Hello and welcome to the Immeritus Fandom Blacklight! This feature puts the Blacklight on the giants of the Harry Potter fandom. These are the people who have written the best fanfics, created superior fanart and composed the finest fanpoetry—and we're finding out more about what makes them tick. In our interviews, we ask for their views on the Harry Potter books and the fandom and learn what inspires their creativity. We're interested in their methods of working and their favourite characters. And then, we ask a few more questions! So onto our first interview...

This month, we are very excited to bring you one of the most prominent fanartists in the fandom, Celestial Soda. If you love teh pretty (and TEH SEXY), then we are sure you will love her work if you have been unfortunate enough to have never come across it before. This twenty-something American nomad sat down and answered some questions for us which we are sure you will enjoy.

I: Which (real-life) artists do you most admire?
CS: Holy peas, there are legion...but as far as illustration goes, off the top of my head I fancy Yoshitaka Amano, Trina Schart Hyman, Edmund Dulac, Georges Barbier, Kay Nielsen and Edward Gorey.

I: Have they inspired your own style in any way?
CS: Not directly. Their work is, to put it crudely, wonderfully nourishing eye candy and a good kick in the proverbial butt whenever I'm feeling lazy or uninspired. I don't consciously emulate their techniques though.

I: What advice would you give to novices wanting to start drawing?
CS: Draw from life. Museums and books are all very well and good for you too, but if you truly wish to improve, draw real forms from your own perspective. Doesn't have to be a classically nude model or anything formal, go out and draw derelict port-a-privies next to potted plants, whatever catches your fancy! Generic advice maybe, and of course there are a thousand other tricks in terms of technical wizardry that every illustrator worth their salt has found whether they know it or not....but for the sake of time and space (and bearing in mind that few will actually care to know), you'll have to contact me personally for them! So, onward!

I: Why did you read your first Harry Potter book?
CS: I'd resisted the crazed global phenomenon that is HP for years, then one summer I randomly picked up the first book in the series out of sheer morbid curiosity and found myself hooked. Of course. Read the rest of them (there were 5 published at the time) in a week.

I: Which is your favourite HP book and why?
CS: It's a toss-up between Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix. Azkaban is the better story, I feel, but Phoenix is where we get the first glimpse of the Marauders, and it's that one chapter that pushed me (off the edge) into fandom...

I: What do you like most about the Harry Potter series?
CS: The worldwide, utterly crack-filled virtual playground it's inspired!

I: What do you like the least?
CS: With one or two exceptions, the token romantic subplots feel awkward and forced down one's throat.

I: Who's your favourite canon character to read about and why?
CS: Sirius! There's just never a boring scene whenever he's involved. His sheer character demands action and mystery and high-powered hullabaloo. He doesn't just sit around and talk--when he does, it's a flaming disembodied head in a fireplace grate, of course. I'm a sucker for to-the-manner-born, cave-dwelling, flying motorbike-riding, fatally flawed, metamorphic, black sheep (or rather, dog) nomads.

I: What would you most like to see in the final book?
CS: I'd absolutely love to see all the prominent characters who were killed in battle make an appearance in the grand climactic throw-down, corporeal or not.

I: What would you say to someone who referred to the HP books as childrens' books?
CS: Probably ignore them altogether.

I: How do you view the gender divide in the HP series? Do you find the female characters as engaging, well-rounded and strong as the male characters? If not, why not?
CS: In a word: no. With few exceptions, overall the female characters read comparatively token and flat to the male ones. As to why, I'd say it's difficult to determine whether this is the fault of the writer or the main character whose perspective we rely on. The safe bet is that it's probably attributable to both.

I: When did you first discover the HP fandom and fanart?
CS: Right after I'd finished OotP. I couldn't shake that scene with the Marauders and their psychotic boys-club rapport, which led to the fatal curiosity of checking online for any "stuff" (I had no inkling of fandom at the time) on these characters. I immediately discovered Glockgal and the work of some unbelievable Japanese manga artists, so I had a very good first impression of fandom to go on.

I: How would you say your work has improved since you first started out in the fandom and how instrumental has feedback been to that?
CS: Wow, no idea. Feedback warms the cockles of my black little heart, but to tell the truth, there isn't much constructive criticism available online that can rival what I get from my real-life peers.

I: Are there any topics which you think are taboo or out of bounds for the HP fandom? Are there any subjects that you personally would not address in your fanwork? Would you censor your work depending on who you thought your audience would be?
CS: Well, there's certainly nothing beyond the pale for the fandom! As for me, I'm open to anything, as I know I can depict something without necessarily endorsing it. Also, while I would not purposely market adult subject matter to underage audiences, I never censor anything in my own space and site. Parents are responsible for their children if they go exploring online, and as for people whose sensibilities are too delicate, there's such a thing as the back button.

I: What genres have you worked in? Are there any genres you would avoid and if so, why?
CS: I dabble in a lot of things, but I suppose slash is my forte. I don't avoid any genres, including canon art, which I like as much as the most awesomely cracktastic creations fandom has to offer. My own artwork is generally more restrained than others, but that's not because I deem anything inappropriate. I'm more about the buildup and tension... things are more intriguing when they're not all hanging out for the world to see, if you know what I mean.

I: Have you noticed a bias towards male slash in the HP fandom? If so, has this affected the kind of work you've produced (e.g. by making you less likely to write about/draw het or femmeslash)? What are your thoughts on the reasons for a mainly female fandom writing/depicting a lot of male slash?
CS: Yes, and I don't think the bias is very mysterious. First, the story is focused on a young boy charged with the considerable task of saving his entire world, so some of the subtler, more interesting aspects of females will understandably elude him. Thus, male characters will figure more prominently. Second, it's basic arithmetic in terms of Teh Pretteh: 1 man good, 2 men better! Etc.

I suppose I am less likely to do femmeslash because there isn't as great a demand for it, and there isn't as much canon material to draw from either.

I: Do you keep your fandom life separate from your 'real' life e.g. do friends and family know that you draw? Why do you think so many people keep that divide - is fandom something people are ashamed of, in your opinion?
CS: Yes, and it's not because I'm ashamed of it. For me, part of the fun of fandom is maintaining this other secret identity that no one in my mundane day-to-day encounters will know about! Bwaahahaa. I like the fact the fandom is so massive, yet unheard of by the masses.

I can't speak for anyone else's reasons on maintaining secrecy, but I don't think people are truly ashamed, otherwise they wouldn't do it. It's probably more an issue of just not wanting to have to explain or justify their activities. Lord knows there are a lot of narrow-minded, judgemental human beings out there--explaining it to them would take far too much of our time.

I: Who are your favourite fanartists?
CS: Ooh, this is the hardest question by far! I plead the fifth!

I: What do you like best about the fandom?
CS:It's always good for a laugh! Every time you think you've seen the most hilarious, insane piece of work it has to offer, someone comes out of the woodwork and tops it!

Seriously though, there are some ridiculously talented artists and writers who make it their hobby to float around and be wonderful to people :)

I: What prompted you to start creating your own fanworks?
CS: Right after I saw the galleries of groovy people like Glockgal and Fiendling, I decided I wanted to hang out with them and have fun drawing magical creatures too!

I: What preparation do you have to do to create your fanworks? How essential is it to muse on canon characters and storylines before putting forward your interpretation?
CS: Depends on the complexity of the illustration. Some pieces require fairly substantial research, most are throwaway musings. I do develop set notions about my favorite characters that help render them. For instance, I just know that Sirius has to-die-for bone structure, cheekbones you could slit an envelope with! Whenever I draw him my playlist magically generates a lot of British punk rock circa 1975 to 1984.

I: How would you describe your approach to writing? Do you sit down and plot out an entire story before writing, write in stages as scenes develop, or just sit and write, for example?
CS: I never make drafts, I always work on the same surface from start to finish. It's cheaper, more challenging and I suspect it lends vitality to my drawings.

I: Who's your favourite canon character to write about/draw and why?
CS: Ack, it's impossible to pick a favorite! That's one of the things about HP that's so successful, all the characters are remarkably colorful. I will say though that I most want to draw the magical creatures now--thestrals and hippogriffs and dragons--because I never have before!

I: Of all your work, which is your favourite piece and why?
CS: My Motorbike!Sirius (which Mag now happily and proudly owns!!). I just think I hit the nail on the head with that one.

I: Your work is so dynamic, it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between a painting and a 'sketch' when seeing your fanart online. Do you find that you do both very similarly, or do they take a completely different approach?
CS: Hahaha, I do tend to do a lot of 'sketches' in paint and marker, don't I? It's confusing for me too, my methods are haphazard at best, though I'm strangely comfortable with them. There is a bit of difference aside from the obvious (a 'sketch' takes much less time than a 'painting' of course), but until I figure that out for myself I can't elaborate further!

I: Many artists have made the transition to working completely in digital media. Is that something that interests you, or do you have to have the medium in your hand?
CS: I'd love to get into digital further, but I could never leave my messy, haphazard natural media behind entirely. I think the best digital artists are ones who combine the two mediums through cleverly original means, so I definitely need and want to hop on ye olde Wacom and start experimenting more!

I: You seem to love to illustrate Sirius, but looking through your fanart, it is difficult not to notice that you depict him in hispre-Azkaban years. Only one piece in our gallery seems to feature him post-Azkaban, and looking through most fanartists' Sirius portfolios, you find that is the case. Why is this so for you, and do you think it is the same for the rest of fandom?
CS: Hahaha, it's not all about Teh Pretteh (well, not entirely anyway), trust me!

I can't speak for everyone, but there's an intrinsic sadness to Sirius' beautiful youth. Even at the Marauders' fluffiest and most saccharine, you can't escape the melancholy because you know they had very little time to be alive and happy...the golden years contrast painfully with realities post-Azkaban. There's a lot of canon on Sirius as an adult, and comparatively none on his Marauder-era self, so the bias towards a young!Sirius is fandom simply trying to supply "the lost years" of his life, the stuff that happened to our dear character but which we don't get to see.

Also, I dare say that most fans are able to see (even if they aren't consciously aware of it) that Sirius is essentially still a very young man. It's a case of arrested development, literally: he barely reached post-adolescence before he got thrown into a mind-numbing, soul-sucking prison, thus he never got the chance to grow up and fully realize all his formidable potential. Sirius is forever young, in a sadder way that's beyond the whole "live fast, die young" rebel cliche. There's tragedy and waste inextricably tied to "Teh Pretteh" as far as he's concerned.

I: You've drawn many Harry Potter characters - is there another character in particular you love drawing, or a specific pairing? Do you find it more difficult to draw 'minor' characters who are perhaps less well described in the books, or do you relish the freedom to use your imagination more?
CS: Blaise Zabini, whose name caused quite a stir long before readers actually knew anything about him (indeed, if it even was a 'him')! I just love his beauty and elegance and wit, almost as much as I love the consternation of fans whose collective mind just can't seem to wrap around the idea that a black male can embody these things ;)
Seriously though, minor characters are great because there isn't as much established notion of their likenesses. Can't say I have much difficulty drawing the major ones though, especially since I'm fascinated with the frequent disparity between canon and fanon versions of them. I can't help but bless little leather-clad Draco and his bartending-in-the-dark!

I: On your website, you say you'll draw any character or pairing, regardless of fandom. What other fandoms do you enjoy drawing and why?
CS: Good Omens, for the character designs beg to be very whimsical, snarky yet sweet. I also love drawing superheroes, X-Men and DC etc. Gundam Wing, giant intergalactic robots and the sensitive, wounded young warriors who pilot them! The His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman has a fiercely sublime quality that gets to me, and there's something beautifully winter-y about Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series that begs to be illustrated.
Heh, there are too many others to name since I truly am open to anything and everything. New characters are such great fun to learn about--what they're made of and why people like them, hence my everything-but-the-kitchen-sink policy. I've discovered lots of delightful stuff that way!

I: Finally, complete the following sentence: Sirius is ______.
CS: a mystery, wrapped in a conundrum, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in a chocolate chip pancake, with fresh fruit garnish.

So that concludes our interview with Celestial Soda! We hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as we did! If we piqued your interest, you can find Soda's website here and her livejournal here. Please pay attention to warnings and ratings as both contain adult content and slash. If you want to comment on the interview please follow this link.