Special! Interview with Sajan Rai
Sajan Rai is this years illustrator behind our amazing poster, he’s also tabling on Malmö Seriefest, so make sure to stop by and have a chat with him! Thank you Sajan for your wonderful work!
Tell us about yourself!
I'm a freelance artist, originally from the UK. As well as commission work, I write and illustrate haiku poetry that is all set in the same world, make absurd comics and unsettling fantasy/sci fi art.
What sparked your interest in comics?
Probably the ability to make whatever story you want as easily as possible. My parents are very arty so I have them to thank for a lot of that. Peanuts and Gary Larson growing up were definitely my main early influences, but really love looking at a variety of visual and storytelling styles. Though I usually default to writing a story about Some Jerk.
What was the thought process/inspiration for this year's poster?
I'd initially drafted something more sci-fi, but felt I wanted to convey the idea of comics being 'down to earth', hence the figures (demons? fae?) hovering down from the moon. I also wanted to hint at the construction of comics - so I have hands interacting with isolated elements such as panels, letters, speech bubbles etc. Compositionally I wanted to make something bold but with elements of detail, such as the comics in their wings.
What are you looking forward to at Malmö Seriefest 2025?
It's really nice interacting with people about my work face-to-face! And to see all my comic-making friends and enemies.
