We recently caught up with writer Greg Anderson Elysée for a quick chat about his Afrofuturist/ sci-fi space adventure, Marassa. The second issue of his creator-owned series is currently in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign here.

BlackSci-Fi.com: What’s Marassa about?

Greg Anderson Elysée: Marassa is an Afrofuturist space opera about twin siblings who find the map to their late parent’s lost and hidden treasure. Of course, this garners the attention of other space pirates, bounty hunters, aliens, evil empires, etc. It’s a story that emphasizes family of all types and blending some Africana spirituality in a sci-fi setting.

BSF.com: What separates your series from EVERY other series on shelves? And we mean EVERY series. ?

GE: Well as stated above, the mixture of Africana spirituality in a sci-fi setting I don’t think you’ll find in other comics, at least not how it’s done here. It’s also a celebration of Blackness and showcase of other people of color in a space opera setting as main characters and not just support. We’ve come a long way from Homeboys in Outer Space: disappointing sigh:.

BSF: What would you say are your influences when it comes to writing space opera/ sci-fi like this?

GE: I’ve got a lot of influences for this. My research on Vodou and other Black spiritualities are heavy, heavy influences. Even if we don’t see any deities being showcased, there are forms of spirituality, even down to little elements implemented into some of the lead characters. I also started reading a bit of the One Piece manga, remembering Firefly. Aside from that, mainly letting my mind have fun with spirituality in future space, modernizing it while trying to stay respectful and authentic. And of course, family relationships being huge inspirations.

BSF: How’s audience reaction been to the series?

GE: Thus far readership has been cool! I’ve gotten a lot of great response from readers, many hitting me up directly to tell me how much they hate me for the cliffhanger of issue 1. Reviews have also been positive and I’ve had a hard time not selling out at conventions.

BSF: When can we expect a 3rd issue? A 4th? A 5th, and so on.

GE: I’m working on the script right now. Marcel Dupree, the publisher, wants to get the series out more regularly than other self-published indie books. So I have to get used to cranking more output for it. So if we fund issue 2, that will be out in a few weeks. Issue 3, maybe in a few months.

BSF: Tell us where folks can find information about yourself, Marassa, etc.

GE: You can find me on IG @gregdae, Twitter @gregandelysee. You can check out my main series Is’nana the Were-Spider here: http://webwaycomics.ecwid.com . For Marassa, check our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MarassaComic/

BSF: Lastly, how does it feel to be a “Project We Love” on Kickstarter? That’s a pretty big honor.

GE: Feels great! I just hope it gets more eyes!

You can check out the Kickstarter here.