Fighters let their fists do the talking. But when a top fighter finds love in the ring, their lips get in on the action. In this exclusive preview of, and interview for, 20 FISTS, available from Source Point Press on April 28th, 2021, the leader of a Fight League team must fight for love in and out of the ring.
Take a peek at some piping hot preview pages and a brand new motion graphic trailer below, and scroll down for an interview with series writer, Frankee White.
Interview with Frankee White on the Story Behind 20 FISTS
This is such a wonderfully wild concept. What’s the inspiration behind it?
It starts with my love of THE WARRIORS. It’s one of my favorite movies and I’ve been watching it since I was a kid. I’ve always wanted to do something in homage to that, but make it my own. Originally it was going to be crossed with a Western and I think part of that still comes through in the opening segment, but once I saw Kat’s character designs for Chel & Billie my mind immediately shifted out of Western and into Romance.
Have you ever been in an all out brawl like we see in 20 fists?
No, nothing in the scope of 20 FISTS. I’d probably get my ass kicked if I went up against The No Names and The Big Jackets. When I was a kid I used to scrap with my cousin, but that was the extent of it.
Found family seems to be a big theme in this book. Can you speak on that?
I’m a firm believer that the family you make yourself has the strongest bond because you choose who gets to be in it. And that choice to be with someone can have a powerful effect on yourself and the person you’re choosing to be with whether that’s fraternal or romantic. So this chord is struck repeatedly throughout 20 FISTS: who are you with and why are you with them?
How have Kat Bauman, Gab Contreras, and DC Hopkins influenced the story you’re telling with their art?
Kat has been my co-author in telling this story since day one. When I sent Kat the script for the first section (back when I was thinking it’d be part Western), the script didn’t have names for any of the characters or descriptions. I asked Kat to draw who she saw in her head as she was reading the chapter. So right from the start Kat was extremely involved in helping shape who the characters were and who they would come to be. Plus, in a story that has no interior monologue so much was reliant on body language and facial expressions. Kat really did a lot of the heavy lifting. There’s a reason I put her name first in the credits.
Gab came onto the project much later. We originally made this as a black and white comic, but Gab’s colors breathed new life into our story. We both have a mutual love for purple so you’ll see a lot of it throughout the story.
DC Hopkins, our letterer, also added a ton to the story. His lettering is a perfect match for Kat’s art and just like any good fighter knew when to pull his punches and when to go for the KO.
What do you hope readers take away from 20 fists?
I hope that they see Chel’s midnight struggle to take control of her life and take it to heart. You are in control of your own destiny, you make your own choices, and you will have to live with them. Don’t let others try to walk over you or tell you who you are. Love fiercely, but take no shit.
Do you see a possibility of continuing the story after these first three issues?
Originally, I didn’t. I was happy with how these three issues went and thought I could lay this story to rest, but recently I’ve been thinking there’s still a lot left to explore with Chel and the world of 20 FISTS. Hopefully I’ll be able to do that.
Official 20 FISTS Press Announcement From Source Point Press
Square up for three rounds of ‘20 Fists’ at Source Point Press
Go enough rounds in the 20 Fists Fight League and you might just fall in love… Or get your heart broken. ‘20 Fists’ is kicking off with a three issue mini-series from Source Point Press, available for pre-order now through Diamond Comic Distributors and Oxeyemedia.com.
‘20 Fists’ about fist fights and bad romance. The No Names are new to the 20 Fists Fight League. As they begin to make a name for themselves the worst possible thing happens: their leader Chel falls for Billie, the leader of their rival crew The Big Jackets. Now, with their crews about to meet up for another battle, Chel and Billie need to decide… to make love or war?
“I’m a firm believer that the family you make yourself has the strongest bond because you choose who gets to be in it. And that choice to be with someone can have a powerful effect on yourself and the person you’re choosing to be with whether that’s fraternal or romantic. So this chord is struck repeatedly throughout ‘20 Fists’: who are you with and why are you with them?” says Writer Frankee White.
Written by White with art, color, and letters by Kat Baumann, Gab Contreras, and DC Hopkins respectively, ‘20 Fists’ is a notably harmonic collaboration throughout.
“In a story that has no interior monologue so much was reliant on body language and facial expressions. Kat really did a lot of the heavy lifting. There’s a reason I put her name first in the credits,” says White. “Gab’s colors breathed new life into our story. We both have a mutual love for purple so you’ll see a lot of it throughout the story. DC Hopkins’…lettering is a perfect match for Kat’s art and, just like any good fighter, he knew when to pull his punches and when to go for the KO.”
Source Point Press is a division of Ox Eye Media, publishing books, comics, and graphic novels. ‘20 Fists’ is available to pre-order now and will be released Wednesday, April 28.
Does the eclectic mix of fighters and romance whet your appetite for more? Let us know what you think about this announcement in the Comments, and please share this post on social media using the links below.