Interview by Sheena C. Howard, July 6-2021

Can you tell us a little about A Farmer’s Tale Of The Three Kingdoms?

Talking about A Farmer’s Tale Of The Three Kingdoms almost requires going into detail about the historical novel and what led up to The Three Kingdoms era. The story begins at the end of The Han Dynasty, when a rebellion known as The Yellow Scarves (also known as Yellow Turbans) rose up in defiance of the Imperial Court. Our story begins by following the tale of a farmer named Wen Zhu, who joins up with a man named Liu Bei to help save the Han Dynasty.

In this story, I wanted to take the story and go into more detail without contradicting things. If Liu Bei and his men go into a town, I want to describe the town, and show off what is there. Is it poor, wealthy or somewhere in between? If the book says the people celebrated, I’ll go into detail as to what is going on. Cheering crowds, a feast in Liu Bei’s honor, and the emotions of those in the crowd for example.

What inspired you to tell this type of story? Does it have any personal significance to you?

Funny enough, I originally had no plans of making a webcomic. I had commissioned an artist for some random pieces, and then I commissioned a couple pieces for a comic. After some talking, we would agree to making our own true webcomic.

I was interested deeply in The Three Kingdoms, both the real history and the historical novel. I figured since I was heavily invested and love talking about it, that perhaps this could be the story we use. We worked together on ideas for what we could do for a while. Then one day we had built up the idea of ‘A Farmer’s Tale’ rather than just ‘Romance Of The Three Kingdoms’ which we are basing our story from. 

Is there a creative team behind this work or is it written and illustrated by one person? Who is/are the creators behind this digital comic?

It is a bit of a duo, with myself as the writer and a wonderfully talented artist by the username of ‘Mirasol Cy’. While I have skill as a writer, Mirasol Cy can make these pages truly come to life.  

For readers not familiar with webtoons.com, can you tell us why you chose that platform for your comic?

That was another decision that both Mirasol Cy and I took time to discuss and settle on. We chose webtoons, at Mirasol Cy’s recommendation, due to it being easy to work with. 

What is your long-term plan or goal for A Farmer’s Tale Of The Three Kingdoms?

Ah well, I’d hate to spoil things. But I plan on going to the very end of the Three Kingdoms era if I can. I want to cover the full story. Some may say that is an incredibly long time for any story to go on for, but it would be an injustice to stop short of the Three Kingdoms or to skip details like the Yellow Scarves Rebellion. The distance this story goes will give plenty of time to fully develop all of the characters, even those like Wen Zhu, and where their life goes. 

How can old and new fans of your work best support you and your vision for this comic?

Spreading the word to their friends, showing the comic around. I love hearing feedback as well as constructive criticism is the best way to improve the story so long as those receiving it will listen. I hope that both the old and new fans will make sure to keep my writing on the right path, and I need their voice to do that.

I will eventually have a Patreon page set up, but for now I only ask for feedback and to spread the word.

Read A Farmer’s Tale Of The Three Kingdoms HERE.

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