Avatar: The Last Airbender has captured the imagination of audiences for years and now the next book is coming to Graphic Novels at Dark Horse Comics. We're humbled to share the stories of Michael Dante Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko with the help of award winning writer Gene Luen Yang. The creators took a few moments out of their world-building schedules to share a few thoughts about their experiences with A:TLA.
Dark Horse Comics: Avatar: The Last Airbender is an award winning show with an incredibly avid fandom, Did you foresee any of the love your creation has garnered from the beginning?
MIKE: Bryan and I had hoped that people would connect with the characters and the stories the way we did, but you can never be sure how it will be received. I’m grateful for all the fans who have come along on this journey with us.
BRYAN: We just made sure it was a show we believed in and would want to watch ourselves. We weren’t trying to pander to a specific audience. We’re just always trying to create stories and characters from an honest place. Luckily, that quality seems to strike a chord with people of all ages, from many parts of the world.
DHC: What's been the most surprising part of the whole adventure that A:TLA has been for you both?
MIKE: I’m happy and a little surprised that we’re still working in the Avatar universe after almost 10 years. Creating a new series and seeing the original characters come to life in graphic novel form is really exciting. It’s great that people keep watching and new fans are discovering the original series all the time.
BRYAN: I think the most surprising thing to me is that it doesn’t get any easier to make, even after all this time!
DHC: The coming graphic novels follow the show and attempt to seed the world for the eventual Legend of Korra series, how much of the history and future of the world of A:TLA do you have planned out?
MIKE: We figured out a lot of the big events that needed to occur in order for the events in “Legend of Korra” to make sense. We wanted to have a more urban, technological setting and explore the theme of tradition vs. modernity. And since the story takes place 70 years after the original series, we wanted to show how the world had changed over time. This naturally led us to the setting of Republic City, a melting pot for all the world’s benders and non-benders, sort of what New York City was like in the 1920s and 30s. The graphic novels do a great job of showing where the seeds of Republic City begin and will continue to explore Aang and Zuko’s part in creating it.
DHC: Beyond the next book and Legend of Korra are there any other parts of the story you think need to be told, be it comics or cartoons?
MIKE: We know the fans are dying to know what happened to Zuko’s mom, so hopefully we will have an answer for them in the near future. And yes, we have ideas for the past and future of the Avatar world, but at this point it’s too early to talk about anything concrete. The Avatar universe is vast and full of stories to be told!
DHC: What part of the coming books do you think will surprise fans?
MIKE: It’s not exactly a surprise, but I’m excited about how well the graphic novel has come together. The writer, Gene Yang, was already a fan of the show when we first talked to him about the story, and he’s brought a great sense of drama, humor, and heart to the project. And the artwork by Gurihiru is charming, dynamic, and beautiful. The book really feels like an organic extension of the show in the best way possible.
DHC: If you had a super power what would it be?
MIKE: I’ll take flying. Or that thing Nightcrawler does when he pops from place to place.
BRYAN: The power to speak and understand any language. Even in real life, bilingual
DHC: Thank you both for your time!
Dark Horse Comics: Avatar: The Last Airbender is an award winning show with an incredibly avid fandom, Did you foresee any of the love your creation has garnered from the beginning?
MIKE: Bryan and I had hoped that people would connect with the characters and the stories the way we did, but you can never be sure how it will be received. I’m grateful for all the fans who have come along on this journey with us.
BRYAN: We just made sure it was a show we believed in and would want to watch ourselves. We weren’t trying to pander to a specific audience. We’re just always trying to create stories and characters from an honest place. Luckily, that quality seems to strike a chord with people of all ages, from many parts of the world.
DHC: What's been the most surprising part of the whole adventure that A:TLA has been for you both?
MIKE: I’m happy and a little surprised that we’re still working in the Avatar universe after almost 10 years. Creating a new series and seeing the original characters come to life in graphic novel form is really exciting. It’s great that people keep watching and new fans are discovering the original series all the time.
BRYAN: I think the most surprising thing to me is that it doesn’t get any easier to make, even after all this time!
DHC: The coming graphic novels follow the show and attempt to seed the world for the eventual Legend of Korra series, how much of the history and future of the world of A:TLA do you have planned out?
MIKE: We figured out a lot of the big events that needed to occur in order for the events in “Legend of Korra” to make sense. We wanted to have a more urban, technological setting and explore the theme of tradition vs. modernity. And since the story takes place 70 years after the original series, we wanted to show how the world had changed over time. This naturally led us to the setting of Republic City, a melting pot for all the world’s benders and non-benders, sort of what New York City was like in the 1920s and 30s. The graphic novels do a great job of showing where the seeds of Republic City begin and will continue to explore Aang and Zuko’s part in creating it.
DHC: Beyond the next book and Legend of Korra are there any other parts of the story you think need to be told, be it comics or cartoons?
MIKE: We know the fans are dying to know what happened to Zuko’s mom, so hopefully we will have an answer for them in the near future. And yes, we have ideas for the past and future of the Avatar world, but at this point it’s too early to talk about anything concrete. The Avatar universe is vast and full of stories to be told!
DHC: What part of the coming books do you think will surprise fans?
MIKE: It’s not exactly a surprise, but I’m excited about how well the graphic novel has come together. The writer, Gene Yang, was already a fan of the show when we first talked to him about the story, and he’s brought a great sense of drama, humor, and heart to the project. And the artwork by Gurihiru is charming, dynamic, and beautiful. The book really feels like an organic extension of the show in the best way possible.
DHC: If you had a super power what would it be?
MIKE: I’ll take flying. Or that thing Nightcrawler does when he pops from place to place.
BRYAN: The power to speak and understand any language. Even in real life, bilingual
DHC: Thank you both for your time!
AWWWWWWW!! everybody said(sarcasticaly) as azula was shipped away.Firelord Zuko and firelordess Mai are going to be representing there two kids, there daughter aiko(8)and there son mazu(10)for there coorination as prince and princess of the fire nation. Meanwhile... avatar Aang and his wife katara are excited to celebrate there childrens brithday,twins Ataran(girl)and katang(boy)are excited to be turning 10 TODAY.In Ba Sing Se things are heating up while Suki and Sokka are teacing there two girls Oukki(14)and Siokka(12)to be kioshi warriors.
Toph the best earth bender around is excited to be getting married to Jet from the freedom fighters.She is exstreemly nervous because she think he only likes her for bending.That is not true he loves her... and the get married at the south pole while riding appa!!(she ussally get6s scared because she is blind)
SO THEY ALL LIVED THERE LIVES AS NOT ONLY FRIENDS BUT FAMILY!!!!!
Toph the best earth bender around is excited to be getting married to Jet from the freedom fighters.She is exstreemly nervous because she think he only likes her for bending.That is not true he loves her... and the get married at the south pole while riding appa!!(she ussally get6s scared because she is blind)
SO THEY ALL LIVED THERE LIVES AS NOT ONLY FRIENDS BUT FAMILY!!!!!
this is about what really happened in the world of avatar about a girl named beauty not born in the fire nation but accepted into the royal family as a inlaw only 12.
there are really three siblings azula,zuko and young (12)azrin.
beauty over goes lots of changes also with a new family member and falls for aang .she is untouchable unless she wants to be and is from the future,an avatar whose overly powerful but knows always the right thing to do.you'll never know what to expect even in the end everything is leaked out and love is in the air
there are really three siblings azula,zuko and young (12)azrin.
beauty over goes lots of changes also with a new family member and falls for aang .she is untouchable unless she wants to be and is from the future,an avatar whose overly powerful but knows always the right thing to do.you'll never know what to expect even in the end everything is leaked out and love is in the air
character zodiacs:
zuko: aries
sokka: gemini
katara: cancer
toph: taurus
yue: pisces
suki: sag
aang: libra
azula: leo
mai: scorpio
ty lee: virgo(?)
sexualities:
zuko: gay
suki: bi
sokka: bi
azula: lesbian
katara: straight
aang: straight
mai: pan
toph: bi ace
uncle iroh: straight
ty lee: bi
oz*i: straight
favorite ships in the fandom:
mailee
sukka
kataang
zukka
zukki
zuki
headcanons i saw and really liked:
korra asked katara to go penguin sledding with her the first time they met
yue sent sokka the meteorite for his space sword
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not a headcanon but suki didn’t die young :)
she is immortal
zuko: aries
sokka: gemini
katara: cancer
toph: taurus
yue: pisces
suki: sag
aang: libra
azula: leo
mai: scorpio
ty lee: virgo(?)
sexualities:
zuko: gay
suki: bi
sokka: bi
azula: lesbian
katara: straight
aang: straight
mai: pan
toph: bi ace
uncle iroh: straight
ty lee: bi
oz*i: straight
favorite ships in the fandom:
mailee
sukka
kataang
zukka
zukki
zuki
headcanons i saw and really liked:
korra asked katara to go penguin sledding with her the first time they met
yue sent sokka the meteorite for his space sword
-
-
-
not a headcanon but suki didn’t die young :)
she is immortal