Joey Weiser has been delivering hit after hit for years, from Ghost Hog to Dragon Racer. And now he’s going big by going small with The Littlest Fighter for Oni Press. In the book, the titular fighter, Ash, wants to be the greatest monster fighter in the world. But thanks to his friendship with Dot, a semi-pacifist, he learns there might be more to life than the fight.
“A couple graphic novels back, I decided that I wanted to take a break from stories where the resolution of the main conflict was just a fight,” Weiser told Comic Book Club over email. “But then I found myself with this concept that really tickled me, and I was right back at fighting again! So, I worked with it to see where I could go that was about fighting, but wasn’t really about the fighting.”
To find out more about The Littlest Fighter, including how it ties into the greater Joey Weiser Comic Book Universe (JWCBU), read on.
Comic Book Club: There’s a really lovely message here about redirecting your energy… How do you hit that, while still making the book satisfying from a “fights” perspective?
Joey Weiser: The Littlest Fighter is the story of Ash, a kaiju-like character who is about the size of a human child, but battles giant-sized kaiju. A couple graphic novels back, I decided that I wanted to take a break from stories where the resolution of the main conflict was just a fight. But then I found myself with this concept that really tickled me, and I was right back at fighting again! So, I worked with it to see where I could go that was about fighting, but wasn’t really about the fighting.
Was there anything in particular that served as inspiration here? Or is it “all media is about fighting all the time.”
I’ve loved Godzilla and similar giant monster movies since I was a kid. That was the initial inspiration, and as I see it, there are two major motifs in kaiju movies: Monster brawls and destruction of the places they inhabit. I think you can see that both of those factor into the story importantly.
Talk about the design for the characters – Ash and Dot, our main duo, are of course important to get that look just right.
I wanted Ash to look small but strong, so he is squat but has some thickness to his limbs and is even somewhat barrel-chested. The flame designs around his eyes and tail are inspired by luchador masks. Dot is a bit more muppety. She’s fuzzy or feathery, and taller than Ash. I think they compliment each other well.
Why is it important for The Littlest Fighter to be, well, little?
It’s all about contrasts! The fact that he’s small makes it interesting, funny, and exciting that Ash can topple humongous opponents. But also, I think kids will enjoy seeing themself in him, and believe that they can accomplish the unexpected.
You’ve got a lot of fun monsters in here… Beyond Ash or Dot, were there any that you enjoyed tackling the most?
I love drawing monsters, so it’s hard to choose! I really like drawing Ood, the Fighter with a bunch of eyes and crab claws from the beginning of the book. I never worried about drawing the same amount of eyes or anything like that, just tried to have fun. And I love a big, chonky guy like that.
There’s plenty more world to explore here, potentially. Do you have ideas for a sequel?
Originally, I considered having this be another book in the world of Ghost Hog and Dragon Racer. However, there wasn’t really any space in the story for Truff or Vern from those books to have much to do, and I didn’t want to just throw them in for the heck of it. So, I suppose I still kind of consider this the same world. I haven’t written a sequel yet, but conceivably any of these characters could meet or another adventure could happen elsewhere with a whole new cast!
The Littlest Fighter hits stores on March 18, 2025. You can check out a preview below, and click for larger images.
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