INTERVIEW: Father, daughter team up for ‘Shy Ninja’ graphic novel
Image courtesy of Humanoids / Provided by Superfan Promotions with permission.
Shy Ninja is a new graphic novel by father Ricardo Sanchez and daughter Adara Sanchez. They pooled their talents for this unique tale about Rena, a character with a social anxiety disorder that keeps her from hanging out with friends and engaging with her schoolwork. In order to find some social outlets to overcome her shyness, Rena’s mother pushes her to enroll at a school for ninjas.
And a legend is born.
Ricardo is a comic book and mystery novel writer. His previous credits include Legends of the Dark Knight and Teen Titans Go!, among many others. He is also the creative force behind the Elvis Sightings Mystery series. Adara is currently a sophomore in high school, and she previously helped her father with Boo, The World’s Cutest Dog. The new Humanoids graphic novel also features art by Arianna Florean.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Ricardo. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What’s it like to be a father and daughter team? How are decisions made?
Getting to write Shy Ninja with Adara was an absolute blast! Adara was 13 when she came up with the idea for Rena, the main character. Since she was willing to let me use the idea, it was important to me that we stay true to her vision for the comic. We worked together on the outline and characters — that’s really when most of the decisions were made — and it was really collaborative. Once we had the basic story, I took on the writing duties.
What can fans expect from Shy Ninja?
Shy Ninja is, at its heart, an adventure story! Rena, who has social anxiety disorder, has trouble making friends, attending school, doing almost anything outside the home, really. So when she’s pressed to start some kind of social activity, she half-heartedly joins ninja school — who wouldn’t want to learn to hide in plain sight! But what starts as a joke becomes serious when Rena has to apply her newfound skills to a serious threat, one that puts her own mother in danger!
What are the important themes you want to come across in this graphic novel?
Shy Ninja has a few themes that run through it, but there’s one in particular that I hope readers will connect with: teen mental health. Rena’s social anxiety disorder impacts most aspects of her life. While her ninja training does help her build confidence and start to address her condition, it was important to me that her mental health wasn’t just a gimmick, and that the book, and Rena, deal with it realistically. Which is not to say this is a book about mental health! It’s a story about ninjas, and villains, and ancient prophecies!
Is this an all-ages graphic novel? What’s the target audience?
Technically, its target age is 9-12, but we tried to write it so that it would appeal to anyone who’s a fan of movies like Goonies. The ’80s teen adventure story was a big inspiration, so there’s plenty of elements that will resonate with adults, while still being written with a kid’s sensibility in mind.
Do you feel there could be more adventures from Rena beyond this story?
We’d love for Rena to have more adventures! Adara and I already have two ideas for how Rena can continue to save the day … and you’d never guess who the next villain is!
When did you first fall in love with comics?
I’ve been a fan of comics since I was a kid. I probably read some earlier, but I still distinctly remember going to the library while visiting my grandma in this tiny rural town in Southeast Idaho. They had a collection of comics in the corner, and I would spend summer afternoons reading through Tomb of Dracula, Spider-man and, don’t laugh, Dazzler. I’ve been reading them ever since. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for digital comics! Otherwise my house would be 80% long boxes.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Shy Ninja, by Ricardo Sanchez and Adara Sanchez, with art by Arianna Florean, is now available from Humanoids. Click here for more information.
