Romantasy WEBTOON series Suitor Armor may currently be on hiatus between seasons, but creator Purpah knows where upcoming Season 4 will take the story.
Suitor Armor follows lady-in-waiting Lucia, who finds herself falling for a soulless, enchanted suit of armor named Modeus. Through their relationship and others, the series explores the many types of love and how they fill a person up.
K-Comics Beat spoke with Purpah via e-mail about what’s to come for Suitor Armor, why rest matters for creators, and how fantasy creates opportunities to evoke empathy.
Ollie Kaplan for K-Comics Beat: Season 3 of Suitor Armor ended in the fall. What can you tease about Season 4, and why are you excited to tell this next part of the story?
Purpah: In Season 4, we will be dealing with more of the fairies on a larger scale! I am very excited to share the world and culture that has been kind of ambiguous for the most part. This season is an eye-opening one where all the characters are thrust into unknown territory, which pushes them all into new directions. It will be very different from other seasons now that we are out of the castle.
Last year, you went on hiatus. What was behind that decision? Did you find the break restorative?
Purpah: It’s important to take breaks from time to time. Storytelling and art are two things that I adore. It is a lot like breathing. You can exhale, but it is important to take the time to inhale as well, or else your work won’t be as good as you would like it to be.
And yes, it was most certainly restorative! I actually put my drawing tablet and sketchbooks into storage for a month to prevent me from doing any art at all!
Would you recommend a similar hiatus to other creators? Or do you have any other advice for up-and-coming WEBTOON creators on how to manage burnout?
Purpah: If anyone knows how to manage burnout, tell them to message me, as I am still at a loss at times! Given that this is a passion-fueled line of work, it is really important to realize that you can’t run on passion alone. A maintained and consistent schedule will last you much longer.
And yes, I would highly recommend hiatuses for other creators. As short or as long as they think they need. Some people need a longer break than others. What is important is that you recharge your mind and body for the next season of work!
How has your workflow or creative process changed throughout each season of Suitor Armor?
Purpah: I had NO idea what I was doing at the beginning of Season 1. It was very much an “out of the frying pan, into the fire” situation. I’ve gotten a better understanding of my own limits, how much I can get done in a day, how long an episode usually takes—and even then, I am still learning! I have become a bit more organized in my approach to episodes as well as finding shortcuts and tools that make the process go by a lot faster.
How has your experience as a character designer influenced your WEBTOON comics?
Purpah: Well, I would like to think my characters look good as a result! But in all seriousness, the designs I did with the intent of entering TV animation means that I know how to keep a design simple. Doing that makes it a lot easier to draw faster without worrying about too many bells and whistles. Of knowing when to make things more detailed for the sake of it having more of an impact.
You use romantasy to explore real world issues. How does this create empathy for other people’s struggles and experiences?
Purpah: Fantasy makes things a little easier to digest. Certain topics and themes can make people uncomfortable because facing reality head-on is not something we want to do at times. Storytelling allows us to consume messages and themes through entertainment.
By the time you have finished taking it in, you sit there with these characters and themes sitting in your stomach and that is when you start to ask yourself the questions of comparison. Wondering how these things apply to the world around you and thinking that if it hasn’t happened to you, who has it happened to? How is that fair? Are they alright? Did they look at this same piece of storytelling the same as you? Or different?
I think fantasy is very much “the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down,” as Mary Poppins would say.
How do you use Modeus to explore intimacy in its many incarnations?
Purpah: Modeus is a blank slate, learning and observing. His journey relates very much to love in all the forms it takes. His view on it is that love is valid and powerful in all its forms, be it platonic or romantic. He is the messenger for one of the things that I wish would stop being pushed in the media—that romantic love is more important or more powerful than any other kind. The connections we form with others are all valid. Be it family or friends or partners. Physical intimacy does not outweigh those connections.
I have said from the beginning that I have no intention of turning Modeus into a human, or a fairy. Just because he is made of metal does not mean he cannot love. And to anyone who complains about how he can’t “be with Lucia” in that form, well, I hope they think about why they believe he can’t as he is!
What types of stories would you like to tell when Suitor Armor ends?
Purpah: I would still like to stay in the realm of fantasy and there are plenty of themes that I would like to tell through that genre. I have a HUGE backlog of ideas and projects that I plan on taking on next. Some of them are warped retellings of classic fairytales and some are deep dives into things I have struggled with myself that I know others might relate to. You can be sure there will be romance, curses, monsters and magic in everything I make!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Purpah: Just a general thank you for the insightful questions! And for all my readers who have stayed with this story for so long. I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life. Being able to tell these stories and make these characters is a dream come true and it wouldn’t be possible without people reading it.
Suitor Armor Season 3 concluded in October, and the Season 4 premiere date has not yet been announced. Print Vols. 1-3 are available for purchase via publisher Ten Speed Graphic.
