In February, I introduced WEBTOON comic creator and storyteller, The Bitsy Artist, with an exclusive interview and delved into her Mystery-Thriller series, Nonesuch. Today, I am pleased to introduce comic creator, character designer, and writer Melanie “Purpah” Pulsipher, known online as Melpulse and The Purpah.
Purpah is the author and creator of the fantasy WEBTOON series, Suitor Armor, which features the fairy, Lucia, hiding in plain sight amongst humans as a lady-in-waiting for the future queen. As she tries to navigate castle life, she meets Modeus, an up-and-coming knight predestined for the king’s service. Everyone sees Modeus as a monster, a suit of armor without a soul, but Lucia sees more and feels a connection with him she cannot explain. Read to find out more about Lucia and Modeus’ blossoming romance.
I read the CANVAS version of Suitor Armor a while back and loved the art style and fantasy setting. I became one of Purpah’s patrons on Patreon and was elated when WEBTOON selected Suitor Armor as a WEBTOON Original! I love fairy tale retellings, and Suitor Armor gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes. So far, I love Lucia and Modeus’ relationship because they see each other as kindred spirits and equals ♥️ If you’re already familiar with this pair, tell me in the comments what you love most about their relationship.
If you want to learn about Purpah’s comic and creative process, the following passage includes a Q&A that delves into what it takes to be a comic creator.
- What led you to become a comic creator?
It was more of an accident than anything else! I was looking for work in animation and was getting somewhat discouraged at not finding anything, so I started doing my comic online as a side project – something to keep me sane while I looked for work. As it turned out, I enjoyed it a lot, there was a lot of freedom that came with it, and it allowed me to stretch my writing muscles. And evidently, a lot of people enjoyed my work!
2. What inevitably led you to use WEBTOON as a platform?
I had seen adverts for Lore Olympus around a lot, and when I looked at the platform and the unique layout it offered, I thought it would be a fun challenge. I was never really one for composing classic comic pages. I also liked the wide variety of art styles on CANVAS and Originals.
3. What did you learn from your time as a CANVAS creator?
My time there was shorter than I expected, but I was grateful for the takeaway that you don’t need to post every week there for your story to be successful on the platform. I was posting once every two weeks, and my numbers were really good! For people starting out, I know there is the idea that posting at the same rate as Originals is the only way to grow, but my time on CANVAS proves you can take it at your speed and still see progress.
4. What did you learn from writing your CANVAS version of Suitor Armor that you have applied to write the Originals version?
A bit of a tricky question – I was actually making the story up as I was going along on CANVAS. It was just a side project that I was doing every other week at the time. But I think that is a lesson right there. I didn’t overthink the writing too much. Of course, you want to have a plan and edit your story, but too often, I’ve seen great story frameworks fall apart due to over-editing and too many touch-ups. You have to trust that the story people are responding to is what they want to read, even if you feel you didn’t work enough on it.
5. What inspired Suitor Armor?
It was actually a dream that I had! I have pretty vivid dreams and have a dream journal that I keep near my bed for when I want to write down one that has potential. Obviously, the whole story didn’t originate from that dream; the framework of a Dark Knight falling in love with a woman was what I got from it. The fairies and the war and all that other fun stuff were what I built around the initial dream idea.
6. Who is your favorite Suitor Armor character?
Another hard question! I enjoy writing all of them for different reasons, so my favoritism is hard to pick based on that. But I think I will have to say, Lucia. A lot of my own personal feelings and experiences have gone into telling her story and writing her as a character, so there is a deeper personal connection with her. (But make no mistake! I love all my characters. Except for Ricon. He’s awful.)
7. What would you suggest to any aspiring comic creators?
Just start. Don’t overthink it. If you have an idea and you want to make it a reality, START. If you wait for yourself to be “ready,” you will never see your comic ever become a reality. You can write, plan, and design all you want but starting is what really counts. And try not to be overly critical of yourself. Your art style will most likely shift and change as you work on it (mine did); no matter when or how you start, that will always happen. It’s part of learning as a comic artist. Better to learn on the job than prep forever and never have your work see the light of day. Other than that, when you do finally start posting your work, try and post consistently. It doesn’t need to be every week. Hell, it would be once a month! Whatever works for you. But try to make it consistent. That will allow you to grow a readership – it will help your readers to know when to come back for more!
Suitor Armor Season 2 resumed on March 23rd, so if you’re new, now is the perfect time to binge the series!
