Creator Spotlight: Ann Maulina

Ann Maulina does art for comics and games, having worked for Jotter Pro, Mizan Publishing, and others. She currently works for Tinker Games. Her webcomic Raruurien, first published in the Kroma comic anthology (2015), is available on Hiveworks.

Ann Maulina (official website), who holds a Bachelor’s in Visual Communication Design, lives in Indonesia and has been doing freelance game and concept art for over a decade. Her art ranges from Assassin’s Creed fan art to cover variants for Horizon Zero Dawn. She’s currently working as a sequential artist for the ongoing comic series Glow. Her webcomic Raruurien, originally published in the award-winning anthology Kroma, further demonstrates her prowess as an artist and storyteller.

A slice of life fantasy webcomic, Raruurien follows the story of Rien Al Ashab and her two sons Ra and Ruu. After her husband died and her youngest son Ruu lost his magyx and full ability to speak and write, she moved to a small mountain village. There, she works as the village herbalist and hopes to assimilate with the other villagers. Rien, a witch, intends to keep her magyx (magic) and white hair a secret. But her son also possesses the same white hair, and so she has to conceal his hair when they go out in public. In the world of Raruurien, people with pale skin and white hair are considered bad omens and bringers of calamity. According to the lore, those people are claimed by Daiv, corrupted gods. The gods steal the colors of a person in exchange for magyx.

Although on hiatus as of October 2019, the gorgeous art style and narrative deserve notice. The story explores grief and loss, whether it’s the passing of a loved one or a child losing their ability or memory. After her husband’s death, Rien decides to start over in a new place, even though Ra isn’t all too happy about it. Rien cares for her two sons while adjusting to life in a new village.

Raruurien is available to read online. You can support Ann Maulina on her Patreon.

For more great webcomic recommendations, check out our Wednesday Webcomics archives!

Author: Bradda M.

Bradda M. currently lives in Virginia. He teaches ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) at a public school and spends his free time reading and watching movies each night with his partner. For The Geekiary, he writes about webcomics and SFF media.

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