Are you ready for a Bad Influence? Well, get ready, as the new WEBTOON series is launching today. Set in the fictional city of Weisshorn and focusing on Nel, a “hot-headed and haunted young woman, who isn’t buying the dream sold to the masses,” the series is written by Orson James and Roman Calais with art by Jor Ros.
“BAD INFLUENCE is about a reluctant rebel fighting back against the system,” said James via a press release. “Weisshorn is a broad-smiling dystopia where control is asserted through entertainment.The system doesn’t just rule with fear — it distracts, dazzles, and scripts your life through spectacle. If everyone’s smiling, how bad can it be? It’s the surveillance state dressed up as a theme park.”
To find out more about the new series, including how it is, per the release, from, “HiHi Studios — the manga and anime-led studio co-founded by streaming icon Valkyrae and Range Media’s Kai Gayoso — is announcing a new strategic partnership with start-up Otherly Productions, a next-generation studio reimagining how original franchises are created, launched, and scaled for today’s audiences,” read on.
Comic Book Club: Bad Influence is part of a new strategic partnership between a few different folks… What does that actually mean for the reader? Or is it just “good comics?”
Roman Calais: The simple answer is, good comics. Thanks to the support around Bad Influence, we’ve had the time and space to map out a big story – one with layers, twists, and room to grow. That kind of breathing room is rare, especially in indie comics, where creators often don’t get to see their vision through.
Orson James: Hopefully, it also helps the comic find its audience. With a bit more muscle behind the scenes, we’ve got a better shot at getting Bad Influence in front of people who’ll connect with it.
I always find it fascinating how everyone tackles the WEBTOON format differently… What were the challenges here, and how did you tackle/embrace it?
James: One of the obvious challenges was the lack of width – you can’t lean on big, cinematic wides the same way. But we quickly found other ways to create that sense of scale. Jor’s been amazing at using the scroll creatively to expand each scene. The big revelation, though, was the rhythm. In scroll format, you’re totally in control of how moments land – where you build tension, where you break it. You can time a surprise to hit just right. That level of control is rare, and really fun to play with.
Calais: The world of Bad Influence is beautiful and strange, but the format really forces you to stay close to your characters – which, honestly, is a good thing. You can’t just wander off into lore for pages. You have to stay grounded in the emotion.
James: The production schedule’s also no joke. We hold ourselves to a really high creative standard, and figuring out how to deliver that on a fast turnaround took some trial and error. But we’ve built a solid process now – it’s intense, but worth it.
There’s a fair amount of setup in the first episode – what was important to get in there in terms of this world?
James: The first episode was all about nailing the vibe. We wanted readers to feel the weirdness of the world right away — that cheerful, smiling surface with something clearly more unsettling underneath. And of course, we had to establish Nel as our lead and point toward what she’s up against without spelling everything out. You can feel the tension she’s living with — cornered, frustrated, but still holding on. And you can tell: she’s about to make a move.
Calais: And then there’s the prologue — that early twist. It kicks off a mystery that’s going to keep shifting and deepening as the story unfolds. We didn’t want to lay out a neat little mission, but we did focus on momentum. There’s a current to it — something that pulls you along as the questions start to stack up.
James: We also made a point to sit with Nel in her own space. Let readers observe her — not mid-battle, but just existing. And even in her bedroom, there’s no rest. Oswald’s face is everywhere, broadcasting forced positivity. We used that sequence to introduce the mascots too — those strange, living-breathing icons of control. Showing them through the propaganda while Nel gets ready was our way of bringing that tension to the surface.
When you’re creating a whole city… how much do you have fleshed out? Or is it more improv?
Calais: We do a lot of worldbuilding upfront. Weisshorn has a kind of game-design logic to it, sectors, systems, rules, and it’s way bigger than what you see in Season One. We’ve spent hours mapping it out. “Good Ol’ Meats,” the sketchy mystery meat brand, or the Moos and Shoos – these living, chicken-like plushies – were early ideas without a specific place. But once they show up, they become like LEGO bricks we have to build with.
James: But then the plot kicks in and suddenly you’re deep in a scene set somewhere you haven’t fully fleshed out yet – and you’re building it on the fly. It becomes this constant back-and-forth between what’s planned and what the story demands. And Jor adds another layer in the art – inventing texture, signage, background characters. He fills in the gaps with things we never scripted, and it brings the city to life.
What drew you to Nel as a main character?
Calais: That’s a really interesting way to phrase the question. I’m used to people asking what’s cool about Nel or why she resonates – but “what drew you to her” made me think about it differently. A huge part of it is how much of Nel came to life through Jor’s art. He puts so much thought into her – the worn-out hair dye, the way she dresses, the mess of her room. Those aren’t just style choices – they tell you who she is. Once she was drawn, she started to exist in a fuller way. That’s when she really starts to draw you in.
James: For me, it’s the contradiction. Nel’s impulsive, guarded, kind of a mess – but she’s also razor-sharp about what’s broken in the world. That contrast is powerful. Most people live with some version of that internal split – confident in some areas, cautious in others. That comes from getting knocked around, making mistakes, surviving hard things. Nel just wears it all on the surface. She’s chaotic and clear at the same time – and that’s what makes her so compelling to follow.
What can you tease about what’s coming ahead from the story?
Calais: Without giving too much away – we start to bring what’s happening in Nel’s inner world out into the action. Her emotional state starts shaping the momentum of the story. There are deeper mysteries we seeded early on, and we’re excited for those reveals. But we’re playing the long game.
James: Okay – hopefully this isn’t too much – but as the series evolves, it starts to take on more of a classic quest shape. And, in true Nel fashion, she barrels forward with a plan she’s only half-sure about. She thinks it’s the key to taking down Oswald… but getting everyone else to follow when she doesn’t totally have her shit together? That’s half the fight.
You can read Bad Influence on WEBTOON now.
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