readers. I don’t think I’ve figured out a perfect balance and sometimes when I get too busy, I wind up being more absent and impersonal than I like. But I do know that years of investing in your readership pay off in loyalties. People tend to stick around if they like you, not just your story.
ADH: What’s your favorite historical place/site? Why?
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| Colonial Williamsburg (photo provided by Lora Innes) |
Of course I love all of the programs they put on and the interaction you get with their historical interpreters (who have answered a lot of questions for me!) during their open-hours. But after-hours, most of the visitors are gone except for those having dinner at a tavern, and their faces are lit up by candle light in the windows. The horses and carriages return to their stables, and you can hear the hoofbeats on the brick streets as they go. A few costumed employees linger to close up their shops or talk to one another, deepening the illusion that you’ve gone back in time and these are the residents of the city.
I love to walk up and down Duke of Gloucester Street during twilight and imagine what it would be like to live there. It’s like having Colonial Williamsburg all to myself. I’ve gotten some of my favorite ideas for The Dreamer during these magical times. It’s as immersive of an experience as I’ve found.
I’ve visited Colonial Williamsburg at least once a year (often more) since I started The Dreamer. It continues to re-inspire and educate me. And I’m a history nerd, so it’s my perfect escape. Give me Williamsburg over Disneyland any day!
