Wasteland Comics Interview

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Hey! I’m Sarah Landauer [she/they] and I grew up in Santa Fe Springs, CA. More than anything

(except maybe cats), I love to write and tell stories about complex characters in vast and

fantastical worlds. That’s why I co-founded Wasteland Comics with my friend, Alston Novak

[they/them]. I’m the head writer of GLITCH, our post-apocalyptic solar punk debut series, and

Alston is the artist. Our small team also includes our letterer, James Vanderah [he/him], and our

editor, Dee Dee Denise [she/her].

It took me a while to get into writing comics, but I’ve been writing creatively since kindergarten.

My earliest teachers encouraged my budding imagination and let me fill my school journals with

tales of pets going on adventures and kids who channeled superpowers through marbles. As I

grew as a person and as a writer, I wrote my fair share of short stories, novellas, novels, poems,

and screenplays. GLITCH actually started out as a script for an animated short I wrote as part of

a portfolio to submit with a job application to Gearbox to work on Borderlands 3. The job

application went nowhere, but GLITCH grew into a much grander concept after my beta reader,

Alston asked me lots of questions about the characters and world. And when I asked if they’d

want to use their art skills to make a comic book with me, they said yes. And so, our creative

partnership began.

Probably our biggest obstacle has been the busy nature of life itself. Both Alston and I have full-

time jobs on top of working on GLITCH, so it can be a lot to juggle. It means we can’t produce

comics at the same rate as some other independent creators (and especially not at the rate of big

labels). I know that used to bother me quite a lot—I felt like we were failing our readers and

fans—but I’ve learned to find a balance between striving to get new issues out in a timely

manner and accepting the limitations of our situation. I love GLITCH, and I want to keep loving

it instead of letting it turn into a chore or added pressure in life. 

My most memorable moments have mostly been at conventions. Meeting new readers and

catching up with fans is always a treat, and there have been a few times when younger readers

rush up to our table with sparkling eyes and excited energy, eager to delve into the Wasteland for

the first time or to continue their journey. At Los Angeles Comic Con 2023, there were a couple

of siblings who enjoyed GLITCH so much, that their mom sent us a photo of them reading the first

two issues in their hotel room the following evening and told us they’re eagerly awaiting the

third issue. I can’t properly express how happy that made me.

As cliché as it sounds, my biggest piece of advice is to simply not give up. Trying to make

something of your creative passions is difficult; it takes work and dedication and perseverance.

And while it might be slow-going, it’s not impossible and you’re not alone. The amount of

support my team and I have gotten from fellow creators has been mind-blowing. Creators with

infinitely more experience than us have been so generous with their time and expertise. People

like Charlie Stickney taught us everything we know about Kickstarter while the amazing ladies

of Hex Comix took us under their wing to guide us through the production process. We’ve met

tons of incredible individuals on this journey and have even found ourselves in a position to help

others who are just getting started. So, I guess aside from not giving up, my advice would be to

become a part of the community you’re trying to get into. When one of us independent creators

succeeds, all of us do; it’s not a competition.

Instagram: @wasteland_comics

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlitchComic/

Twitter/x: @Glitch_Comics

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wasteland_comics

Website:  https://wastelandcomics.com/