DF Interview: Derek Kirk Kim brings mind-bending South Korean crime caper in ‘Royals’ OGN

By Byron Brewer

Set in the shadowy back alleys of Seoul, South Korea, Royals follows twin brothers Paul and Castor who have crafted the perfect poker hustle using their uncanny telepathic connection. Perfect, that is, until they’re caught red-handed by the most ruthless criminal syndicate in Seoul. To pay them back, the brothers must pull off a daring heist and use their gift for something bigger than themselves for the first time in their lives…but only if they don’t wind up killing each other first!

Eisner Award-winning writer Derek Kirk Kim (The Last Mermaid, Same Difference) and artist Jacob Perez (Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) team up for an all-new, mind-bending crime caper in the upcoming hardcover Royals. This standalone original graphic novel is slated to hit shelves in April 2025 from Image Comics. A fan of the scribe, it was my absolute pleasure to chat with Derek Kirk Kim.

Byron Brewer: Derek, congratulations on The Last Mermaid being such a sell-out success! Since your last comics work previous to that was 2013’s Tune: Still Life before you were, as you told me once, “sucked into the world of animated TV shows for a good decade,” how did that epic “welcome back” from the fans feel?

Derek Kirk Kim: Just wonderful. The reception has been very warm so far. Also since it’s been so long, most younger readers have no knowledge of my previous work so it feels like I’m starting over again in a way. I feel like a kid again and that’s a lot of fun. Most people reading The Last Mermaid think it’s my first book, so there’s no expectations of what my work should be or anything like that. It feels so great to be making comics again!

Byron: What brings us to this coming Royals OGN? What is the inspiration, the muse for this new graphic novel?

Derek Kirk Kim: It’s a fun marriage of three things I really enjoy: crime caper films, martial arts films, and poker. It’s also a sly way of working through my love/hate relationship with my brother, haha! My brother and I fought constantly when we were kids, but one day when my brother was being picked on by a group of bullies I was taken aback by this burning rage to defend my brother, almost to the point of tears. I remember being so startled by that emotion. That no matter how much you might hate your brother on an hour to hour basis, there’s this deep well of love that’s very primal that you can’t escape. That always fascinated me, and I wanted to explore that in a story.

Byron: Before we get to the details of Royals, what can you tell readers about the canvas you are about to place us upon? Your locations seem so full of atmosphere, they almost are their own character. What can you say about this South Korea locale and is this present-day or a period piece?

Derek Kirk Kim: Present day! And yes, Seoul is such an energetic city with a bustling night life that’s perfect for a crime story. I lived in Seoul for two years from 2000-2002 and just stepping out the door I would be inundated by story ideas on a daily basis. There was always something new to discover. It’s so dense. Ever since then, I’ve been dying to do a comic set in Seoul and Royals is the perfect story for it. Not only is it a character of its own, the brothers, who are Korean American, are in the “motherland” for the first time when the story opens. So just the setting alone means a lot to the characters in this pivotal moment in their lives. Also, South Korea has a rich history of gangster movies and comics and I would love to add to that legacy.

Byron: Introduce readers to twin brothers Paul and Castor as we will meet them in the OGN. Can you reveal any backstory on the siblings and how their “special” connection came about?

Derek Kirk Kim: The Wahng Brothers are a classic odd couple; Paul being reserved and introverted and Castor being brash and impulsive. (And Wahng means “King” or “Royalty” in Korean, hence the title.) As for their connection, the brothers can speak to each other telepathically but only to themselves. It doesn’t extend to other people. So it’s a very intimate, personal bond. It’s like internal bluetooth headphones you can’t turn off. Much to Paul’s chagrin as Castor has diarrhea of the brain a lot of the time, haha! As for the origin of their special connection, you’ll have to read the book. (Smiles)

Byron: What other characters may be important to the tale? Especially the boss(es) and members of “the most ruthless criminal syndicate in Seoul”.

Derek Kirk Kim: Well, there’s Daeshim, a shark at the poker table and even worse away from the table. Of course, Paul and Castor don’t realize this until the poop hits the fan. Daeshim is actually the leader of a criminal syndicate called, ahem, The Bloody Cocks (they indulge in cock fighting, among worse things) and they are the ones actually running the poker tournament The Wahng Brothers are scamming. So when the brother are caught red-handed, they have no idea how deep in trouble they are.

Byron: Aside from the syndicate, are there any dark forces – big bads – working behind the scenes here?

Derek Kirk Kim: Hmm, I really can’t answer this one. But I’ll just say there are deeper levels to this story than what may seem on the surface…

Byron: Talk about the pulse-pounding art of Jacob Perez, who is working on his debut graphic novel with Royals, I believe.

Derek Kirk Kim: Yes! And I’m so excited and, frankly, honored that Jacob has chosen Royals to do his debut comics work. You can tell he’s a fantastic artist just from his Instagram account and his character design work on the show “Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” but his storytelling and command of the comics medium is just as fantastic. It’s really hard to believe this is first comics work. The pages would make you think he was a long time veteran of comics. He really elevates and improves on the story with his flourishes. I can’t wait for everyone to experience it!

Byron: Derek, what other projects, inside or outside comics, do you have coming up that you can tell readers about?

Derek Kirk Kim: The first collection of The Last Mermaid, collecting issues 1-6, hits stores everywhere in October which I’m super excited about, and there’s already a Spanish version in the works for the comics market is Spain. I’m also working on a bunch of covers for some exciting titles but I can’t reveal them right now. Beyond that, I’m mainly plugging away on the continuation of The Last Mermaid.

Dynamic Forces would like to thank Derek Kirk Kim for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. The Royals HC OGN from Image Comics is slated to be on sale April 9, 2025!

For my DF Interview with Derek Kirk Kim on The Last Mermaid, click here: https://www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/interviews.html?showinterview=IN02192451054

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