Melbourne-based band ANA is a female-fronted, five-piece symphonic metal band formed back in 2023. Truth be told, I had never heard of them until I was contacted by Aaron Mak from Cynation Comics wanting to share one of the most unique pieces of band merchandise I have ever seen… a comic book!

Spending the past weekend reading ANA#1, I couldn’t help but start asking myself all these questions. There were the usual ones about what I was doing here and what I was going to have for lunch (ham, cheese and tomato toasted sandwich, for those wondering), yet there were some that I couldn’t answer, so I passed them back to Aaron and the rest of the band to see if they could shed any light on these questions.

I sat down with Aaron, Anna Khristenko (Co-creator, Editor-in-Chief) and Josh Mak (Co-creator, story writer) to chat about the comic. You can read their bios at the end of this article.

Note: Thanks to Cynation Comics for providing us with a press copy of the comic for this article. Now let’s jump into the interview!

1. Okay, so first things first. Most bands have shirts, mugs, tote bags, vinyl (as my burgeoning vinyl collection can attest), but never comics… why did you guys decide to delve into the world of comics?

Anna: I’ve always loved cartoons and fairytales when I was growing up; they were always a fantastical escape to me. When it came to coming up with our first merch idea, comics resonated with these childhood memories of mine.

Josh: At the time, we already had our foot through the comic book door with our other title, Gods Among Men. We already had the creative team with Ben Sullivan on art and Wilson Go on colours, so it seemed appropriate with the imagery of the band too.

Aaron: I noticed during the first music video shoot that the band’s look reminded me of comic book heroes, then all it took was the prompting: “What if we did a comic book?” What followed was a brief trip to the shops before Josh said back to me, “I’ve got it – the entire concept.”

2. Once you had decided to create your comic, what series and artists’ work did you guys look to as inspiration for the art and writing?

Anna: I was drawn to the way Jim Lee would draw female characters, namely Poison Ivy and Catwoman – they were always so powerful and sexy in his portrayals.

Aaron: With the extravagance of the band’s appearance, I definitely tapped into some of my earlier readings of ‘90s Image Comics titles like Spawn and Wildcats to draw inspiration from some of the over-the-top action and excess.

Josh: I’m a big fan of Naruto because it always felt like Kishimoto would commence stories knowing how it would end. We also believe in only starting something if we know how to finish it. In terms of the art, I love how Kishimoto considers the importance of iconic character design, such as the members of Akatsuki. 

3. The characters transforming through serving Ana, paired with the religious iconography of the Ana character herself, leads to a pervasive theme of rebirth and resurrection throughout the comic. Was that a conscious inclusion by the writer, and how do you feel that reflects the band’s view on their music?

Anna: I’m not 100% if it was conscious, but it felt appropriate to our style. Our look and our personas are always larger than life, so the imagery is probably an extension of that.

Aaron: The religious imagery of ANA is somewhat intentional, as it represents an opportunity presented from beyond our control. Such as in life, we cannot always choose the cards we are dealt with. However, when life deals a hand, it is up to us how we run with it.

Josh: Our ethos as a band is “tradition meets innovation”. That is how we view rebirth – always one foot in the past, whilst putting one foot forward, exploring.

4. Reading the comic, I found it interesting that the characters only come into their powers by putting on a mask and serving Ana. For me, it read a little conflicting about being your authentic self, but then needing to silence their individual voice. What would you say to people that would point to that as being counter to metal’s spirit of passionate expression?

Josh: The masks are tools that are there to facilitate their abilities. The goal of them is not to silence, but as both in the comic and in reality, it allows us to speak with our actions rather than with words – which I feel is way more powerful.

5. There is a line I quite liked in the comic “Know yourself… and you shall know the gods.” To me, that strikes a chord about being your authentic self instead of pretending to be what society expects of you. Is that something important to the band, being their authentic selves?

Josh: We don’t know any other way, it was never a choice for us. The band is comprised of members who come from drastically different music backgrounds and tastes. The bizarre cocktail has shaped the uniqueness of our collective sound and even the individual imagery of each character.

Anna: We’re always authentic, whether it means not always fitting into categories of music genre, or not fitting in by bringing a comic book to concerts. On the flip side, our authentic selves has allowed us to perform at both rock and metal concerts, and also be a band who signs their comic book at comic stores!

6. Speaking of the band, ANA, what artists and bands inspired them to start on their musical journey, and what are some of their favourite song recommendations for people looking to get into the metal scene?  

Anna: I remember back in my school days growing up in Russia, I did a dance performance to Bring Me to Life by Evanescence. I was moved by the heaviness, and I think this was a key moment of discovery of the wider world of heavy metal internationally, which subconsciously planted this ambition within me.

Josh: I’d recommend listening to ANA’s EP, The Art of Letting Go – it’s a great gateway for non-metal fans who want to get into metal as well as a fitting soundtrack to the comic book. It’s also a good warm-up for our upcoming album – Motivated by Death – launching early 2026, which promises to change what you think you know about metal.

7. Over here in Australia, we have recently had the Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs and one noticeable exception was the lack of heavy metal bands. As a heavy metal band, how do you find the wider Australian public views the metal scene, and what would you like to see change?

Josh: Metal was never meant to be mainstream – it isn’t a genre that was intended for the vast majority of society to consume and enjoy. I would like to see more bands explore more nuanced facets of metal – heaviness doesn’t come from more distortion or lower tunings or playing faster than the last band. Just like our comic book, the most important thing is the story that it begins from. Intentionality is what truly makes something heavy.

8. Lastly, what can we expect from ANA #2 and the subsequent series?  

Anna: More of the cats, more outfits, more hair.

Aaron: ANA #2 brings the team into the training phase following their first test. However, much like reality – not everybody can pass the test. Both the team and readers will learn more about the nature of their powers and the masks. As far as the series goes, we’ll unravel more of the antagonists’ plan, which should hit really close to home to readers in our modern world.

Josh: We all have expectations in life. More often than not, they disappoint. This is one of those rare instances where what’s coming will exceed those expectations. That’s not a prediction – it’s a SPOILER!

ANNA KHRISTENKO: Ana is the singer of the music phenomenon, ANA – classically trained, dressed to kill and with the stage presence of a divine goddess. Ever since she sunk her teeth into comics (with ANA #0), she simply can’t get enough. Ana is the glue of the creative team, ensuring the boys stay the course and that this book is everything she wants in a comic book – sexy, smart, funny, action-packed…with a sprinkle of cats.

JOSH MAK: Josh is many things – an avid reader and writer; the co-founder of Cynation Comics; the creative catalyst behind the stories of ANA and Gods Among Men; an Ormsby and Quantum Industries-endorsed musician; he is Joshka, the ninja-guitarist for ANA. In his work and in his person, Josh blends style and substance in a perfectly balanced cocktail. He’s worked alongside his brother Aaron creatively since 2017, dubbing themselves The Mak Bros. 

AARON MAK: Aaron used to describe his working relationship with Josh as “Josh is the wellspring and I am the fountain”. He has since updated that to “Josh is like a hazardous hot geyser, hissing with steam, and I am the guy decked out in a hazmat suit, gung-ho enough to dive in and harness this energy”. In July 2024, Aaron said he’d get Cynation Comics stocked in 30 stores. By Dec 2024, Aaron got Cynation Comics stocked in 30 stores… across two countries.

A big thanks to Anna, Aaron and Josh for taking the time to sit down with us and talk about their new comic. You can get the comic (and more) here, listen to their music here and check out the band, including upcoming shows and merchandise here.