Sugar Bomb: Portal Potty has officially launched on Kickstarter, bringing readers a cybernetic superhero, a roguish dolphin sidekick, and a dimension-hopping story unlike anything else in comics. The project comes from publisher Fun Time Go!, with designs by Bart Sears, writing from Chase Marotz and David Hedgecock, and interiors by none other than Juan José Ryp, the Spanish artist famed for his intricate, hyper-detailed work on Wolverine, Moon Knight, and Black Summer.
Ryp has built a career on violent, baroque pages packed with energy, but Sugar Bomb marks a surprising and hilarious shift into surreal comedy. I caught up with him to talk (OMG I got to talk to Juan José Ryp LOL) about the project, his artistic evolution, and why he’s fallen in love with Sugar Bomb and her world. Let’s go!
How did you first get connected with Sugar Bomb and the Fun Time Go! team? What about the pitch made you want to jump in?
JJR: Well, I guess it was almost by chance. I met David on social media. I knew his work as an editor, and he liked what I was doing. We started talking, and he told me about FUN TIME GO! and the projects they were launching. The rest is history. From the beginning, there was a good vibe and a desire to work together on both sides. When he showed me the first designs for SUGAR BOMB, featuring Bart Sear’s fantastic art and asked me if I wanted to draw it, I didn’t hesitate. The Sugar Bomb flame had been lit!
You’ve become known for intense, violent, and hyper-detailed books (Wolverine, Moon Knight, Black Summer). What excited you about stepping into something more absurd and comedic?
JJR: Ah! I consider myself a trench-comic-artist. I’ve worked in almost every genre. It’s true that some of my work has had more impact and is better known by fans, but I assure you, I’ve “played all the instruments.” And the surreal humor, exaggerated situations, and impossible scenarios in SUGAR BOMB are hilarious and a joy to draw. I love the situations and characters. I crack up reading Chase and David’s scripts! I hope the fans enjoy them as much as we enjoy creating the stories.
Bart Sears provided designs for the character — how did you interpret those when bringing her to life on the page? Did you add your own twists?
JJR: Oh! Bart’s designs are magnificent. They have a power, life, and impact that are simply BRUTAL! Since I’m an old hand in this business, I’ve learned not to try to match the “original model,” so I do try to make it my own.
With SUGAR, for example, I tried to make his exuberance a little more “believable,” without abandoning the spectacular nature of the original design. There were some elements that were difficult for me, like the three-fingered hand, but I think it’s finally done. With Thom… well, Thom is a lot of fun! But he’s also very challenging; Making him a “real” dolphin while also having the gestures and expressiveness of a human is no easy task! But I have a great time with him; he’s such a scoundrel that it’s impossible not to!
Sugar Bomb is a cybernetic superhero, but also deeply human in her reactions and emotions. How did you capture both her larger-than-life power and her more vulnerable side in your artwork?
JRR: I think it was pretty well portrayed in the scripts; I just went with the flow. I don’t know, with SUGAR, I feel like I’ve known her for a long time. She is a lovable and really easy character, and she seems to be the only one with her head on straight in a delirious and crazy environment. I’m completely in love with SUGAR BOMB; it was a stroke of luck for me to cross her path!
Thom Dolphin is a very unusual sidekick, even for a comic! What were the challenges and opportunities in drawing a cybernetic superhero paired with a wild, anthropomorphic dolphin?
JJR: As I said before, the main challenge was giving a dolphin human expressions and behaviors. I agree! It’s true that dolphins are especially friendly animals and always seem very communicative and cheerful. Still, giving Thom the roguishness and self-confidence the character required has been a challenge… but I love him! I see Thom as a character with immense potential. I hope to be able to work more on him… I predict a long career for him!
Sugar Bomb takes readers through outrageous new dimensions filled with unusual beings. How did you approach designing these characters so they fit the absurd tone but still feel alive and distinct on the page?
JJR: Hahahaha! Yeah, that was pretty crazy, I laughed a lot when I got the script. As you know, I’ve been doing this a long time (I’m ancient! :D), so I just said go for it! I start drawing and something usually comes out, some ideas fit and others go to the trash; really, I always think with a pencil and paper. Many years ago, I saw an interview on TV with Charles M. Schulz where he said: “I always draw, and something always comes out: blocking is for novices”; I’m signing up for that maxim: I draw… something will come out 😉
Your pages are famously intricate. How do you approach a book like this, where the humor and absurdity have to read instantly but still showcase your detailed style?
JJR: The only way I know how! Hahaha! I’ve always drawn with great detail. I guess I’m heavily influenced by the French artists of the 70s of Metal Hurlant (Heavy Metal in the USA… Totem in Spain…), so ornate and baroque, or maybe it’s because I have no artistic training — I’m completely self-taught and never learned to synthesize – so I draw “everything I can see.” I don’t know how to do it any other way. I know that current trends are very different, but I’m an old rocker, so it’s going to be hard to change! Anyway, and pardon my presumption, I think there are some fans who like what I do; there aren’t many of us crazy, baroque, dioctria-collecting cartoonists! Hahaha!
Were there particular artists, genres, or even outside media that inspired your approach to Sugar Bomb’s visuals?
JJR: Well… I have a very graphic-comic-book-like imagination, I suppose, because I’ve been doing this for so many years. As I read the script, I imagine the shots, the panels, and make rough sketches that only I understand… I think for many years now, my main influence has been myself, hahaha! However, and of course, I ALWAYS try to welcome suggestions or designs requested by the writer, the editor… you know.
This project is being released through Kickstarter. Did that give you more freedom to experiment compared to mainstream publisher work?
JJR: David and Chase gave me complete freedom, in fact, they encouraged me to design the backgrounds and characters created for this book. They were clear on some elements and let me know, but for the rest, the script was pretty free for me to develop my ideas. In short, I felt VERY, VERY COMFORTABLE developing the crazy world of SUGAR BOMB!
Fans know you for your extraordinary detail. How has your style evolved over the years, and how does Sugar Bomb fit into that evolution?
JJR: Wow! …tricky question. I think I’m still evolving. I’ve been doing this for many years, but I never tire of learning. There were things in my drawing style that were distinctive that have disappeared over the years (pointillism, the absence of black blocks…), and others that developed over time.
I’ve gone through many stages. They may not be very obvious to fans, but, for example, I haven’t used conventional ink for years; I switched to a darkening process of traditional pencil via digitalization, and today, I do all of my work digitally… who knows tomorrow? Maybe AI will make me unemployed…
With SUGAR BOMB as the most differentiating aspect, I’ve tried to consolidate in my mind and work naturally with the peculiar anatomy of practically ALL the characters, given that if you think about it, almost no one appears normal!
After working on something this bold and absurd, do you see yourself doing more humor-focused projects in the future, or is this a one-of-a-kind detour?
JJR: I HOPE with all my heart that this is just the first step in a long career with SUGAR BOMB. Like I said, I’ve fallen in love with her and her entire world. I think these are characters who have a long road ahead of them; it would be a shame not to take it… and if you’ll let me, I’d be honored to accompany you and show you the way. 😉
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Talking with Juan José Ryp makes it clear that Sugar Bomb isn’t just another job for him, it’s a project he’s genuinely fallen in love with. His passion for the characters, his joy in the absurdity, and his trademark attention to detail all shine through. With a creative team this stacked, Sugar Bomb: Portal Potty is shaping up to be one of the wildest, most original comics of the year.
Big thanks to Juan for taking the time to chat, and to the Fun Time Go! crew for cooking up something this bold and bonkers. If you’re ready for a dimension-bending, dolphin-powered adventure, head over to Kickstarter now and back Sugar Bomb. This is one ride you won’t want to miss.