Frequently Asked Questions
I have an assignment to interview an artist for school. Can I interview you?
I am so sorry but I get many, many of these requests and cannot accept school assignment interviews* anymore. If your instructor or professor has given you this assignment and you are having trouble finding people to interview, please note that some professional artists get inundated with these requests every year and simply cannot sustainably spend 1-2 unpaid hours individually with each and every student. A more effective approach would be to invite artists to visit and talk to groups of students during a class or speaking engagement (paid if possible)– if you are in a position to recommend this at your school or college as a better alternative, please do!
*If you are a student or young artist looking for advice independently (outside of an assignment), still feel free to contact me! I am always happy to chat, it’s specifically the assignments that usually end up being repetitive and in most cases I have already answered the questions in interviews before. I will include answers to some of the most commonly asked ones right here!
Where did you graduate from?
I graduated from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle with a BFA in graphic design in 2011.
What was your first job in the art industry?
I had an internship at a small independent film studio while I was in school, and then interned at a small game studio where I did some freelance animation work the summer after I graduated. My first true capital-J Job was at a design studio in Seattle that produced infographics.
How did you break into graphic novels?
I didn’t start working in comics until I was 27, and even then, I kept my dayjob as a graphic designer for years. My first graphic novel (Cosmoknights) was produced while I still had a full-time job!
It took a while to “break” into the industry, largely because I got a degree in graphic design and had no formal education as an illustrator. But I was determined to be a cartoonist, so the first thing I did was self-publish a 28-page first issue of Cosmoknights and release it online as a webcomic. I made it without a guarantee of publishing and without permission from anyone, but incredibly, it did find an audience and the rest is history. When Cosmoknights (the graphic novel) published in 2019, I finally quit my graphic design job.
The lesson I often try to pass on is that I made something, rather than just talked about it. You’ll find this comes up a lot in comics.
How long does it take you to do a single comic page?
I always find this question funny because comics pages can vary so much with style and content that the “real answer” is anywhere between 1-16+ hours, but the average (full-color) is probably 8 hours.
How long does it take you to do a graphic novel?
Again, a huge range of answers, but the ideal for me on a ~200-page full-color book would be 2-3 years. I am often forced to work much faster though.
Do you have any advice for networking, gaining a social media following, or marketing your work?
My best advice is: any time you invest in “marketing” or social media is better spent on the actual work. Marketing and social media are constantly changing, so it’s not worth gaming the algorithm before you have something of substance to point people to. Remember, social media can disappear overnight at the whims of a billionaire!
Everyone has a big idea, and it’s easy to talk about the thing you want to make, but very few people understand the work that it actually takes, or have a realistic plan to make it happen (e.g. keeping a day-job, scheduling, budgeting, etc.) Instead of worrying about social media, find a way to make something worthwhile that excites you and isn’t contingent on what other people think. I realize this is easier for some than others– it may mean keeping your dayjob, or pursuing a grant, crowdfunding, living at home, relying on a partner… just don’t wait around on social media for something to drop into your lap. Play the long-game; authenticity is what resonates.
Any advice for graduating seniors?
Take some time to think about both your creative needs and your practical needs. What is it going to take to cover your expenses while looking for work? How many hours do you need to work on your own passion projects vs. paying jobs to achieve your artistic goals? Don’t shy away from being practical! Creating art is very hard when you are stressed about money or supporting yourself, and there’s no shame in carving out time to make sure you are stable.
Additionally: good food takes time to cook. If you are not immediately an industry superstar right away, it truly does not matter. I didn’t publish until I was 30, and have found relative success only in the last five years. Trust your path and don’t waste time comparing yourself to your peers— the stories you have to tell are yours and yours only, and are worth telling the right way! I often think of Miyamoto’s quote about games, and it applies to comics as well: “A delayed [comic] is eventually good, but a rushed [comic] is forever bad”