go, Irapuan, go go!

Far from the stereotypical autobiographical tales that have become cliché in comics, Lifelike is personal stories about people living far and wide. Each story presents a vantage point into a life and an experience far from the surroundings we’re accustomed to. From crime noir to war stories to humor and even a bit of romance, this diverse comic also boasts a diverse cast of creators from all corners of the world. Originally published online, Lifelike comes to store shelves on January 16th as a graphic novel published by IDW Publishing.

Creator and writer Dara Naraghi is well known in the independent comics circles, as co-founder of the Columbus, Ohio-based collective PANEL and his own self-published work under the Ferret Press banner. Included with the interview is one story from Lifelike, “The Long Journey”, written by Naraghi and illustrated by Brazilian cartoonist Irapuan Luiz. We talked with Naraghi to find out more.

[…]
NRAMA: You sent us the 6 page story “The Long Journey”, which you did with artist Irapuan Luiz. Tell us about it.

DN: Out of all the stories I wrote for the webcomic/book, “The Long Journey” is probably the one that resonates the most with me. While not strictly autobiographical, it does draw a lot from my experiences (as well as the experiences of my family members and friends) growing up in Iran during the Iran/Iraq war. At the same time, it’s a work of fiction, which allows me to play with the subjects of war, sacrifice, and memories in (hopefully) interesting ways. This is the tale of Omid, an Iranian soldier who escapes the horrors of the war for a new life in the US. I have to say, the other reason I like this story is due to the artist. Irapuan Luiz does a great job capturing all the story beats, from the intense violence to the peaceful meditation. In addition, he lives in Brazil, which I find sublimely appropriate given the International scope of not just the story, but also of our audience via the web.