Feature Details
Webcomic Interviews
Even though I'm pretty sure the Internet is just a passing fad, there are some comic creators out there who think it's going to last -- and they're creating some damn fine comics on it!
Each week I'll sit down for a chat with one or more webcomic creators about the trials and tribulations of making comics on the 'Tubes, the latest news about their series and what inspires them to hunker down and do their thing. If you know of a webcomic creator I should interview, feel free to send your suggestions to: rick [at] comicmix [dot] com.
- Rick Marshall
Managing Editor, ComicMix
News Articles Featured in Webcomic Interviews
Wed Aug 6, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Dirk Schwieger on "Moresukine"
Online comic puts the creator's fate in the hands of readers... in Japan!
Dirk Schwieger's Moresukine is different from other series I've focused on in these weekly webcomic creator interviews for a few significant reasons -- first and foremost of which being that it's no longer updated. The last comic was posted more than two years ago, back in in June 2006. However, when I saw that the German creator was a guest of NBM Publishing at this year's Comic-Con International, I jumped at the chance to include a Q&A with him in this series.
For anyone unfamiliar with Moresukine, the 24-part webcomic chronicled a year's worth of "assignments" Schwieger undertook at the request of readers while living abroad in Japan. Fans would send him tasks to accomplish -- anything from "meeting a traditional swordsmith" to "spending a night in a pod hotel" -- and he would write, illustrate and post a new comic each week based on his experience trying to complete that mission. The aim of the project, according to Schwieger, was to make the most of his time in Japan by offering himself up as someone through which his readers could live vicariously. The title of the series, Moresukine, came from the Japanese pronunciation of "Moleskine," the type of notebook he used to record his experiences.
A few months ago, NBM Publishing announced that it would be collecting Schwieger's online comic and publishing it in print form, complete with extra material contributed by webcomic veterans James Kochalka and Ryan North. Now that the paperback Moresukine collection has hit shelves, I spoke to Schwieger about the origin of the series, his favorite assignments and what we can expect to see from the talented creator in the future.
COMICMIX: Can you start from the beginning, Dirk? How did this project happen and what did you want it to be when you first conceived of it?
DIRK SCHWIEGER: Well, I was in Japan for one year. You could say that it was a travel-logue kind of thing, but the catch is that it's not just about what I deem is important or what i want to tell, but people were invited to send in emails with requests of places that i should go to in Tokyo, where I lived, or certain people I should get in contact with. And I couldn't refuse. I had to do all of the submissions in the order of their arrival.
It started very mundane. There is a webcomics portal in Germany, where I come from originally, and it's called Electrocomics.com. I had some stuff up there and they said, "Oh, you're going to Tokyo. Maybe you should do some sketches regularly." So they created this blog. I never had a blog before, and never intended to have one. I was kind of naive about the whole thing... but now I know. There are interesting blogs.
At that time, it was very important to me to get around the navel-gazing thing. This was one of the reasons to invite others and have this community effort of exploring the country -- to have me sort of remote-controlled from outside the city.
Continue reading Interview: Dirk Schwieger on "Moresukine" ›
Thu Jul 31, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Ryan North on "Dinosaur Comics"
It's stomp-a-licious...
Canadian webcomic creator Ryan North's Dinosaur Comics is another one of those projects that defies the norm in the comics world and succeeds despite all of the very good reasons why it shouldn't. I mean, come on, folks: A series in which the art never changes, and readers just get day after day of a pair of dinosaurs chatting about heady subject matter in mid-stomp? Back in the day, no one would've predicted a comic like that would be around five days, let alone five years.
But that's exactly what it's done -- Dinosaur Comics has not only survived, but thrived, in its five-year existence. It's done so well, in fact, that North has been able to develop a complex history for his small cast of characters while also having his creation named among the Web's best comics in one award after another over the last few years. Not content to simply make comics on the 'Net, North has also lent his considerable programming skills to Project Wonderful, a robust online ad-serving system that allows users to bid on placement of their ads on participating websites. Much like Dinosaur Comics, Project Wonderful is a new approach to a long-established system that has left countless others slapping their foreheads and wondering why they didn't think of something similar.
I had the opportunity to chat with North recently about Dinosaur Comics, Project Wonderful and a variety of other topics, including his recent experiments with online photo-sharing site Flickr and the multitude of other projects he manages to juggle on a regular basis.
COMICMIX: Before we even get started, what were you up to when you sat down to answer these questions, Ryan?
RYAN NORTH: I'm disgusting, man. Sunday morning, I haven't showered yet and I'm covered in stink lines. I'm wearing the clothes I wore yesterday. I've just eaten a burger with bacon built into it, and I have crumbs on my chest. I am the sexiest man, Rick. Tell your readers.
Continue reading Interview: Ryan North on "Dinosaur Comics" ›
Tue Jul 22, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: David Willis on "Shortpacked"
Toys, wonderful toys... and some crappy ones, too.
As the opening day of San Diego Comic-Con International looms ever closer, it seems only right to turn the spotlight on a webcomic that draws from the world of comic books and toy collecting -- the often-overlapping fan cultures that have long provided the backbone of the comic convention scene. With that in mind, this week's interview subject is David Willis, the author of one of the toy scene's most popular webcomics, Shortpacked!
Since ending his celebrated series It's Walky! in 2005 and turning his full attention to Shortpacked, Willis has managed to elevate his semi-autobiographical account of the lives of toy store employees to a prominent role in collectible toy culture -- so much so, in fact, that Willis currently produces both the original, ongoing Shortpacked series and a special version of the comic for Toy News International, one of the most popular toy news sites on the 'Net.
While much of the series chronicles the oddball cast of characters who work at the toy shop where the series' main character, Ethan, earns a paycheck, the series often detours into commentary on superhero culture, contradictions and fandom, and rarely shies away from poking fun at the fan culture it calls its own.
I spoke with Willis about the origins of Shortpacked, his decision to "pull the drama tag" in the series, and what toys are on his must-buy list for this year's Comic-Con.
COMICMIX: Can you tell me a bit about the reason you started Shortpacked? I know it started out semi-autobiographical, but what elements of your life at the time inspired you to run with Shortpacked and end It's Walky!, your previous series?
DAVID WILLIS: It's Walky! was coming to its natural end, and I wanted to try something different. I've collected toys for most of my life, but what really spawned Shortpacked! was working for a few years at Toys "R" Us. So much of retail work is spoofable. Laugh at the "Customer Protection Rackets" in Shortpacked! all you want, but they're real. They're just called something slightly nicer.
Thu Jul 17, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Jeph Jacques on 'Questionable Content'
Webcomics and art of staying indie in Northern Massachusetts
Now approaching its fifth year on the World Wide Internets, Questionable Content has gone through quite a few changes since its beginnings as an indie-rock webcomic that chronicled the life, loves and culture criticisms of "music nerds" Marten, Faye and a surrounding cast of characters (which also included Marten's troublemaking, sentient "AnthroPC," Pintsize).
These days, the cast has expanded singificantly to include fan-favorite characters such as Marten's obsessive-compulsive neighbor, Hannelore, and the relationships between major and minor characters have been explored, dismissed, or in the case of Marten and the "Coffee of Doom" owner Dora, bloomed into long-term (by webcomic standards, at least) plot points. While drama has managed to carve a niche for itself in the world of QC, Jacques has similarly carved out a name for himself among the top-tier creators in the webcomic scene.
After wandering through the QC archives a bit, I was struck by the differences in those first strips posted back in August 2003 and today's QC. Both the art and the focus of the series have shifted dramatically in the last few years -- much moreso than many of the strips on my radar. With that in mind, I recently took the opportunity to pick Jacques' brain about the origins and development of the series and the nature of "indie cred."
COMICMIX: I'm familiar with the area QC is based on, so I think it would be interesting to hear your take on the setting for the series and how it compares to its real-world counterpart...
JEPH JACQUES: For those not In The Know™, QC is set in Northampton, Massachusetts, a smallish town in the western end of the state, home to Smith College. Northampton is a Very Fancy Town that likes to pretend it is actually a chunk of Manhattan that somehow got carried two hours due north (possibly via Hipster Albatross).
The QC version of Northampton corresponds roughly, at best, with its real-world counterpart. Many of the streets are the same (almost all the outdoor backgrounds are taken from real-life photographs) but there are differences. Coffee of Doom, for instance, exists on some bizarre meta-street that does not actually exist in the real world. The exact location of Marten's apartment building is similarly a mystery. Basically, I use the actual town layout when it's convenient, but break the rules whenever it suits me.
As for the cultural setting, from what I can tell Northampton is primarily young, liberal, Caucasian, and college-educated, and the cast of QC essentially reflects that.
Continue reading Interview: Jeph Jacques on 'Questionable Content' ›
Fri Jul 11, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Jon Rosenberg on the 'Goats' Book Deal
The long-running webcomic's creator talks about his new publishing deal
When I spoke with Goats creator Jon Rosenberg a month ago, he hinted at big things in store for his long-running webcomic that may or may not involve lasers, contracts and lawn care professionals.
Well, the news broke today, and despite a conspicuous absence of lasers and lawn care, there is indeed a contract at the heart of Rosenberg's big announcement. Rosenberg tells ComicMix that Random House imprint Villard will be publishing collections of the color strips of the series (everything from late-2003 until the current storyline) in a set of 150-page volumes. He expects to have the first volume ready for San Diego's Comic-Con International next year, with two more volumes following in six-month intervals.
From the official press release:
Villard Books will publish the recently completed Goats story arc, The Infinite Pendergast Cycle, as a trilogy —in the style of the great sci-fi sagas Goats so affectionately parodies. Each trade paperback volume will be full color and published at six-month intervals. The first volume, Goats: Infinite Typewriters, set for July 2009, will include newly revised and created material intended to introduce new readers to the colossal and complex Goats universe—and set up the audience for the rest of the epic. Book 1 will cover material published on the Goats website from December 2003 to January 2006. The second book, Goats: The Corndog Imperative, scheduled for a November 2009 release, covers January 06 to March 2007. And the third book, Goats: Showcase Showdown, due out in April 2010, covers March 07 to April 08.
I spoke with Rosenberg about the publishing deal and what it means for one of the 'Net's longest-running webcomics.
COMICMIX: So how did this deal come about, Jon? Who approached who?
JON ROSENBERG: My agent, Judy Hansen, made everything happen. I called her up one day and she said, "Hold on, I'm going to call up Random House and get you a book deal." And I waited on hold for a bit and when she got back on, it was all taken care of.
I'm beginning to suspect that Judy has some supernatural abilities, it has been an amazing education watching her bend reality to her will as she works.
CMix: What can you tell us about the specifics of the deal? Do you receive anything on a per-book basis, or was this a flat-rate arrangement?
JR: This is a standard book-type deal as far as I understand, with a royalty rate and an advance paid on those royalties and that sort of thing. It's a nice deal, I'm not going to retire early on it or anything but I'm quite happy with the terms.
Continue reading Interview: Jon Rosenberg on the 'Goats' Book Deal ›
Thu Jul 3, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Warren Ellis on FreakAngels, Webcomics and Doctor Who
The 'Transmetropolitan' and 'Black Summer' author discusses his grand experiment in the world of online comics
For anyone familiar with the online presence of award-winning writer Warren Ellis, it came as no surprise when the author announced at last year's San Diego Comic-Con that he would be scripting an original, ongoing webcomic hosted by Avatar Press and titled FreakAngels. The concept, the preview art and even the name of the series all seemed quite, well... Warren Ellis.
What has been surprising, however, is the ease at which the longtime print author has adapted to the online medium and managed to create a compelling, unique series with very few blips in the weekly schedule he set for himself and FreakAngels artist Paul Duffield. At a time when top-tier print titles are failing to meet monthly schedules time and time again, Ellis and Duffield have managed to create a consistently compelling, unique series worthy of mentioning in the same breath as many of the more established webcomics out there. The fact that the series also has Ellis' considerable online savvy and the resources of an up-and-coming publisher like Avatar behind it only makes the entire package even more intriguing to anyone with an interest in the digital evolution of the medium.
Avatar afforded me a few minutes to speak with Ellis during the recent Wizard World Chicago convention (where he was the event's Guest of Honor), and I was glad to have the opportunity to ask him about FreakAngels, his thoughts on the online publishing scene, and how it all relates to traditional British storytelling.
COMICMIX: Coming from the print side of the industry, did your creative process change much for FreakAngels, Warren? How did the new medium affect your routine?
WARREN ELLIS: The only thing that has really been affected is the length of the episode. But even then, I'm not really writing with six pages in mind so much as I'm writing with 144 pages in mind. I'm writing FreakAngels in 144-page blocks, so I'm really keeping my eye on the bigger picture as opposed to keeping an eye on the ending of page six. So really there's been no change at all.
I've kind of refused to change. [Laughs]
Continue reading Interview: Warren Ellis on FreakAngels, Webcomics and Doctor Who ›
Wed Jun 25, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Mark Wheatley and Robert Tinnell on 'EZ Street'
The comics biz is rarely easy - just ask the brothers of 'EZ Street'
For the last few months, I've spotlighted webcomic creators from all around the 'Net in my weekly interview series here on ComicMix. This time around, I'm staying a bit closer to home and chatting with the creators of EZ Street, the Harvey-nominated webcomic from creators Mark Wheatley and Robert Tinnell, published here at ComicMix, which concluded its 38-issue run last week.
EZ Street first kicked off in October 2007, and promised readers a look inside the lives of two brothers, Scott and Danny Fletcher, who were trying to make a go of it in comics after heading their separate ways earlier in life. One brother had turned his love of the graphic arts into a career in design, while the other decided to try his luck in the film industry. EZ Street chronicled their return into each other's lives and the ups and downs of collaboration, their personal relationships and the comics scene. Just prior to publication of the final episode of EZ Street, it was announced that Wheatley and Tinnell's series had been nominated for a Harvey Award in the category of "Best Online Comic" for 2008, joining popular webcomics such as Perry Bible Fellowship, Penny Arcade and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
I spoke with the creative duo about the series' roots, working in an online medium and Lone Justice, the project that will soon jump from the pages of EZ Street and into a series all its own. Wheatley and Tinnell were also nice enough to provide the cover image for the first issue of Lone Justice. A full-size version of the image is available at the end of the interview.
COMICMIX: In stories like EZ Street, which use the creative process as subject matter and make the comics industry a central part of the plot, readers are often privy to a lot of the creators' personalities and experiences in the biz. How much of your personalities are in EZ Street? What parts of you and your experiences can readers see in Scott, Danny and their lives?
MARK WHEATLEY: Well, I think we got a lot of the real Mike Oeming, Neil Vokes and Todd Livingston into these pages. But the rest is fiction -- fiction that is true in the same way as any story I tell. Everything comes from my own life experience -- and in this case, Bob's life experience. Each of us has either experienced something damn close to what goes on in EZ Street, or we have been close to people who have gone through these moments of glory, loss and redemption. For me, since I've been running a comic art studio for over a quarter of a century, I've had a lot of close-up views of careers that almost made it, and careers that have self-destructed. There is really no shortage of people who have dreams, and people who lack the resources to follow their dreams, be it the courage, the finances or the support of people who believe in them. So yeah, EZ Street is the result of decades of personal research. That's why we called it "EZ Street" -- it isn't!
ROBERT TINNELL: I like to think that there's a lot of all creators present in both of them. As for me personally, I think they represent different elements of my personality as well as some commonalities. There were also instances where I took elements of Mark's passions and personality and wove those in as well -- as did he, of course. At the risk of repeating myself, I do hope we've tapped into some universal emotions on the part of creators.
To be more specific, I could -- but won't -- name very specific instances of EZ Street that were pretty much word-for-word recreations of real moments.
Continue reading Interview: Mark Wheatley and Robert Tinnell on 'EZ Street' ›
Thu Jun 19, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Jon Rosenberg on 'Goats' and the Art of the Reboot
Woody Allen and Space Hitler... 'nuff said.
There aren't many people who have been in the webcomics business longer than Goats creator Jon Rosenberg.
After more than a decade creating comics in the online scene (and doing so as his sole source of income for the last few years), the popular creator has certainly earned "veteran" status -- especially by the "here one day, gone the next" standards of Internet fame. In the time that countless other comics have enjoyed celebrated beginnings, mediocre runs and quiet dismissals into digital limbo, Goats has persevered, evolved and gone so far as to develop a rich, complex history that continues to develop to this day.
Yet, as both the series and its creator have grown, so have the elements providing the series' foundation from the start. Minor and major characters have come into their own and prompted various spin-offs and memes that carve out an even greater niche for the series in webcomic history. Whether experimenting with subscription-based content or new hardware for illustrators, Rosenberg's longtime readers have been privy to an ongoing experiment with the Internet's ability to support webcomics. Heck, one might even go so far as to say that the evolution of Goats is a pretty darn good model of the evolution of webcomics as a whole, with many of the trends, pitfalls and successes of the online model represented by different points in the series' history.
And to think it all began with a couple of guys in a bar.
For this week's webcomic interview, I spoke with Rosenberg about Goats, his creative process, the art of the relaunch and the big announcement he has planned for Comic-Con International in San Diego next month.
Oh, and we also found some time to talk about beer, too.
COMICMIX: What are you up today, Jon?
JON ROSENBERG: Today was one of those rare non-comicking days where I did a couple hundred small businessy-type tasks. "Taskettes," really. Customer service email, product design, paying bills, that sort of thing. From the sorts of things I've heard lately, print cartoonists all have assistants and butlers to do that sort of thing for them since they're all so rich, but us webcomics folk sometimes have to get our hands dirty.
Lately I've been working on banging out as good a story as possible and learning to use my new Cintiq at peak efficiency. Electrons is where it's at, I'm never going back to ink on paper. Most of my mental bandwidth has been taken up by a large project which I can't talk about until July, unfortunately.
Continue reading Interview: Jon Rosenberg on 'Goats' and the Art of the Reboot ›
Thu Jun 12, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Emily Horne and Joey Comeau on 'A Softer World'
Creators of popular photo-based webcomic strive to remain unpredictable
I've been reading A Softer World off and on for the last three years, but I have a good reason for my my irregular visits to Joey Comeau and Emily Horne's photo-based webcomic.
The fact is, it's hard to predict what emotion I'm going to feel when I take the plunge into a new iteration of ASW and its text-over-photograph, three-panel world. With other comics, I can usually anticipate the laugh or, in some cases, the snark-fueled sense of satisfaction the latest strip is likely to provide. Heck, with most strips I can at least anticipate learning the next plot point in an ongoing storyline.
ASW, however, is always a gamble.
One strip can prompt hysterical laughter, while the next can only make you shiver and and wonder what the unholy hell was going on in its creators' minds when that strip was conceived. ASW can explore complex social issues one moment and the depth of depravity in the next.
The point is, I like having at least an inkling of what I'm jumping into before my feet leave the ground -- so that's why A Softer World has always been one of the more irregularly visited comics on my reading list. But I'm not too dense to realize that therein lies its appeal.
In fact, it was one of the more recent, controversial episodes of ASW, sent to me by a friend who is far more willing to suffer the emotional highs and lows of this tremendously creative series, that prompted me to roll the dice and become a regular reader once again -- and to contact its creators about this interview.
COMICMIX: With most comics, script usually comes first and art later, but you go at it in reverse with A Softer World. Can you tell me a bit about the creative process for ASW? How does a strip typically come together for you?
EMILY HORNE: When we were both in Halifax, we used to be able to be much more collaborative about it. ASW started with us taking a typewriter and a stack of photos to the all-night copy shop and making a mess of comics all at once. Now that we live on opposite sides of the continent, it's a bit more difficult. I usually make up three or four comics at a time and upload them for Joey to look at. He comes up with text for them as inspiration (and our 3x a week posting schedule) demands. If we are both online before it goes up, we'll edit together.
JOEY COMEAU: Also, it's worth noting that we try to keep the relationship between the images and text interesting and not always a literal illustration. Often times, the picture just feels like it goes with the text, even though they both seem to involve different things. Or, it's also fun to have a conflict between the two. Very serious people making very serious faces, and ridiculous text.
Continue reading Interview: Emily Horne and Joey Comeau on 'A Softer World' ›
Wed Jun 4, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Chris Hastings on 'The Adventures of Dr. McNinja'
Flying sharks, giant lumberjacks and raptors... oh my!
Chris Hastings' ongoing webcomic The Adventures of Dr. McNinja is one of my favorite pay-it-forward comics. It was recommended to me a little more than two years ago, and I've been recommending it to anyone with even a passing interest in webcomics ever since.
While the series remains a consistent source of great storytelling and endlessly amusing, over-the-top action cliches presented in proud, black-and-white glory, I think it's the tagline that really sells it. Go ahead and Google "Dr. McNinja," and you'll see what I mean.
According to the InterWebs gods:
Dr. McNinja is a doctor who is also a ninja.
And there you have it.
Sure, I could tell you about the series' excellent, ongoing and continuity-laden stories featuring a man torn between his medical oath to heal and his ninja oath to kill, as well as the raptors, ghost wizards, pirates, giant lumberjacks and flying sharks he finds himself battling time and time again, but when everything is said and done, that tagline really sums it up best.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that Hastings is a witty, approachable creator who continues to seem pleasantly surprised by his status as one of the 'Net's most prominent webcomic creators. I recently had the opportunity to send some questions to Hastings about Dr. McNinja, the perils of giving characters a backstory and who he would cast in the big-screen version of Dr. McNinja. (*nudge* Take a hint, movie people, and get on this one!)
COMICMIX: While a lot of webcomics rely on the one-shot model with little continuity between episodes, The Adventures of Dr. McNinja thrives as an ongoing series with a massive, ever-expanding cast of characters. Why do you feel this is the right model for the stories you want to tell?
CHRIS HASTINGS: I think the Internet is the right model for me, because there are a lot more people with computers in their homes than there are people who go to comic shops and conventions looking for indie comics. I also had to spend way less money to put the comic online than to print it myself (which I did do eventually, but only after having a demand for it).
I recognize that long stories and continuity aren't necessarily a massive trend in comics online, since typically someone's attention span is reduced to about 12 seconds once they open their browser. But it was already my style to have something funny or exciting or generally satisfying in each individual page or update. And after someone reads a few pages and likes them, hopefully they're hooked, and they've got some investment in the story and characters.
CMix: Do you ever worry about getting bogged down in the continuity you've created?
CH: I do occasionally. Like this recent story has been going on for a little over a year now, broken up into chapters, and I'll be quite happy to go back to doing shorter stories like the first few were. But years down the road if the continuity gets to be an actual burden, like it is for Spider-Man, the X-Men, and others, I have the freedom to deal with it however I like.
Continue reading Interview: Chris Hastings on 'The Adventures of Dr. McNinja' ›
Fri Apr 25, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Paul Southworth on 'Ugly Hill'
It's monsters... offfice monsters... and lots of 'em
Paul Southworth's webcomic Ugly Hill is about, well... monsters.
At least, that's how he usually describes it.
If I were to describe it, I'd write that the five-day-a-week strip features a brightly colored cast of creatures who experience the trials and tribulations of life in a bleak, consumer-driven world not entirely unlike our own -- except that it's full of monsters. That's how I'd describe it.
I'd also write that Ugly Hill is part of the Blank Label Comics collective, and at the end of the month, the multiple Web Cartoonists Choice Award-winning strip will celebrate its third year on the InterWebs.
Oh, and I'd also mention that Paul Southworth recently became a new daddy.
But the thing is, I don't want to put words in his mouth, so I'll just let the following interview I conducted with Paul explain everything about his wildly successful webcomic.
COMICMIX: First off, congratulations on the new addition to the family! What's your schedule like these days?
PAUL SOUTHWORTH: Rigorous. I thought I was busy before, but it turns out I was living a life of spoiled luxury, concerned only for myself and my own ridiculous pursuits. Now my life is consumed with filling bottles, mixing just the right amount of orange mush with just the right amount of pale green mush, and having long, detailed conversations about the size, frequency, and consistency of another human being's feces. Somewhere in there I manage to work a day job for nine hours and draw a comic strip on the side.
To be fair, sometimes I can draw and hold a conversation about human waste simultaneously, but only when I'm pressed for time.
CMix: Well, I'll try to keep this short, then. How did you prepare for keeping the strip active when the baby came home?
PS: I always try to keep at least 2-3 weeks ahead of publication. When I started the strip, I was six weeks ahead, but I squandered that away somehow.
So I just tried to work ahead as much as possible. I was also able to line up two weeks' worth of wonderful guest artists to fill in for me directly after the birth, which was so helpful. I don't think there has been a time in my life that I have thought less about drawing than those 3 or 4 panicky weeks after my son was born, so not having to worry too much about it was a blessing. Otherwise, after the guest strips had run their course and my buffer had dwindled, I didn't know what I was going to do. I'm sure glad it worked out, though!
Continue reading Interview: Paul Southworth on 'Ugly Hill' ›
Thu Apr 10, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Steven Cloud on 'Boy on a Stick and Slither'
Weighing in on the print vs. webcomics debate and crossing the globe on a one-liter engine...
Boy on a Stick and Slither creator Steven Cloud claims that he's been publishing his webcomic since 1999, but one gets the impression that BoaSaS has been around quite a bit longer than that, growing in the margins of sketch pads, notebooks and crumpled pieces of paper discarded long ago.
The structure is fairly simple, with only two major characters in essentially the same position from one strip to the next, but the subject matter, well... that's another story. The topics of conversations for the primary characters, Boy on a Stick (a stick with a boy's head, just like the name implies) and Slither (a green snake), range from simple observation to complicated existential analysis. One strip will contain dialogue that could just as easily be found in a supermarket checkout line, while another will directly address complicated sociopolitical debates of the modern era.
So, yes, it's a bit hard to "sum up" BoaSaS... and it seems like Cloud intended it that way.
In fact, it's probably best to let my conversation with Cloud speak for itself as the best description of the strip, its creator and why it should be a part of your weekly reading list, as we discuss the origins of BoaSaS, the current debate over profitability in print- versus web-based comics, and his upcoming participation in a road rally that spans several continents.
COMICMIX: Thanks for taking some time to talk with me, Steven. What are you working on tonight?
STEVEN CLOUD: Honestly, I was just goofing off, surfing some old sites I'd bookmarked but forgotten. But my intention was to start drawing comics. I have the file open. That's half the battle.
SC: I still need to brainstorm. I have it 90-percent drawn and maybe 50-percent written. I have a vague notion and I'm trying to turn it into an idea.
SC: I work probably four hours a day on average, including weekends. I have a full-time job that pays the rent. I have to draw comics during my off-hours. I normally just sit at the computer and draw fun backgrounds while surfing and IM'ing. Then I try to think of a clever premise/joke and lay it on top of the background.
It's very free-form. Sometimes the background inspires the idea. Other times an idea will strike and drive the process. I just go with the flow and have fun with it.
Continue reading Interview: Steven Cloud on 'Boy on a Stick and Slither' ›
Fri Apr 4, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Nicholas Gurewitch on 'Perry Bible Fellowship'
Life after 'The Trial of Colonel Sweeto' and other topics...
For longtime readers of Nicholas Gurewitch's weekly, syndicated webcomic Perry Bible Fellowship, it didn't come as much of a surprise when, late last year, the first print collection of the popular series became the fastest-selling graphic novel in the history of online bookseller Amazon.com.
What did come as a surprise, however, was the announcement that Gurewitch made a few months later.
"I feel I owe it to myself and the Perry Bible Fellowship not to turn a joyful diversion into a long career," wrote Gurewitch in a widely publicized mid-February message to the newspaper and magazine editors running his PBF strips.
Just a few months after The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories, made big news in the publishing world by selling more than $300,000 copies in pre-orders alone, Gurewitch made headlines once again by announcing that he would be cutting back on production of the strip -- moving from a weekly schedule to a more manageable routine.
"I'm making this decision for a variety of reasons," he explained, "but mainly because I want to do other things besides be a cartoonist."
According to Gurewitch, the decision was made after realizing that the success of PBF had placed him at a series of creative, personal and professional crossroads, and there was no better time to begin walking a different path.
I spoke with Gurewitch recently about the decision to move Perry Bible Fellowship into "semi-retirement," what he's doing with his time these days and the frustrating divide between creator's intent and audience's interpretation.
COMICMIX: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, Nick. Now that you have a bit more free time, how are you spending it?
NICHOLAS GUREWITCH: I'm working on a few more books to come out through Dark Horse and I'm writing a feature-length movie script that I've wanted to write for years. That's at the forefront of my mind right now. I'm really excited about it.
CMix: The books you're working on, are they related to PBF or are they different projects entirely?
NG: One is a sequel or replacement for the Colonel Sweeto book. It's a more expensive book that has more comics in it. The other would be a spin-off, if you wanted to call it that -- it's a continuation of one of the stories.
CMix:
Continue reading Interview: Nicholas Gurewitch on 'Perry Bible Fellowship' ›
Thu Mar 27, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: R. Stevens on 'Diesel Sweeties'
Talking robot love and a long run in the webcomics world...
.jpg)
When Richard Stevens III (a.k.a. "R Stevens") initially launched his webcomic, Diesel Sweeties, back in 2000, the premise seemed simple enough: four panels (three for the set-up, one for the punchline) of humans and robots interacting and commenting on life, pop culture and inter-species love.
Nearly 2000 strips and a newspaper syndication deal later, DS has evolved into an Internet phenomenon of sorts. The series is often held up as a prime example of the success an online-based comic can achieve, while the Dumbrella webcomic collective Stevens' co-founded is host to many of the most popular series on the 'Net. The DS creator is also finding himself frequently called upon to serve as the medium's ambassador to the world of print comics.
Earlier this month, Stevens made waves in the comics industry yet again with the announcement that, in celebration of the series' upcoming 2000th strip, he would release the entirety of the DS archive in free, downloadable PDF files under a Creative Commons license.
I spoke with Stevens this week about the looming 2000th strip for DS, the decision to release the PDF archives and how he ever finds time to sleep. (The answer? He doesn't.)
COMICMIX: It's been just over a year now since Diesel Sweeties was picked up for syndication. How is it going so far?
R STEVENS: It's hard work, but boot camp is good for the muscle tone. I wish I could tell you it's made me a millionaire and offer you a gold cake, but we're getting by and learning a LOT. Can't get taxed on that,
thank god.
CMix: With DS hitting its 2000th strip, if you were going to do a clip reel of some of your favorite moments from the series, what would it include? What have been some of the highlights for you professionally?
RS: I work close to deadline almost every night, so finishing up and high-fiving my FTP server is the highlight of my day. I really enjoy having a process and something to culminate every day with, so there's no shortage of highlights.
That said, staying up 'til 4 AM writing 58 panels of jokes for all 50 states was probably the most fun I've ever had working. Aside from that, I'm simply grateful to have this as a job.
CMix: Any thoughts on your most controversial strip or storyline?
RS: That would probably be wiping Clango's brain. I wanted to synch up my web and print strips while adding a level of creepiness for people who read both.
I was amazed that my readers rolled with it and I don't think we lost anybody. Try doing THAT with Spider-Man... Oh, wait. They did.
Continue reading Interview: R. Stevens on 'Diesel Sweeties' ›
Fri Mar 21, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Jeffrey Rowland on TopatoCo and 'Overcompensating'
From 'Wigu' to Warren Ellis...
Jeffrey Rowland, the creator behind popular webcomics Wigu and OverCompensating, has a new, full-time job these days -- and it just might make him one of the most important people to watch in the world of webcomics.
Late last year, Rowland officially expanded TopatoCo, the online store where he sold shirts, stickers and other merchandise related to his webcomics, bringing several other popular webcomics' stores under the TopatoCo banner and consolidating their merchandise operations. By doing so, fans of many of the most popular webcomics are now able to mix and match their orders among different creators' designs, and TopatoCo has evolved from a basement business to a staffed, international operation Rowland runs out of an office building in Easthampton, MA.
According to Wikipedia, Rowland "can be considered one of the small number of professional webcartoonists, as running Overcompensating and Wigu, in addition to his merchandise company TopatoCo, is his full time job and source of income."
I spoke with Rowland about the growth of TopatoCo and the first few months of becoming a webcomic merchandising hub, as well as the status of his own webcomics, OverCompensating and Wigu. From the lure of running off to Mexico on a motorcycle to the Snakes on A Plane experience, Rowland shares his thoughts on making a living in the world of webcomics.
COMICMIX: You sound busy, Jeff. What's going on at TopatoCo HQ today?
JEFFREY ROWLAND: Well, I'm just trying to get a handle on this whole business arrangement here.
CMix: Yeah, it sounds like you're pretty deep into it these days...
JR: Well, the way we were doing it before was, everyone had their own individual sites up. Dinosaur Comics would have its little store, and then [Dinosaur creator Ryan North] would collect the orders throughout the week and send them to us in a file once a week or so. It wasn't that bad, because everyone was doing a pretty good amount of business, but when I put them all together... Well, all of a sudden, it just exploded. It was bigger than I thought it was going to be. I think we've been up for about a month now, and we're over 2000 products sold. Over 1000 transactions. Basically, it's just two of us here working - sometimes three. I have one full-time employee -- she's "Tallahassee" in OverCompensating.
Continue reading Interview: Jeffrey Rowland on TopatoCo and 'Overcompensating' ›
