There’s a confluence between Kung Fu and fantasy fiction. They come together in Wuxia, the popular Chinese genre and the basis of countless books, movies, operas, plays, and of course, comics.

Immortal Studios has been on a mission to make Wuxia a household name for the English-speaking world. They’ve begun by producing comics as a vehicle to introduce this genre to a wider audience. Most Americans know Wuxia already – they just don’t know that they know it. Wuxia inspired the period Kung Fu movie films from Hong Kong grindhouse studios like Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest. Those lush, costumed dramas were often retellings of classic Wuxia stories, fueled with heroic tales of masters and villains.

Immortal Studios is on the verge of launching its third comic, Fa Sheng: Origins. Fa Sheng is the mysterious monk that teaches Amy in her dreams in their first comic, The Adept, so this is like a prequel series. We caught up with Peter Shiao, founder, and CEO of Immortal Studios, right after WonderCon, where Immortal did their first panel and had a booth.

GC: As one of the first major in-person conventions since the pandemic broke out, how was WonderCon? 

PS: It was overall a very positive experience for us. As a company since it was our first ever "con" event ever there was no way of comparing to anything else. In addition to connecting with many existing and new fans/collectors as well as members of the fan ecosystem, we also featured our first ever Immortal Storyverse panel which was a very special opportunity for us to share updates and dive in a little bit deeper into our process, plans and inspirations.

GC: Were there any pandemic shifts evident in the indie comic world evident at WonderCon?

PS: The shift to digital was evident already prior to Covid, and I think the pandemic made the pivot to direct fan engagement not only a plus, but a necessity for Independents. With the near collapse of Diamond, digital distribution has become more important than ever.

GC: How did you feel about the fan response to the Immortal Studios booth and panels?

PS: Personally, I was very pleased with both the response to as well as the presentation from the panels. 

GC: Fa Sheng is the first Immortal Studios comic that’s not set in contemporary times - what motivated you to place it during the Boxer Uprising?

PS: I was always very fascinated with the whole era of the Boxer Uprising and understood it not only as a very important event historically, but one that I had a unique personal experience with. On a recent "roots" trip I took to Shandong Province and my grandfather's ancestral home of Heze, where all were key regions during the Boxer Uprising, I was able to make a personal connection to those histories and saw an opportunity to weave together a uniquely poignant and powerful backstory to Fa Sheng. Personally interesting and historically significant elements can come together toward a legendary backdrop for Fa Sheng the master of the Immortal Storyverse. There is also a part of Fa Sheng's story that later glimpses into old Peking where other legendary bandits and masters also were present. So just by following Fa Sheng's story we are offering a rare glimpse into the near history of China through his life as he began to elevate his horizons to look higher and higher to be a new cause for peace and to end suffering. 

GC: For Buddhists, Bodhidharma is an iconic figure. How are you approaching converting him into a comic book character?

PS: Thoughtfully, humbly, and reverently? Of course, there are so many different versions of the same Bodhidharma, and here because we are obviously creating alternative accounts of his life, the version that we are leaning into is the more fantastical, mythological one.

GC: You said you’ve been training some Shaolin Kung Fu recently. How is that going for you?

PS: It has been a very rewarding, if not demanding process. I have enjoyed going back into active practice, and while I am still quite early in the Kung Fu recovery process, I am enjoying the process with a beginner's mind. 

GC: I know you’ve always had your own practice, but has the Shaolin training altered your take on The Adept and Fa Sheng?

PS: Not really. As what I am doing myself is nowhere near the level of mastery that is alive in our books and legends, I have kept those lanes somewhat different. I would say that my journey on the yogic path for the past two decades, which is close to what Bodhidharma must have practiced prior to his entry into China, has given me a great deal of inspiration into what is the more hidden part of the teachings, which in my view, has always been the 'secret sauce' if you will. What I do try to do even in my own practice of Shaolin Kung Fu now is to lean into my mental/conscious states as I intentionally move my body.

GC: We’re now two years into Immortal Studios. Are things progressing according to your plans? 

PS: Ha ha, yes and no. I think the plan was always to be farther along -- even though I am very pleased with our overall accomplishments to date -- but is my habitual way of constantly pushing to reach high. Two years into the experience I am very pleased with the team that we have been able to build, the very solid foundation both creatively and operationally that we have built, and the model that we have now honed and proven. All of these have actually even strengthened my conviction and resolve that we are on our way to building a great company that will be able to make a significant and valuable contribution to global culture.

GC: Was Fa Sheng part of your father Shiao Yi’s writings akin to the Immortal Swordsmen or is he a new character exclusive to the Immortal Storyverse?

PS: Fa Sheng is my original creation that came through my interesting in my Shandong heritage as well as Shaolin philosophy. But it works very well within the other parts of the Immortal cannon that is informed by my dad's work. We are now at work to give more connectivity between all the dots, and we plan to do even more of these types of character creations now that the four pillars of the Immortal Storyverse have been laid down. 

GC: With Adept #2 and Fa Sheng in production, what’s next for Immortal Studios?

PS: We have a lot more of content forthcoming (our goal is to have several stories this year), are planning on a series of partnerships and initiatives in the distribution area where we will be launching a multi-window distribution plan for our titles that will add bookstore, graphic novel, on-line distribution, and subscription services to our Kickstarter activation window. On the Web3 front, we are making plans to create an Immortal coin to offer our users a chance to get even more engaged and invested in every aspect of our company, including NFTs. Last but not least, our fans should look for film adaptations of our work from us as well. So really a lot happening over the next few years!

 

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About Gene Ching :

To support FA SHENG: ORIGINS, visit their Kickstarter page here. For more information about Immortal Studios, visit www.immortal-studios.com.

Gene Ching is the Publisher of KungFuMagazine.com and the author of Shaolin Trips.

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