The Steampunk Wizard of Oz: Five Questions With Sean O'Reilly

Sean O'Reilly is one of the creative minds (with Erik W Hendrix and artist Yannis Roumboulias) behind Arcana's The Steam Engines of Oz, currently being funded via Kickstarter as a limited edition for fans who might not otherwise find the project in the traditional comics community. Taking place a century after Dorothy Gale last left Oz, the story follows both new and familiar characters through the beloved landscape of Oz. You can see the project's video at the bottom of the page. Fans interested in checking out the project at no financial risk before they consider the Kickstarter campaign can download the Free Comic Book Day issue via ComiXology. O'Reilly joined ComicBook.com to talk about the series, and what the sense of community that a Kickstarter campaign provides can bring to a smaller book, even if they've already secured a publisher. ComicBook.com: Setting the story 100 years after the established timeline is an interesting idea--and one that mirrors what Adam P. Knave is doing over in Artful Daggers. What do you see as the biggest reason to do that? Sean O'Reilly: It gave us enough distance to do something totally creative and original, but allowed us to keep some of the cornerstones of such an awe-inspiring and imaginative world.

ComicBook.com: Reinventing Oz is a crowded field. What makes yours a must-read? O'Reilly: We've taken the gifts, made them a curse, introduced new characters that can only be found in our series, and essentially created a post-apocalyptic Steampunk Emerald City. It's quite unique and is something that is very different than anything else I've from from the Oz field. ComicBook.com: Do you have a personal favorite Oz story/interpretation? O'Reilly: I think there's so many Oz interpretations, it shows the timeless intrigue of the original story. To me, the original is so special I really see all others on an equal playing field. ComicBook.com: Do you think it makes it a tougher sell right now, with all the controversy surrounding Kickstarter, or do you think the attention is good for everybody? O'Reilly: I don't think the attention hurts and Kickstarter is still growing and finding its market. Those in the know love it, but with this campaign I have personally described what Kickstarter is about 5-10 times a day. I believe it's still quite early on and will continue to gain recognition especially with these massive projects recently started. ComicBook.com: You've set a comparably low goal, especially considering that you've got so much of the product already on display on the Kickstarter page. Is this really just about reaching a new audience as much as it is about getting the start-up costs? O'Reilly: It doesn't hurt. We have been publishing for almost 10 years and this was an opportunity for us to try something new. We are spending a lot of time promoting this Kickstarter campaign, showing our world of Oz and trying to get this project funded.