INTERVIEW: Kat Calamia and Phil Falco, Editors of the Upcoming Kickstarter Comic: Hairology!

Hair and hair-care is a subject that all of us reckon with every single day. It is universal, and everybody has their own specific experience and relationship to it. And yet it remains an underexplored subject in comics. That’s something that’s been slowly changing, as there have been comics and graphic novels coming out exploring that universal experience in-depth over recent times. Last year alone saw the publication of the terrific Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith and the brilliant Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra.

The trek into that terrain continues this year, as a legion of creators have come together to work on Hairology– a new 56-page Kickstarter anthology. Edited by Kat Calamia , Phil Falco (both coming off the two hit campaigns on the Bi Visibility anthology), and Jamila Rowser of Wash Day Diaries fame, it launches on February 6th.

We spoke to editors Phil and Kat about the project, and they gave us the lowdown: 

CXF: What was the genesis of the project for all of you? I know Jamila is coming off of the spectacular Wash Day Diaries, and you both are coming off the terrific Bi Visibility anthology (with Volume 2 on the way!), but what brought all of you together and made you really go for it? What sparked it all?

Coming off of two incredibly rewarding experiences working on both volumes of Bi Visibility, Kat and I knew that we wanted to start work on a new anthology for early 2023. But we also wanted to branch out and do something completely different from what we had done before. We both already spent a lot of time talking about hair — especially the unique social challenges surrounding Kat’s curly hair — when one day Kat suggested that it would be a great topic for our next anthology. Everybody had a unique relationship with their hair, and there are so many vastly different stories to be told on the topic. Once the topic was suggested, there was no looking back!

We knew that we wanted to bring another editor’s voice on board for the project, so we put out a call-to-action on Twitter and reviewed so many wonderful applicants. In the end, we were actually connected to Jamila through a mutual friend and fellow creator. Kat and I were already big fans of Jamila’s work on Wash Day Diaries, and the second that her name was suggested she became a no-brainer choice. Thankfully, she felt the same way and was eager to join the anthology as an editor after just one phone call to discuss the project!

CXF: As editors, when you put the call out for submissions, what was it that you were most keenly looking for? What was the process of really locking down the final picks like for you, having had the experience with successfully doing Bi Visibility?

The thing we value most when reviewing submissions is variety. Reading through hundreds of submissions, you tend to see a lot of the same types of stories. So those stories that introduce a different perspective, a unique narrative voice, an unexpected twist, or a distinct genre angle are often the ones that make the largest impression as we review submissions.

Our process for curating the book was that each editor – Kat, Jamila and myself – read through all of the submissions individually and took notes on our thoughts and top picks. We then had two long meetings to discuss each of our favorites and select which stories would make it into the final product. One huge benefit of having three editors this time around was having a tie-breaker. There were some stories that were “easy” choices for all three editors, but it really helped being able to ask for a majority ruling on filling out the rest of the anthology.

After our two meetings to review all submissions together, we had a third-and-final meeting to review the slate. We wanted to make sure that Hairology covered as many of the topics as possible that one would expect from a hair anthology — everything from body hair, to hair dye, to balding, to transitioning, to locs, to much more. We truly wanted to make as many people as possible feel seen and to have a diverse slate of stories, so this third meeting was critical in arriving at our final slate.

CXF: One of the great joys of comics is watching the abstract become material. An idea or a pitch becoming real- when the art finally comes in. I know you’ve assembled a terrific roster of creators here, but what comes to mind as the stories or submissions that really surprised you the most when you saw them fully materialize? What are some, off the top of your head, that you really can’t wait for folks to see?

It really is magical to get new pages in your inbox! We’re really proud of how every single narrative transformed into something special.

We have an action packed story (in an anime style) that explores natural hair in the workplace, a great period piece from Flash and Supergirl scribe, Sterling Gates, with the wonderfully cartoony Sarah Leuver AKA comickergirl on pencils, a post apocalyptic short that showcases the power of expression, a silent cancer story, an autobiography about finding your inner beauty through hair – just to name a few!

CXF: Having successfully done and delivered on Comics Kickstarters now, going into this, and coming off Bi Visibility, what’s been absolutely crucial for you in doing this one? How has that actual campaign process informed your approach this time around? Whether it be logistically, the tiers and rewards or communication with your backers, what was at the forefront of your minds while planning and putting this together?

Bi Visibility taught us a lot about the process of editing such a big anthology and collaborating with other voices. It’s a true army that’s helping push the project. Collaboration is the magic of creating comic books, and there is nothing like collaborating through an anthology. There are so many wonderful voices found in one place!

When it comes to the mechanics of Kickstarter, Phil and I are always trying to come up with new ways to make our campaigns accessible to new readers, while also creating something exciting for our loyal fans. We like adding new merchandise to the roster, developing diverse variant covers, while creating a large variety of reading material ranging from horror to queer romance.

We’ve recently added a giveaway for fans that back our campaigns in the first 48 hours as a THANK YOU for their support. In our previous campaigns, we’ve given away limited edition items and EVEN A FREE CAMEO in our comic. You don’t want to miss Hairology’s giveaway!

You can find the press release below:

Lifeline Comics Launches Hairology on Kickstarter!

New York, New York (Jan. 10th) Following the success of Bi Visibility: A Bisexual Anthology, Lifeline Comics launches a new anthology on Kickstarter Feb. 6th – Hairology. A 56-paged comic book all about hair from the creative minds of Kat Calamia (WEBTOON’s Slice of Life), Phil Falco (WEBTOON’s Slice of Life), and Jamila Rowser (Wash Day Diaries).

The 12 stories tackle topics like cancer, natural hair in the work place, balding, transitioning, and locs (just to name a few) through a spectrum of genres including: sci-fi, modern fantasy, post-apocalypse, and even werewolves!

There are 20+ creators with the likes of Sterling Gates (Supergirl, The Flash), Sarah Leuver (Teen Titans Go!), Kenan Halilović (WEBTOON’s Witch Creek Road), Tilly & Susan Bridges (Monster High, Star Trek Adventures), Mary Crispies (WEBTOON’s Angel’s Quest), Erin O’Neill Jones (Reject Squad), Brant Fowler (Last Ember Press), and Salomée Luce-Antoinette (Nubia).

Tiers range from a physical and digital copy of the book, variant covers, a rare Kickstarter metal cover, mystery boxes, and more! You can support the Hairology Kickstarter campaign right here.

Ritesh Babu is a comics history nut who spends far too much time writing about weird stuff and cosmic nonsense.