Like many of us, creator Antoinette Van Sluytman grew up watching anime. Series like Dragon Ball Z and Death Note caught her interest, but that interest went beyond being a source of entertainment. "As an artist/writer, I was particularly drawn to how these stories weren’t afraid to push genre boundaries, redefine themes, and explore very dynamic casts of characters," she says, hitting on that special something that I gravitated toward with anime and manga as well. Beyond the relatability of a lot of these stories, anime and manga always felt like a medium that wasn't afraid to explore themes in unique ways. From trash metaphors in Gachiakuta to the numerous interpretations of Neon Genesis Evangelion , fans of all walks of life interpret anime and manga in different ways depending on their own lived experiences. Antoinette has done the same with DEEPSEEKER , using manga to delve into various cultures (including her own) and tell a story about a group that lives on adrenaline. Literally. In our interview, Antoinette talks about what went into making DEEPSEEKER , how the Afrocosmic concept fits perfectly in the world of manga, and how she uses it all to highlight her heritage. Oh, and she lets us know what anime her characters would watch, of course. What Is DEEPSEEKER About? As trading season draws near, astral nomads called Rhen Gliders prepare for a new year of trading missions across a cosmic desert known as the Miraji. For the more nefarious missions in the deepest depths, only a special subclass of hedonist Gliders can be turned to. Those who live on the precarious edge between insanity and death, and beckon the thrill of danger beyond the horizon. Deepseekers. “Sweetwalker” Teafoot, the only Deepseeker immune to the addiction of gliding, has only one goal this trading season. Take enough missions to satiate his caravan’s adrenaline addiction. Insanity-fever is the cost of not keeping up and trade has become more competitive than ever. In a desperate search for work, he takes on a “suicide mission” to keep his crew from succumbing to the fever. But this one may present a cataclysmic ultimatum like no other. Get to Know DEEPSEEKER Creator Antoinette Van Sluytman Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, and congratulations on launching DEEPSEEKER . I usually ask people what first got them into anime. Same question for you, but also, what got you into manga? Antoinette Van Sluytman: Thank you so much. It's an honor to be a part of this. Anime was one of those things that was always there without me realizing it. I grew up watching Dragon Ball Z , Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon with my brother and sister, but I didn’t really consider myself a true anime fan until later on in my life. As a young adult, I’d say the story that really got me into anime and manga was Death Note , as someone keen on psychological mysteries and morally ambiguous protagonists. That was the very first manga I ever read, and from there I became more immersed in all of the amazing stories coming out of Japan. As an artist/writer, I was particularly drawn to how these stories weren’t afraid to push genre boundaries, redefine themes, and explore very dynamic casts of characters. The traditional black and white line art style was also appealing to me as someone with a fine art background in graphite and inking. You’ve had your short fiction published in various magazines (FIYAH Literary Magazine, Hexagon SF Magazine, Cosmic Horror Monthly, just to name a few), and now you’re releasing an entire one-shot manga. What’s it been like transitioning from writing Afrocosmic short fiction to writing and illustrating it as a manga? Antoinette: It was the perfect marriage of two liberating, creative pillars in my life. I’m a storyteller at heart and an avid reader, so when I started writing books in this Afrocosmic world, it was only natural that I utilized my artistic skills to bring the characters to life. Eventually, I ended up having sketchbooks full of the character designs from the book series I was writing, which then branched into these published short stories. In a way, they existed somewhat separately, but through DEEPSEEKER , I was challenged to tell a story in this universe through the art itself and bridge two sublime mediums into one epic tale. I had to change my perspective from leaning too heavily on words and make sure that the characters were visually carrying the narrative. It was truly invigorating. As a mangaka, I can unite two creative passions that have existed since I was a kid, and for me, there is no greater honor. Since we primarily talk about anime here at Crunchyroll News, would you mind talking a little bit about what the term “Afrocosmic” means and how you feel it’s something that fits perfectly with anime (and manga) fans? Antoinette: Absolutely. Afrocosmic is a genre-blending concept that exists in the liminal space between fantasy and sci-fi as a reimagination of advanced societies without artificial intelligence. It's a celebration of the antiquity of the ancestral past and homage to the intricate cultures that maintained advanced knowledge of space and science well before modern technology. The Dogon tribe of Mali is one such example. In DEEPSEEKER , I take specific inspiration from African cosmology and the feudal traders of the Sahara Desert. I think we need to consider that “advanced” doesn’t always need to mean a future of Western technology, when we always were an advanced people. The anime/manga space is actually a terrific example of how creators celebrate their culture and heritage in the same way, whether it's ninja clans or samurai, but reapplied through the lens of different genres and diverse casts of characters. My goal is to do the same thing through DEEPSEEKER . Let’s talk about DEEPSEEKER . I can definitely feel its anime and manga influences with its cool, ragtag group of protagonists and its extremely visual world. Can you talk about the series that inspired you when creating DEEPSEEKER ? Antoinette: The genesis of DEEPSEEKER is actually quite the unconventional one. The story was a branch from a book series I’ve been writing for many years called KISODOH, which was inspired primarily from being immersed in African history since I was young and my love for fantasy and sci-fi adventure films. Books with this sort of representation combined didn’t really exist, so I simply wrote that which I always wanted to read and started illustrating these characters that are greatly influenced by my heritage and love for found-family. But if I had to pinpoint a manga inspiration that I see DEEPSEEKER being reminiscent of, thematically and artistically, I’d have to say Bleach (you’ll notice I love mask designs and tall figures). I’m also a big fan of Inoue-sensei and Horikoshi-sensei’s art style! DEEPSEEKER is clearly inspired by your Afrolatina heritage in its artwork. What inspired you to use manga as a medium to represent your culture? What is it about manga that inspires you to tell stories like this? Antoinette: As mentioned, I've been sketching these characters and writing their stories at the same time in novels for many years, so manga was the perfect opportunity to unite these two coexisting passions. The fact that manga is also a medium that I’m such a fan of and greatly respect just makes it all the more humbling for me. With manga, I’m able to explore more eclectic and genre-bending stories than I think is embraced here in the Western comic book industry, so I think it was almost inevitable that I’d cross paths with the world of manga. One interesting concept in DEEPSEEKER is how the characters need to take risks. They literally need the adrenaline; otherwise, they succumb to “deep fever.” This really conceptualizes the risks they take in the story. What inspired you to have characters who have to put their lives at risk, and what do you feel it adds with them being a clear representation of your culture? Antoinette: I think we as humans often feel the need to chase temporary pleasures to feel alive at times, some more extreme than others, while certain industries profit off of the consequential victimhoods that pervade our communities. I believe that is indicative of a larger systemic issue, but I also wanted to explore this paradox of self-destruction as a sickness, and how one can maintain moral integrity in a cutthroat world where survival literally requires one to embrace the thrill of death. What does one sacrifice in order to live that way? But an example of a direct cultural inspiration is the global meteorite trade. We see meteorites shown off at famous British museums while many people remain unaware of the Moroccan merchants and nomads who risk their lives to scavenge them in the desert and are severely underpaid by collectors. Teafoot, the leader of the Deepseekers, is actually immune to deep fever, yet he continues to lead these dangerous missions for the sake of his team. What inspired you to create a character, a leader, who doesn’t have to follow a dangerous path, but does so anyway? Antoinette: That’s actually a big part of Teafoot’s character arc. I thought it would be an interesting conflict to show a protagonist who is the only one who can escape this merciless hedonist lifestyle, but understands that if he does, he’d essentially be abandoning his crew and risks sealing their fates even faster. It's also the only lifestyle he’s ever known. This one-shot merely touches on this inner conflict and guilt he must contend with, especially as they’re his only sort of found family. Teafoot’s lack of being able to feel adrenaline or intense emotions is what makes him an effective leader, and while it offers immunity to the addiction, it also causes him to be quite alienated from others. I was also drawn in by how expressive the characters are, even when wearing face masks, so we can only see their eyes. Can you talk about what went into creating your characters and how you went about making them so expressive, even if we don’t fully see their faces at all times? Antoinette: I’m really glad that came through since I know it was a bit of a risk! A big part of my style is a love for baggy clothes, draping fabric, and mudcloth-inspired patterns, so I love to integrate it into character designs. While much can be shown through a character’s facial expression, I think there’s so much dynamism that can be distinguished through the eyes and hands, which I enjoy drawing the most. Bold expressions in general are something that manga inspired in me, so I was very excited to explore that considering the themes of insanity. The Deepseeker eyes are also inspired by African textile patterns. DEEPSEEKER is part of the VIZ Originals One-Shots and, if I may say, ends on a pretty big cliffhanger. What’s next for the world of DEEPSEEKER ? What can readers expect in the future? Antoinette: My sister (Aubree T. Rose; check her out , she’s amazing!) and I are the co-founders of an upcoming multimedia studio called Broken Chalice Studios , which aims to actively produce these kinds of stories in novels and animation! She actually created the official trailer for DEEPSEEKER . I will say that there is also a novella I’ve written based in the same world that features the Deepseekers, with an exciting opportunity attached that I can’t quite share yet, but this is definitely only the beginning for this world and these characters! Now for something completely random. There’s a lot of action in DEEPSEEKER , but I’m wondering what the Deepseekers do in their downtime. Specifically, if anime and manga exist in their world, what are they watching/reader? Antoinette: Ahah, considering they’re quite literally always itching to get back to Gliding and don’t get a lot of downtime, let’s just say it would probably involve other sorts of debauchery to quell the angst while Teafoot has to clean up their messes. The only ones I envision really taking time to read/watch anything may be Teafoot and Farcry, who would be reading up on their Miraji lore and sciences journal. If I had to pick, I can see Teafoot being into shojo and liking Howl from Howl's Moving Castle (he does love birds) as well as Devilman Crybaby . Deathhead is definitely a shonen girl as she’s somewhat reminiscent of a shonen protagonist herself. I see Attack on Titan being on her watch list. Klyboo would be into the gritty seinen like Vagabond and Berserk , while Farcry would enjoy Hellsing (she’d be a big Sir Integra fan) and Neon Genesis Evangelion . Together, they'd probably binge episodes of SK8 the Infinity ! Where to Find Antoinette Van Sluytman (and DEEPSEEKER ) Online Read DEEPSEEKER here! Antoinette on Instagram Antoinette on Bluesky Antoinette on X (formerly Twitter) Antoinette's Website Broken Chalice Studios Broken Chalice Studios on Instagram
