Rap Battles And Aliens: An Interview With ‘Sci-Fu’ Creator, Yehudi Mercado

Wax and his friends might’ve left Discopia, but Discopia isn’t finished with them. In the sequel to Yehudi Mercado’s graphic novel, Sci-Fu, Wax is back home in New York, but he can’t escape his new role as king of Discopia. As aliens start showing up on Earth to challenge him for the title, will Wax be able to keep his friends safe and pursue his dreams at the same time? Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but Mercado makes writing sequels look easy and it was a pleasure to ask him some questions about Sci-Fu: It Takes 2 over email.

Rachel Bellwoar: After spending most of Book 1 in Discopia, Wax and his family are back on their home turf. Is it more fun drawing humans on an alien planet or aliens in Brooklyn, New York?

Yehudi Mercado: It’s way more fun drawing random aliens and robots than humans but I felt it was an important evolution to the story to have Wax’s problems follow him home. If book 1 was like a hip hop Wizard of Oz, I wanted the conflict of book 2 to be like “What if the strange creatures of Oz followed Dorothy back to Kansas?”

RB: Chapter one (or Track 1) opens with someone saying on TV, “First album ain’t nothin’. It’s the second album that’ll kill ya.” How was writing the sequel to Sci-fu different from writing the original?

YM: This was my first sequel and I definitely felt the pressure to deliver something bigger and better than book 1. I had to try not to make it too big, though. At its heart this is Wax’s journey and I really wanted the external conflicts he faces to reflect what he’s going through emotionally.

RB: While comics are a primarily visual medium, sound is very important in the world of Sci-fu. Did you always want to tell this story as a series of graphic novels?

YM: The original incarnation of Sci-Fu was a video game. I pitched it as an animated series but I am forever grateful that I was able to execute my pure vision of Sci-Fu in graphic novel form because it was really hard for people to envision the tone and style I intended.

RB: How challenging was it to write Wax’s rap battles?

YM: It’s hard because I leave it as the last step. I basically do the Marvel Method to myself. I draw the fight scenes with a loose idea of what the back and forth will be and then once everything is colored I do a whole lyric pass of the whole book. I also want the rap battles to feel extemporaneous like a cypher, so I try not to overwrite them.

RB: The first aliens Wax goes up against in volume two are the Style-Biters. Can you tell us a little bit about them, and what was it like coming up with their character design?

YM: The thing that makes Sci-Fu stand apart from other generic science fiction is that it is equal parts hip hop, sci-fi and kung fu. So much of old school hip hop and kung fu is about establishing a unique style and calling out people who copy it. So giving an alien creature the ability to mimic and replicate the fighting styles of different characters blends in with the themes I’m playing with. The design was influenced by the creatures in Attack the Block mixed with a Velociraptor from Jurassic Park.

RB: Pirate Polly and Wax’s sister, D, also sport new looks this time around. Is it difficult knowing when to leave a character’s look alone and when it’s time for a change? 

YM: For Pirate Polly I wanted it to be a drastic transformation because she’s the only character who decided to stay on Discopia so I wanted that reflected in her new look. Almost like when you have a friend who goes to Europe for the summer and comes back with a new haircut and using new slang. For D, I wanted to show that time has passed so I gave her afro puffs and glasses. Also Wax himself looks pretty different by the end of book 2. All throughout the beginning of book 2 he’s sort of fighting and facing new responsibilities. After his experience in the Digital Underground he emerges slightly older with broader shoulders. He’s forced to grow up.

RB: Probably my favorite part of the sequel was getting to meet Wax and D’s parents. What made you want to introduce them this time?

YM: I wanted to make Wax’s parents these aspirational, globetrotting, successful parents that could feasibly have their own side adventures. Their absence from Wax’s life during his more formative years is what drives him to want to be the best DJ in the world. In his kid mind, if he’s famous enough then his parents will pay attention to him. Also I like the arc of Uncle Rashaad having to step up and not just be the babysitter but be the father figure.

RB: I also loved the callbacks to Book 1, including the return of some familiar faces. Can readers expect to see more Sci-fu books in the future?

YM: Yes! If all goes to plan then Book 3 will be a wild adventure skipping around time and space with Pirate Polly. So you will see situations from different perspectives as well as snippets of the future.

Sci-Fu Book 2: It Takes 2 goes on sale April 27th from Oni Press. Thanks to Yehudi Mercado for agreeing to this interview.