Q: When does this comic update?
A: We release new pages on whatever day Jessica finishes them. On average, it takes her about a week to do a page (two weeks if it's a troublesome page or she's really busy with comissions). If you'd like to know as soon as a new page goes live, sign up for our mailing list.
If you want to help speed things along, you can support Jessica on Patreon. The more money she makes through Patreon, the more she'll be able to dedicate her art time to the comic as opposed to taking on comissions.
Q: Is this comic truly satanic or anti-Christian?
A: Nah, we’re just big fans of the ridiculous and campy satanic imagery from the ‘80s, both from the heavy metal bands of the era, and the religious groups that used such imagery to try and demonize harmless things like Dungeons & Dragons or Masters of the Universe toys during the Satanic panic.
Sure, our hero has infernal ninja powers, but he uses those powers to fight against the bad dudes, following in the footsteps of demonically powered comic heroes like Devilman, Ghost Rider, Hellboy, and Spawn.
Q: So why have "Satan" in the title? Why not something less offensive like "Demon" or "Devil"?
A: We know some people are put off by the title, but we think the name "Satan Ninja 198X" is funny, unique, fitting, eye-catching, and it also serves as a barrier of entry of sorts. After all, anyone who's offended by the title probably wouldn’t be into the more gratuitous aspects of our comic anyway.
Q: Why set the comic in the 1980s?
A: Because we love a lot of ‘80s media, and it felt like the perfect setting for the story we wanted to tell. There’s a certain spirit and charm to the movies, cartoons, music, video games, etc. of that decade that you don’t really find in modern products, and we wanted to try and capture that, while also putting our own spin on things. Plus, it's fun to sneak a bunch of '80s references into it.
Q: Is the drawing style of the comic trying to replicate any particular style from the '80s?
A: Nope. Jessica draws the comic in her own style. The one exception is the character of Ket, who's drawn in a style inspired by certain '80s anime girls.
Q: Is the comic all plotted out, or are you mostly making it up as you go along?
A: The main story arc has been plotted out since around 2008, but not every detail is set in stone, so we have some wiggle room if we come up with ideas that are even more awesome.
Q: How long will the comic be once it’s done?
A: We currently guess it'll end up being about 200-300 pages. Of course, we have plenty of ideas for subsequent stories, but we’ll see how well the initial story arc is received.
Q: Why does every girl in the comic have big boobs?
A: That’s absurd. Not every girl has a huge rack. Why, Tina is barely a B-cup.
Q: Why not tone down the sex, swearing, and violence so your comic can have a broader appeal?
A: Because then it wouldn't be nearly as awesome. Besides, we’re not making this comic for the general masses. We're making it for ourselves, and anyone who’s a bad enough dude (or dudette) to be like-minded.
Q: How far will you go with the sex stuff? Is this one of those erotic comics?
A: While this comic doesn't shy away from sex and sexiness, we don't consider it an "erotic comic." We plan to keep things in the realm of what you'd see in an R-rated sex comedy. So there's definitly nudity and light-hearted depictions of sex, but none of the hardcore close-up penetration stuff you'd find in porn.
However, if you're a fan of erotic content, then allow me to direct you over to this semi-secret section of the website.
Q: Is this a rip off of Kung Fury?
A: Not at all. We first started working on this comic in 2008, about five years before Kung Fury was announced. After coming up with the cast, plotting out the main story, and creating about half of Issue 1, we put the comic on hold due to other life responsibilities. We finally resumed working on it in 2013. We had finished Issue 1 and were in the process of making this website so we could finally unleash our comic to the public when the original Kung Fury trailer was released.
The similarities in style are certainly due to both products being inspired by the same radical ‘80s source material. However, once you get past the aesthetic similarities, Kung Fury and Satan Ninja 198X are pretty different. Kung Fury is a lot more farcical and over-the-top, while SN8X is much more story-driven. (For the record, we think Kung Fury is rad as hell and we backed its orignal kickstarter—if you haven't seen it yet, you should totally check it out.)
Q: This comic seems great, but I’m not very familiar with stuff from the ‘80s. Are there certain things I should check out in order to get the most of this?
A: You don't need to be an '80s scholar or mega-fan to enjoy SN8X. Though it's packed with references to ‘80s media (both obvious and obscure), we try to avoid having an ‘80s reference be the punchline of a joke. Instead, we treat the references more as little Easter eggs that can amuse readers that spot ‘em, but totally aren’t necessary to "get" in order to appreciate the comic.
That said, the ‘80s produced lots of rad stuff, so you should totally check some of it out if you’re curious. Below is a list we put together to give you some direction. This is some of the stuff that influenced our comic.
Action Movies
Enter the Ninja (1981)
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Revenge of the Ninja (1983)
Ninja III: The Domination (1984)
American Ninja (1985)
Commando (1985)
The Last Dragon (1985)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Cobra (1986)
The Wraith (1986)
Predator (1987)
Robocop (1987)
Bloodsport (1988)
Roadhouse (1989)
Cartoon/Anime Series
Urusei Yatsura (1981-86)
Space Adventure Cobra (1982-83)
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-85)
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1983-86)
Fist of the North Star (1984-87)
Transformers (1984-87)
Dirty Pair (1985)
Jem (1985-88)
She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-87)
Thundercats (1985-89)
BraveStarr (1987-88)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [original mini-series] (1987)
Comedy Movies
Bachelor Party (1984)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Splash (1984)
The Toxic Avenger (1984)
After Hours (1985)
Back to the Future (1985)
The Goonies (1985)
Real Genius (1985)
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Mannequin (1987)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988)
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
Fantasy Movies
Hawk the Slayer (1980)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Sorceress (1982)
Hercules (1983)
Krull (1983)
Conan the Destroyer (1984)
The Neverending Story (1984)
Barbarian Queen (1985)
Red Sonja (1985)
Highlander (1986)
Labyrinth (1986)
Willow (1988)
Games
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons [tabletop, 1st edition] (1977-89)
Castlevania [NES] (1986)
Contra [arcade] (1987)
Double Dragon [arcade] (1987)
Final Fantasy [NES] (1987)
Megaman [NES] (1987)
Metroid [NES] (1987)
Street Fighter [arcade] (1987)
Bad Dudes vs. Dragonninja [arcade] (1988)
The Last Ninja II [Commodore 64] (1988)
Ninja Gaiden [arcade] (1988)
Final Fight [arcade] (1989)
Ninja Gaiden [NES] (1989)
Horror Movies (Non-Slasher)
Evilspeak (1981)
Body Double (1984)
Ghoulies (1984)
Demons (1985)
Fright Night (1985)
Phenomena (1985)
The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Trick or Treat (1986)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Hellraiser (1987)
The Gate (1987)
The Lost Boys (1987)
976-EVIL (1988)
Hellraiser II (1988)
Ghoulies II (1988)
Sci-Fi Movies
Flash Gordon (1980)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Blade Runner (1982)
Tron (1982)
Return of the Jedi (1983)
Rock & Rule (1983)
The Last Starfighter (1984)
The Terminator (1984)
Aliens (1986)
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Critters II: The Main Course (1988)
They Live (1988)
Slasher Movies
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
Child’s Play (1988)
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Night of the Demons (1988)
Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988)
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989)
Teen Movies
The Karate Kid (1984)
Better Off Dead (1985)
Just One of the Guys (1985)
Secret Admirer (1985)
Teen Wolf (1985)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Weird Science (1985)
Lucas (1986)
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)
Heathers (1988)
Dream a Little Dream (1989)
Teen Witch (1989)
Toss all that into a blender and you might get something like our mega-rad comic, Satan Ninja 198X.
Have a question that's not answered here? Email us at 198666@satanninja.com or you can ask us on our awesome forum.