So Traveler has not been the hit we hoped it’d be, at least not on financial terms. I’ve written a long report, detailing various aspects that I think might have compromised the launch. Among them was a sensibility a little out of step with Webtoon’s young demo, which manifests in various ways from tone to pacing to the characters’ own perspectives on life and sex. It’s not that we didn’t make other mistakes…but misjudging the audience was probably the biggest factor in the series’ lack of financial success.

But then, if I wanted to succeed on financial terms, I would’ve gone into some other field. We’re still proud of the work we’re doing, we’re glad to be able to end our story…and even though Guilded Age was the bigger success, it’s Traveler that’s left me eager to do more. Whereas after Guilded Age, I thought I might be done. Turns out that fighting with your collaborator for years can really take a toll on your creativity, whereas a supportive environment can spark it.

I have another project coming up with Webtoon later this year… no firm release date ATM, but it’s on its way. And I’m putting together some further proposals for Webtoon and other publishers, using what we’ve learned from Traveler as a starting point. As I said to Flo, “I can either take this as a learning experience or scream at the heavens through a mouthful of ice cream about how I have no talent, and I’ve already done that second thing often enough in my career.” Flo replied, “I have also screamed at the heavens through a mouthful of ice cream about how you have no talent!” She meant it with affection, I’m pretty sure.

But enough of all this looking ahead! Enjoy our series’ most dated cover, bridging a chapter in which we forget about the Champions and the Five altogether.