From Alamout
Why did ms. Hicky stayed behind in chapter 134?
BuckJohnson: To watch over the orphanage and cover for the others. Plus, if she got arrested, that just meant she didn't have to go to work and could relax in a jail cell.
How much time has passed between It's a Waybright life and the current chapter?
BuckJohnson: Over a month.
Has Vanz always been a Horned king's acolyte?
BuckJohnson: So this is something that some of our readers did not pick up on. It has been established that when a human is in the Boiling Isles long enough, the Horned King will try to reach out to them. Vanz isn't the exception (before you ask, Bride never heard the Horned King because she isn't human anymore due to the modifications and surgery she has done to herself). He became a servant of the Horned King shortly after he was attacked by vampires. The Horned King saved Vanz's life and Vanz agreed to help the Horned King. Although Vanz had no interest in freeing the Horned King, the Horned King had other uses for Vanz. One of the ways he helped the Horned King was by becoming a carrier for the Red Death. That's why Vanz was the only one not killed by the Red Death in that flashback, because he was the one who brought the Red Death into the future Glandus and he was the only one immune. That's also what happened with Katya's parents, although he did end up regretting that and he managed to save Katya by making her immune as well. And yes, he knew what he was doing when he was freeing the Wittebane brothers. And yes, he later made a new deal with the Horned King in order to save Katya's parents by helping Belos free the Horned King. Though before then, Vanz only helped the Horned King as much as he needed to and he avoided it when he could. The Horned King knew that Vanz was less willing, but he also knew that the vampire would still be useful at the end of the day.
What did the Boiling isles residents find so freakish/repulsive in giraffes, that they banished them?
BuckJohnson: Giraffes liked to eat souls.
Will we see more of shadow Nicole in the future?
BuckJohnson: Yes.
Is Hailey's on it going to be part of the LC universe, or at least referred?
BuckJohnson: It exists in the universe, at least.
If Luz would heard the word "enhappify" from Molly McGee, what would her reaction be?
BuckJohnson: Probably a sarcastic quip about Molly adding new words to the English language.
From Blue Tagg
Will Manny reunite with his family? If so, will he and Camila get back together?
BuckJohnson: You do know that would be a spoiler, right?
From BlueKnight-X2:
Do other shows from CN, Nick, DC and Marvel appear?
BuckJohnson: DC and Marvel isn't out of the question and that's all we'll say for now.
Do Luz and Amity see each other in dreams?
BuckJohnson: No.
Does Gus need to pass a test to show how smart he is in order to partake in a Human Realm school?
BuckJohnson: No.
Will there be a character ending up in the Land of Oz by either portal or tornado?
BuckJohnson: The former is more likely. The latter is more useful to have characters end up in Oz by accident, but if a character goes to or is brought to Oz, it will be intentional.
Are there any witches from beyond the Isles coming to the Boiling Isles?
BuckJohnson: Yes. In Book Three, the Boiling Isles will be receiving visitors from elsewhere in the Demon Realm. Some will be visiting the Isles because they want to see what the Isles are like without Belos in charge. Others will be visiting the Isles because they've heard rumors that it is home to a living Titan.
Will there be a space travel arc?
BuckJohnson: Since we've set up the Colony as future antagonists for Book Three… yes.
Will the timeline be reset like in Mystery Incorporated?
BuckJohnson: And erase all the character development after over one hundred chapters? Of course not.
From cooki5xd
So since Book 3 will be your own take on the very first Kingdom Hearts, just what stuff will you adapt and what stuff will be original?
BuckJohnson: You'll just have to wait and see.
From Crash X Fusion
You guys remind us of how much Emily's story has changed since you spared her at the end of the Glandus War. And it's obvi how much the Drakescale sibs played a part. Before then, was Lindsay still a crucial consistency? Would things have ultimately worked out between her and Emily, or ended the same?
BuckJohnson: We did decide that Lindsay was going to be a part of her arc before the Drakescale siblings. Although things wouldn't have worked out between Lindsay and Emily, since her arc was actually always going to end with Emily leaving the Boiling Isles. Our original arc for Emily after we decided to spare her was that she would spend some time as Graye's apprentice, put Graye into a coma during the events of Labyrinth Runners, succeed him as the Illusions Head, bail during the Day of Unity, and Maleficent would find her on another Titan. The broad strokes of that arc is still the same, but Emily's character changed a lot, with her becoming more heroic than in our initial plans for her arc, which means that the relationship between her and Maleficent is also going to be very different than what we originally planned.
Honestly, as important as Lindsay was to Emily's character development, I think Cross was what really changed the trajectory of Emily's arc. That relationship is what gave us the idea to drag Emily into the Underworld and have Cross and Lindsay go to save her. That resulted in Emily staying with the Shystreams and meeting Kay, one of the biggest moments in her arc.
I do remember that one of the reasons we decided to make Lindsay a part of Emily's arc is because she was a farm girl. Emily was influenced by the Wicked Witch of the West, Stella was influenced by Glinda, and Lindsay was influenced by Dorothy. Emily and Lindsay would have probably ended their potential relationship on even worse terms if Cross didn't become a part of her arc and Emily got trapped in the Underworld.
Okay, who were the shadowy figures with Staggs in "Change of Plans"?
BuckJohnson: More of his creations. Sarah and Ruby are not his only homunculi. There are others and this is something that Book Three will go into.
What're your favorite types of magic to write about?
BuckJohnson: Probably illusions. I like tricksters.
JP-Ryder: If I were to pick, it'd be Bard. Love to give homages to musicals, musicians, and Disney songs.
Who're your favorite male characters (we've got none of those listed) and least favorite female characters to write about?
BuckJohnson: My favorite male character… is definitely Cross. I kinda love how his greater prominence in the story was largely an accident that came as a result of theories from the readers. One of the most fun things about Luz Clawthorne has been engaging with readers and having those readers influence the story with their characters and their ideas. I don't think we mentioned this before, but the idea to pair Sunny with Steve actually came from Jack_Skeletron, one of our readers. He was a huge Ella fan and he hoped that Sunny would get a boyfriend at one point, suggesting Steve but forgetting about it until Steve and Sunny had their meet-cute.
Actually, Steve is another character whose role in the story was affected by the readers, since Jack_Skeletron created Steve's former mentor Leonte. I'm actually really glad that we did the OC contest, since it was really fun to get the readers more involved like that.
As for my least favorite female character… I don't have one. I don't really have any least favorite characters.
JP-Ryder: My favorite male character to write... it would have to be Beocrow. Like, when writing him he became more than just a homage to The Crow, rather to give a connection to certain characters like Donna, Cross, Luz, and even to Nina. His death was pretty much planned out, but give him a great connection to these characters to make an impact. I don't have a least favorite character either.
What's the deal with Andrea and Maverick?
BuckJohnson: So this is something that we hinted at throughout Book Two but didn't explicitly say… Andrea gets around. A lot. All off-screen of course. So when we saw Maverick leaving the grudgeby field, let's just say that he and Andrea were doing something with each other under the bleachers. And their deal isn't exclusive.
Is there any chance Discord will show up next season?
BuckJohnson: Yes. And Book Three will finally introduce the Twilight Sparkle expy, completing the Mane Six.
Have the Thians returned to the Isles or have they still gone to another Titan?
BuckJohnson: They were present for Luz's going-away party, but after that they were planning on going to another Titan. Goonla actually hopes to start a boat restaurant with his kids.
What was your favorite story arc of the season?
BuckJohnson: Honestly… I think the Human Realm arc was my favorite. It was something we had planned for a long time, but to actually see it come to fruition was very cathartic and it was an indication that we could actually follow through on our ambitions. Plus it was just fun.
JP-Ryder: I would make a tie between the Underworld Arc and the Tarot Guild Arc, cause they're a lot of fun to write.
Favorite antagonist to bring in?
BuckJohnson: Are you asking about who is our favorite villain in the fic? Because if it is… probably Terra Snapdragon, since she was just so unapologetically evil and fun with her evil. I've come around to really love pure evil villains and Terra proudly embodied the wicked witch stereotype with nothing sympathetic or redeeming about her.
JP-Ryder: Let's see, I would go with... Nicole. Like, she started out as this Karen who pretty much went over the insanity slope over her beef towards a literal teenager, and her nemesis who's like, poor than her. And now look at her, she made a deal with the devil(The Baron) and became a Shadow Weaver-stand in. There are a lot of Karen villains in media but then we made Nicole into a freakin' supervillain.
Favorite hero to develop?
BuckJohnson: I'm… gonna have to say Emily. Especially since she was the most unlikely hero whose story changed a lot throughout Book Two. I've also loved watching how reader reception to Emily has changed. From despising her during the Glandus War to feeling sorry for her when she was dragged into the Underworld (which was the intended reaction) to actively rooting for her during the Day of Unity arc. Doing that with a character is not an easy task, so I'm glad that we were able to pull it off as well as we did. And as a character, she has just been so much fun to write for.
JP-Ryder: God, I would give it to Boscha. Like, in canon she is the school bully and jerk jock. Same here in the LCU where in Book One she was the antagonist but in Book Two she goes through an arc that we've shaped and developed her into becoming a better version of herself. And I like how she turns out in the end, and I know a lot of readers do too. Like, Boscha's arc is very much similar to Flash Thompson's. A character who becomes from a bully to a better person.
And since I'd rather not wait for another god Q&A, who would you two say Mel hates the most of Team Hell-and-Back besides Lumity?
BuckJohnson: Definitely Cross and Lindsay, considering how much they kicked her ass.
If Donna and Nina are starting to be friends again, is Skara keeping an eye on Donna to make sure she doesn't try something again?
BuckJohnson: Yes.
If Angel is based off of Dr. Emilia, who are the Archangels as a whole based on?
BuckJohnson: Well, Angel was initially based on Dr. Emilia, though that was before we gave her a tragic backstory and a personal history with Eda. As for the Archangels as a whole, they're not really based on any fictional organization in particular. We just wanted to create some new human antagonists and we thought that a modern witch-hunting organization could be interesting.
Besides Mai, how many siblings does Kitsuni have?
BuckJohnson: Around six hundred.
Is Madame Izanami her mother?
BuckJohnson: No.
Would you be alright with Frida Wolff being Dusty's voice actor?
BuckJohnson: Actually, our pick would be Veronica Taylor.
From DarthTraya99
Does this mean we won't see maleficent in book 3?
BuckJohnson: No, we still will. I mean, that gathering of villains in the epilogue is a pretty good indication that we will see her again in Book Three.
From Gl1ck
1)Who is stronger than Luz or Amity now?
BuckJohnson: Probably Luz, though they're pretty evenly matched.
Will you name the Emperor Pupa? (It just seems like he doesn't have a name)
BuckJohnson: Maybe, though it doesn't seem too necessary.
How often will the chapters of "LC:Brimstones and Broomsticks" be released?
BuckJohnson: Our plan is to alternate between chapters of Helluva Dad and chapters of Brimstones and Broomsticks, at least until Book Three comes out at the end of October. Though we are going to try finishing two chapters of Helluva Dad before we begin Brimstones and Broomsticks.
Have Luz and Amity reached the peak of their power, or should we wait for the further development of their abilities? (Not counting training with newly acquired powers)
BuckJohnson: Yeah, I would say they reached the peak of their power.
Why are Ford's journals (1,2,3) describing his adventures in the multiverse? Shouldn't he have kept another diary, or are you saying that he rewrote his entries in the first three Diaries? Or by "travel between dimensions" did you mean Ford's portal?
BuckJohnson: Actually, after he returned to his home dimension, he started writing in Journal 3 again, including about his adventures in the multiverse. That's how we know about his meeting with the Oracle and how he got the metal plate in his head, because he wrote about it.
Does the Order have any oversight over Roo/Erida, or are they as afraid of her as they are of Julia?
BuckJohnson: Well, since Eris is an Olympian, keeping her in line would be the responsibility of Zeus and the other Olympians. Eris being Roo is actually a secret and everyone is ignorant to what Eris is actually up to. Most beings actually don't think Eris is even dangerous, considering her a has-been who hasn't been relevant since the Trojan War… which is intentional on her part.
Will we see more descendants of Disney Princesses in the future?
BuckJohnson: Yes. We've actually considered doing a new OC contest where readers can create their own Disney descendants.
Marcy will be a temporary carrier for the Core. Their true target will be Luz, as a human-titan. The enormous physical and magical power would definitely interest the Core. And I'm sure that's why she and Philip had a conflict in the past.
BuckJohnson: That's a theory, not a question.
Why didn't BM, after 400 years of being imprisoned in the Intermediate World and watching witches, get rid of her Witch-Hunting fanaticism?
BuckJohnson: I think it's more than just fanaticism. Bloody Mary is actually more open-minded after her four hundred years of imprisonment, shown by her being fine with magic users like Grimhilde and Facilier. But when it comes to the witches of the Boiling Isles… it is more personal. Especially since Philip killed her brother and sent him to Hell. Her primary motivation right now is to actually rescue her brother from Hell. Revenge against the Boiling Isles is only her secondary motivation.
From Guest
Will the events of Amphibia's third season play out the same or will there be differences?
BuckJohnson: You can expect some differences, especially since most of the third season is actually adapted out and condensed.
What is Angel's overall plan on accomplishing her mission to wipe out magickind? I understand her trying to gain secret loyalists with the American government but there has to be more than that in her plan.
BuckJohnson: Yes, there is more to her plan. But to go into it would involve spoilers.
Is there going to be an all out war in the next book? So many factions have stated their desire to invade the Isles and if Eris' plan is already in motion, then the universe is in extreme danger.
BuckJohnson: That is what we're building toward, yes.
Will we get more appearances from the Guardian?
BuckJohnson: Yes… mainly since they are the narrator. They're pretty much obligated by their contract to make a few appearances.
From Guest
What happened to Goregon, Zephyr, Brian, Weaseltaur, Ruth and Batters?
BuckJohnson: The Glandus five are still at large. As for Batters, he's still grounded by his parents.
From Gunther in a hat
Is there a connection between Abel/Eris/Eve/Roo (great twist by the way) and Chernabog? Or are they unrelated figures of evil with separate associations with Lucifer?
BuckJohnson: At the moment, there is no direct connection.
Could you elaborate on how Luz became a Titan? I thought her time on the isles was changing her into some human/demon hybrid, how did that change into her evolving into a Titan?
BuckJohnson: As a reminder, the Titan is the Isles. It was the Titan that showed Luz how to create glyphs so she could create magic, so it was the Titan that was helping Luz to adapt to the Isles so that she could more easily survive and even thrive. As her connection to the Boiling Isles grew stronger, she became more Titan-like. This made her more of a target for Belos and the Horned King, but it also gave her the means to defend herself from them.
Admittedly, it wasn't always our intention to have Luz be changing into a Titan, but when the finale aired, we noted the similarities between it and Luz Clawthorne and we realized that we could have Luz's Titan form as the final part of her evolution. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up on.
How do you find a balance between long time story plans and improvisational story decisions?
BuckJohnson: We're flexible. We know the broad strokes of the direction we want the story to go in, but we leave enough room for changes depending on stuff from canon, what the readers want, and ideas we have spur in the moment. The best way to find that balance is leaving that room where not everything is set in stone and being open to change, because that has been one of the fun things about writing Luz Clawthorne.
Do you have any plans to expand on the Titans and Archivists in the LCU? Their war against the Horned King makes it curious as to what these beings are to go toe-to-toe with an eldritch Knight of the Apocalypse.
BuckJohnson: Yes. The Titan Mechs are actually a hint of what's to come, as is the planispheric disk storyline. Since those disk pieces have the same symbols as King's collar, we can confirm that those disk pieces were created by the Titans.
This is actually one of the big reasons we decided to not free the Collector in Book Two. We wanted to wait until Book Three, which is where we can really do more with the Archivists.
What's been your favorite part of the experience in writing the Luz Clawthorne saga so far?
BuckJohnson: For me, it's engaging with the readers and actually having them influence the writing process. I love seeing the readers react or talking to them about the new chapters. It makes working on Luz Clawthorne more rewarding, since we're not just doing it for us, we're doing it for the reader base that we managed to build up.
JP-Ryder: I like how the writing process and motivations in continuing the story. It helps me manage more in writing large scale stories like the Luz Clawthorne Books, and it's spin-off, Helluva Dad. I like to challenge myself and learn a lot about plotting and writing, which gives me an inspiration to some stories in the future.
Do you have an ending in mind for the Luz Clawthorne Saga?
BuckJohnson: Yes, we do. The ending has been set in stone for a long time.
What can you hint or tease about the creature with one yellow eye? That's been a mystery since book one and different times its been suggested it could have been Bill, Chernabolg and even Amity! What can you share about it without giving it away?
BuckJohnson: What I can confirm is that unlike Abel, where we weren't sure what his deal was at first, we always knew what the creature with one yellow eye was and it was always intended to be endgame material.
From Matteso
Does Amity plan to ask Sly why he didn't tell her and Luz that Fae regenerate from death? That seems like something they (and Hooty too) deserved to know sooner.
BuckJohnson: I mean, Sly didn't know that Puck came back or that Puck came back wrong. So there wasn't anything that those girls could actually do with the information at the time. By the time that Sly and Amity did meet again, Puck was already back.
Even if Amity talked things through with Odalia instead of becoming nameless, would her mother have listened at the time? And doesn't she think that Alador would've fallen under Arthur, Destiny, and Gibson's control anyway?
BuckJohnson: She could have and Alador might not have. Odalia did show in Book One that she could be reasoned with and Alador fell under their control because he distanced himself from Odalia, who would have kept Terra, Arthur, Destiny, and Gibson away. While there is a chance that Odalia would not have listened or Alador would have still been influenced by Terra, the point is that there was a chance that they could have worked things out. Although it still isn't exclusively Amity's fault, since what happened to the Blight family was the result of years of issues slowly building up.
Is Jafar abusive towards D-Josh?
BuckJohnson: No. They actually don't have much of a relationship. D-Josh never knew Jafar when he was alive and they only met when D-Josh was a genie. Even though they did meet then, they still aren't terribly close, especially given Jafar's dislike of teenagers. The best way that I can describe their relationship is… aloof.
Do Dr. Rebus' identity. And Donna and Eda not knowing that the Holder Brothers are Scooter Crane's killers. Don't those count as loose threads?
BuckJohnson: It was implied who Dr. Rebus's identity was, considering Graye's reaction to that name being mentioned. But there is obviously more drama to unfold with the original SSE in Book Three.
As for Donna and Eda not knowing that the Holder Brothers killed Scooter Crane… yeah, it was never our intention for that to be revealed in Book Two, especially since we were planning on having Cups and Mugs leave the Boiling Isles and live on the Inwell Isles. But in their defense, it wasn't an intentional murder. It was an accident. However, that doesn't mean they're getting off easy, if them being tortured in the Underworld and haunted by Crane's ghost is any indication…
Does Nina consider Donna saving her from Glandus' destruction the best thing anyone has ever done for her life? It set her on the right path.
BuckJohnson: Actually, I think Nina considers the Brookes helping to be the best thing that anyone has done for her. It wasn't Donna saving her that set her on the right path, especially since she was still a bitch afterward. What really caused her to start to change and trust the Brookes was them being there for her during the worst week of her life, which had her learn that she was infertile while being rejected by Donna and rejected by her parents. That put her in a very bad place, but the Brookes were there to help pull her out of it and that was what got her to change for the better.
Since Mel can't explain the connection between Maleficent and the Dark Dragon, can you?
BuckJohnson: The two know each other and have history. That's all I can say for now.
Maleficent and Emily's half-sister. Are you allowed to say who's more evil?
BuckJohnson: I think it depends on your qualifications for 'more evil'. On one hand, I think of the two Maleficent actually has more redeeming qualities, particularly her fondness for her old familiar. Maleficent is strictly Lawful Evil, since she will honor her deals and can work alongside heroes well enough. She also thinks revenge is a sucker's deal, which makes her far less petty. Emily's half-sister is more petty and while her goals are not as grand as Maleficent's, they are far more personal and targeted since Emily is her main victim. She probably has less redeeming qualities than Maleficent, but is also less of a threat than Maleficent and she has a more sympathetic backstory, since much like her sister she has abandonment issues, though that doesn't even begin to justify her resentment toward Emily. At the end of the day, Maleficent is probably more evil but Emily's half-sister is more unpleasant if that makes sense.
Were Alador, Sunny, and Napoli in on Emily's plan?
BuckJohnson: Yes.
If the Beyonder meets Morpheus, would he sue him for identity theft?
BuckJohnson: That's not how identity theft works, considering that Morpheus never claimed to be the Beyonder.
Why did Mel kidnap both of the Holder Brothers? Cups is the one with the soul debt.
BuckJohnson: Because they're a package deal. Plus she thought that Mugs would help sweeten the deal to get on her father's good side. She didn't care if Mugs didn't have the soul debt or not. Because you may have noticed this, but Mel is kind of a bitch.
Say that the Core has conquered every world, and then what? What will they do if there aren't any worlds left to conquer, and thus, no more ways to get new resources?
BuckJohnson: I mean, that's more of a question about Amphibia, not Luz Clawthorne. But considering how many planets exist in each dimension, what makes you think that they would ever run out of resources?
From NotafanofBob
Was Maleficent also a student of Abel/Eris? Or is her evil entirely her own?
BuckJohnson: Nah, the two are just friends with a long history. Actually, Eris may have gotten the whole 'evil mentor' schtick from her. We saw Maleficent mentor Grimhilde while acting as her 'fairy godmother' and we see her attempt to do the same for Emily in this year's AU one-shot, which is very similar to Abel mentoring Belos and Draco. The two probably do exchange ideas and out-of-universe Eris did the whole 'mad that you weren't invited to a party' thing before Maleficent, which was actually the reason we decided to make the two friends. The two have similar methods and they allow the other to borrow some of their ideas and schemes.
Why does Bloody Mary who was raised as a witch hunter want to open the gates of hell?
BuckJohnson: Because her brother is there and she wants to save her brother. But also, a very good way to destroy the Boiling Isles would be to unleash the residents of Hell on it. It isn't like she plans on opening the Gates of Hell in the Human Realm.
How did Department A learn what the Exorcists look like to make their E-Bots?
BuckJohnson: Probably from old artwork. I actually remember one unused idea from "Fallen Angel" where Angel would have owned a painting that depicted the Exorcists slaughtering the residents of Hell, but we ended up feeling like it would have made the twist about the Archangels being the one who made the robots too obvious. Considering that demons from Hell do sometimes travel to the Human Realm, they would have an opportunity to describe the Exorcists.
From Shuffollower
Did Lindsay tell Cross about Madstream, and that Emily kissed her? Cuz I wanna say she did when they were alone in either Chapters 124 before Donna came over and 132 when he took her home after the return home.
BuckJohnson: Actually, Lindsay explained Madstream to Cross during "Resolutions" while they were heading to Lindsay's house. Cross saw Madstream in the Underworld, so if he was going to get an explanation it would have been after that, just like how Lindsay explained Madstream to Emily. As for telling Cross that Emily kissed her… honestly, I don't think Lindsay has told Cross about that. Both because she would have been embarrassed to bring it up and because it was something Emily did in private and Lindsay doesn't want to violate her privacy.
We never got an answer to how Abigail entered Eda's personal hell. So... how?
BuckJohnson: Right. We never found a good way to explain this in-story, but it was Morpheus. He was the one that turned Abigail and Eda's dreams into a shared one.
How did Abigail kill her parents?
BuckJohnson: She sabotaged their car so that they would get into an accident. There's actually more to her motivations for killing her parents, but that will be revealed in Book Three.
Did she also kill Angel's mother?
BuckJohnson: No. Angel's mother is actually still alive and is enjoying retirement right now.
How many other members of the Gates family exist?
BuckJohnson: Abigail and Clara have some cousins, though we don't have an exact number as of the moment.
Is Duff Killigan now on the run, and are Catfish & Gill trapped in the Nightmare Realm or prisoners of Department A, too?
BuckJohnson: So we didn't say this in the chapter, but we were actually thinking that Steam Punk was lying when he said he didn't know what happened to them. He actually helped the villains escape Gravity Falls without being caught, so that they could owe him a favor in the future and to give him more credibility in the supervillain community.
If Belos got sent to Hell, wouldn't Mary opening the gates mean he's come back? (I know that would be a spoiler: I can't help myself.)
BuckJohnson: Yes. It would also mean that all the dead villains could potentially come back… along with Gabriel Gates, which is the real reason that Mary is doing this. As much as she wanted her revenge against Belos, her main goal has been saving her brother. That Gates siblings are awful, awful people… but they do care about each other.
Honestly, Bloody Mary does have a few redeeming qualities that you might find surprising. One of them is her love for her brother, but she treats those who work under her pretty well. She honored her deal with Grimhilde, respected her enough to listen to her when Grimhilde tried to stop her from killing the heroes, and understood her decision to not stay with her.
Did Hendrick ever join a coven?
BuckJohnson: He joined the Construction Coven, a decision that he has definitely regretted since making it.
What are the Holder bros' tracks?
BuckJohnson: They're home-schooled, but their main tracks are Bard and Illusions. They sorta switch back and forth between the two.
Will we meet Vaggie's father in Book 3 or Helluva Dad?
BuckJohnson: Maybe. Honestly, we wanted to keep details about Vaggie's father vague since Hazbin Hotel wasn't out yet and we didn't know what they were going to do with Vaggie in that show. I think there is a chance he'll appear in the future.
What're your favorite 3 couples of the season?
BuckJohnson: Okay, that's a hard question. So rather than choose just three, I'll just go over my main favorite couples.
Lumity is an obvious one, especially since they're just allowed to be a couple. That was one of the strengths of Lumity in canon, the fact that they didn't wait until the end of the show for the characters to hook up and instead we actually got to spend time with them as a couple to show why they work well together (take notes Star vs the Forces of Evil). Lumity was a breath of fresh air and since they also hook up relatively early in Luz Clawthorne, we get a lot of time to explore what they're like as a couple. There is still some conflict in their relationship, since they have gotten into a few fights. But that just makes them feel more realistic and they're still able to work things out in the end. Also, Luz and Amity are willing to spend time apart, since while they do love each other they're not codependent. I think that's definitely one of the ways they've grown as a couple in Book Two, which culminates with Luz and Amity ending Book Two both apart and still together.
Skarlow makes for a good beta couple to Lumity. They make for a cute, supportive pair, although what I love most about Skarlow in Luz Clawthorne is that it's one of the ways you can tell this fic started before the second half of season two. Skarlow did have a following during the hiatus and Moringmark even made a few comics about the pairing. But then "Every Sport in a Storm" dropped and Skarlow faded into obscurity while Huntlow became the new hot thing. If we had started the fic later, I honestly have no idea if we would have went with Huntlow or not, but it is one of the fun things about writing a fic while the show is still airing and I'm ultimately glad that we went with Skarlow, since it and Hedric are fun throwbacks to what the shipping was like during that hiatus. I've even had readers tell me that they prefer Skarlow over Huntlow because of Luz Clawthorne, so mission accomplished.
Zemily/Emizee has also become one of my favorite pairings. Which is kinda funny, because I actually did like Emily and Lindsay's dynamic… but then Shuff suggested a Zemily fan kid for our second OC contest and I was immediately intrigued because of how inspired that choice was. And just like a kid who got a new toy, I threw away Emily/Lindsay and picked up Emily/Zee instead. And they are a fun pairing with great chemistry, though I just love that the pairing was the result of a reader suggesting it for a fan kid contest. Like I've said before, one of my favorite things about developing Luz Clawthorne is engaging with the readers and this is a key example of how that has influenced the story and made it more special.
Another example of how the readers have affected the shipping is Starvee. After "Back to the Falls" showed Star and Vee becoming friends, long-time reader Jack_Skeletron told me that he now shipped Star and Vee and because of him I decided to actually have them start to show signs of developing a mutual crush on each other at the end of the Human Realm arc. And it is a pairing that I really like because of how unique it is to Luz Clawthorne. Seriously, in what other fic are you going to find this pairing? We all know that the shipping in Star vs the Forces of Evil was an absolute disaster, which is why I wasn't sure if I was going to pair Star with anyone at all. However, she and Vee just… worked. As a side note, Vee ended up being a really fun character because of how she interacted with characters from other shows. Not only did she end up becoming the girlfriend of Star Butterfly, but she also became the adopted daughter of Blubs and Durland from Gravity Falls. Only in Luz Clawthorne could something like this happen.
As I mentioned before, Jack_Skeletron was also the one who suggested Sunny and Steve becoming a couple. He was also a huge supporter of Cronna/Dross, since he loved how much of a mess they were, and that was a big reason that me and JP decided to resolve that love triangle the way we did, so that future chapters could have both Licross moments and Cronna moments. Honestly, when it comes to the shipping of Luz Clawthorne, me and JP don't just do the pairs that we want to see. We also pay attention to what the readers want.
Jack_Skeletron is also a huge supporter of Lambina, voicing his support of the pairing ever since Nina asked out Lambi to the Brawl. And Lambina has become one of my favorite pairings as well, partially because of how it deconstructs tropes that me and JP despise. We've got into this before, but Lambina is a deconstruction of the Romantic False Lead, the decoy love interest that gets in between the main couple. One atrocious example of this is Kelly from Star vs the Forces of Evil. She becomes breakup buddies with Marco only for them to break up offscreen in between episodes. Although admittedly, Lambina came about in the first place because we wanted to do something different with Donna and Nina. A lot of our shipping tends to be… straight-forward. After two characters begin to like each other, one of them eventually asks the other out and they start dating with minimum drama. That's what happened with Lumity and Skarlow. But with Donna and Nina, we did have to address Nina's declaration of love for Donna during the Glandu War. And when that was addressed, they had to either start dating or we had to come up with a reason why they couldn't start dating. And we thought it would be interesting and a change of pace if Donna rejected Nina when Nina confessed her love to Donna, just as a way to switch things up. I think this did lead to both characters becoming more interesting. In Donna's case, we got to explore her flaws a lot more. In Nina's case, we got to ask ourselves what kind of person she would date if she couldn't date Donna. Me and JP figured she would probably have a thing for healers… and we remembered that Lambi was a healer. Thus Lambina was born. And I think another reason I do like Lambina is because it gave us the chance to flesh Lambi out more. She was still a very minor character for most of Luz Clawthorne, but thanks to Nina, she was able to become a more recurring supporting character. And she's going to have an even larger role in Book Three. Not bad for someone who is a background character in canon.
The last pairing that I'll mention is Clasha, aka Clara x Masha. Not only did I really enjoy their dynamic, but it's also another pairing that's unique to Luz Clawthorne. Admittedly, I was inspired by the fan fic A Blight on Bonesborough, which is where the name 'Clara' came from. In that fan fic, the author couldn't decide if they preferred Vee with the blonde cheerleader or Masha, so they decided to have Vee date both of them while Clara and Masha also dated each other. That fic gave me the idea to do the same, but remove Vee from the equation and focus on Clara and Masha. I think one of the reasons I really like the pairing is because both characters had a self-discovery arc after they left the confines of Gatesfield. And I also just really like Clara. I think she has a really interesting relationship with her mother and Luz, though maybe it's also because I don't like the trend where fans assume she's a bully for whatever reason, which makes me want to portray her as a good person instead.
JP-Ryder: I like to keep things simple, so to be brief here are my favs: Lumity, Licronna, Scarlow, Lambina, Emilzee, Vinella, Clasha, Starvee, Raeda, and Tomscha.
What's the name of Emily's half-sis?
BuckJohnson: We haven't settled on a name yet.
And how did the Travelers come to be?
BuckJohnson: You know, I wasn't sure if we would ever reveal this in-story, but I guess we could talk about this now. Has anyone here ever read League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? In the final volume of that comic, Mary Poppins shows up… and is revealed to be God.
That's what we were going for with Julia Traveler in the LCU. I mean, in her first appearance, she literally told Mattholomule that "Why in the old days, I would have probably committed a Gomorrah on your previous school." In the Bible, Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities that were destroyed by God in the Book of Genesis.
So does that mean Julia Traveler is God? Well… yes and no. It's kinda like how Jesus was both God and the Son of God. Julia Traveler is an aspect of God, a personification of traits associated with God. You may remember that when she met with the Baron in "Escape", the Baron almost called her a name that started with 'S'. He was actually going to say Shekhinah, which is sometimes represented as the feminine presence of God descended in this world, dwelling with the people of Israel and sharing in their struggles. She is also sometimes described as a goddess of wisdom. Now doesn't that sound like Julia?
This is also why Abel/Roo enjoyed killing Julia so much… and why she was able to kill Julia in the first place. Because Julia was still flesh and blood and was able to be killed. And for Roo, this was very, very personal. And really, the whole Abel persona was created by Roo in the first place as a mockery of Julia Traveler.
This also ties into both the rumors that God has left Heaven and the Axolotl being described by the Oracle as a personification of God. Actually, remember Gideon's talk with Dr. Andrews? When Andrews was telling Gideon about someone he reminded her of? She was actually talking about Bill Cipher.
From Phillip Clark
When the Horned King first appeared, you guys made it clear he wasn't the one from The Black Cauldron, but the two were connected. What exactly was that connection supposed to be, or are you saving that reveal for Book 3?
BuckJohnson: I guess we never stated this outright, but just like how Alastor was inspired by the Horned King, so was the Horned King from the Black Cauldron. Despite being imprisoned, the Horned King was still able to extend his influence to other dimensions and realms. He wasn't the reason for Alastor and the Black Cauldron Horned King doing evil things, since their already existing malicious natures was the reason that the Boiling Isles Horned King was able to get through to them. It's like how the human who became the Inner Demon was so easily and quickly influenced by the Horned King, because he was already evil. It's much harder for the Horned King to influence someone who isn't evil.
On the subject of the Horned King, his being built up as this super-evil force throughout Book 2, only to be revealed in Chapter 142 to actually be the servant of a greater evil brought back memories of another animated Disney television villain with the title of "King": SRMTHG's Skeleton King. Was that supposed to be intentional?
BuckJohnson: No. The comparison we were mainly going with is to the Lich from Adventure Time. The Lich was a very powerful villain and threat in his own right, but he was still a scholar to a far more powerful being, GOLB. I guess the difference is that Chernabog is far, far more evil than GOLB is.
With the reveal of Oogie Boogie in the epilogue here, I have to ask: Are you planning on making the Halloweentown from TNBC be the same one as the one from the Disney Channel Original Movies series of films starring Kimberley J. Brown and the late Debbie Reynolds?
BuckJohnson: Eh, maybe. Honestly, I've only watched one of the Halloweentown films and I didn't think it was very good.
From spantidem7
How do you choose which songs to use?
BuckJohnson: There's not really a process. We have a long list of songs we like and if we feel like the moment calls for it, we include it.
Which Kingdom Hearts games should I pick up to understand what the hell is going on in the plot? Because I'm quite confused.
BuckJohnson: Luz Clawthorne is mainly drawing inspiration from the plots of the fist game and the prequel Birth by Sleep. Don't worry, we will explain stuff for those unfamiliar with the games in Book Three, most of the references in the Day of Unity arc were just teases for what's to come in Book Three.
Are The Archivists adaptational nice guys? I mean, they had a much more justifiable reason for slaughtering the Titans than in canon.
BuckJohnson: I would say no. The Archivists could have actually worked with the Titans against a common enemy, but instead they just decided to kill all of the Titans, including the children. The Archivists are not good guys by any means.
What was your favorite story arc?
BuckJohnson: Already answered this.
What was your favorite moment from each story arc?
BuckJohnson: I don't know. I mean, you're asking me to take each arc and narrow it down to one moment that I like the best. That's not something that I can do off the top of my head.
JP: Yeah, same with me. I like a lot of moments in the story.
Will Tiny Nose try to sell Creepy Dolls while trying to assure the audience that her dolls aren't cursed?
BuckJohnson: I mean, she probably did in the past. But that's not important.
Is there a book called "The Unassuming Princess"?
BuckJohnson: Yes. It's part of a book series that is a rival to the Good Witch Azura.
Are there the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the LCU? If so, are they subjected to adaptational villainy? Is the archangel Azrael the death knight?
BuckJohnson: I mean, the Horned King was literally one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so yes they exist in the LCU. We haven't decided on anything for Azrael.
Is there a possibility that the spin-offs will cross over again with the main series? I'm mainly asking because I'd like to see Luz and Zee interact more. We only had a few chapters with the two of them as cousins and they were amazing.
BuckJohnson: Yes, there will be some crossover.
Speaking of spin-offs, me and JP have actually decided something while we were mapping out our plans for Book Three. We've decided that when Book Three begins, we'll also release a third spin-off.
Luz Clawthorne Presents: The Adventures of LOWTH
Basically, we've decided to take characters like Nina, Donna, and Cross and move them (along with their storylines) from the main series and into their own spin-off series. This is being done to make the large cast of Luz Clawthorne more manageable and make sure that Luz isn't out of focus in her own series. While the LOWTH characters will still appear in the main series as well, we want the main focus of Book Three to be on Luz, Amity, the Clawthornes, and their close friends. Plot threads like Donna looking for her twin brother will be carried over into "The Adventures of LOWTH" instead, which we hope will make the main series less crowded.