The systems a little different this time, though, as is the setting.
See a few of DiMartinos illustrations from the book below, as well.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This book has such an intricate world.
Credit: Michael Dante DiMartino 2016, REBEL GENIUS, Roaring Brook Press
How did the whole thing start out for you?
Its an idea I first had over 10 years ago, probably.
It was when we were probably in the first season ofAvatar, like 2005-ish.
Michael Dante DiMartino 2016, REBEL GENIUS, Roaring Brook Press
I always like stories about the artists, but theyre hard to dramatize because its such an internal process.
All that stuff is super fascinating to me, so it was a good time period to set it.
How do you go about constructing these fictional worlds?
Michael Dante DiMartino 2016, REBEL GENIUS, Roaring Brook Press
Part of it is grounding them in something real.
WithAvatar, it was grounding the magic in different styles of kung fu.
Kung fu was such a dynamic clear thing you could see in action.
Michael Dante DiMartino 2016, REBEL GENIUS, Roaring Brook Press
So what was gonna be the thing for this world?
I wanted the kids to be able to be drawing and stuff, but manifesting some power through art.
So the idea of sacred geometry, I researched more of that and it seemed like a perfect fit.
Michael Dante DiMartino 2016, REBEL GENIUS, Roaring Brook Press
It takes all these shapes that exist in nature, and all the shapes have corresponding numbers.
So I grounded all the magic in the sacred geometry.
They were kind of drawing on this energy that exists in the universe.
The other part of that whole system is the Geniuses.
Theyre using their Geniuses as a way to channel the energy into the world.
The idea of a Genius as a creature, that came from your research as well, right?
Once I hit on that, I was like oh thatd be cool.
What was it like doing this new story without Bryan?
Its definitely been a new experience.
Theres the partnership with Bryan, but then theres also just working totally alone.
I dont have a whole crew of writers to bounce ideas off with.
There are days when things dont make sense and you get stuck in one idea.
So theres pluses and minuses, but I dont totally miss the production side of an animated series.
Like writing a book is hard but once youre done youre done.
Theres definitely a little more freedom in transmitting whats in your brain directly on to the page.
Thus the idea that these Geniuses have a little bit of their artist in them.
Savinos kind of a tougher kid, so hes got a cool falcon.
Everyone likes animals and creatures, and if you give them specific personalities, people respond to that.
Everyone thinks their pet has a personality.
In the first draft, other than the leader, the mercenaries were kind of generic.
Its funny because theres that one character whose name is Baby Cannoli.
Little things like that always amaze me when people connect with it.
What are your plans for future installments?
Will there be one book for each Sacred Tool?
Its gonna be a three-book series.
Theyre gonna have horse-like Geniuses, like pegasi.
And then theres the third empire, where they have flying cat Geniuses.
It sounds kind of likeAvatar, where they went to a different country each season.
I think thats in my bones somehow.
We cant stay in one place, we gotta go!
In the other cultures, their Geniuses are related to different things.
But Im getting ahead of myself there.
Im super proud of it.
Its amazing to me that people are still into it.
Its cool that its still living on.
People are still enjoying those characters and that world.
What can you tease about that Korra graphic novel?
How would you explain the world ofRebel Geniusin a similarly concise way?
Its kind of likeAvatar, with the spiritual stuff and stuff about chakras.
WithRebel Genius, I just wrote the book I wouldve been really into as a 12-year-old.
As a young artist, I probably wouldve loved it.
I liked stuff that was a little challenging and a little bit older than I was.
So theres stuff in the book about the sacred geometry and how that works.
In this book I focused on the first three shapes: the circle, line, and triangle.
It definitely gets more complicated.
