Independent Ink Interviews...
Hey there Independent Inkers! I recently had the honor to send some emails back and forth with Kyle Sanders, The creator of Carbon Dating, a gag-strip which you can find at www.carbon-comic.com
Kyle can write a very good joke and has found the perfect niche, so I was thrilled to get a chance to have a Q&A session with him. I enjoyed picking his brain, and we hope you enjoy seeing the results. Here it is!...
ii: Tell us a bit about yourself (What you do, where you're from, normal bio stuff).
KS: I’m an instructor pilot by day and cartoonist by night, my wife and I live in Colorado Springs. In addition to writing and drawing Carbon Dating (along with my artist Elisa Wikey), I also draw full-page illustrations for Skeptic Magazine and am involved in a lot of other science outreach events in town. For those unfamiliar with the term, scientific skepticism is about evaluating all claims critically according to the evidence. This idea of not accepting everything you read on the internet is a big theme in the comic strip, tackling topics from alternative medicine to psychics.
ii: How long have you been into comics? Has it been a life long passion or a more later in life acquisition? How and when did you start making comics?
KS: The first comic I remember was the original Eastman and Liard’s Ninja Turtles graphic novel. I read it until the covers fell off. I would read the funny pages every Sunday, especially Calvin and Hobbes, but beyond that I always enjoyed drawing comics more than reading them. In the fifth grade I would sell tracings of comics from my trapper keeper for a quarter. I first tried my hand at real cartooning with a college webcomic about student life, and the positive response encouraged me to pursue them further. Getting that early encouragement from friends and my few readers went a very long way.
ii: Tell us about your strip! How its formatted, the main story, the genre or themes, etc…
KS: Formatting is tough for me, so I stuck to a simple consistent format from the beginning. I used to work with a consistent 4-panel strip, but after a year at it, I discovered that a 3-panel strip took 25% less time to draw! But really, I find three-panel comics to be the most streamlined, quintessential structure of a joke: premise, setup, then punchline. The timing of a joke can be the most difficult part of the process, and sticking to this rhythm makes writing a lot easier.
ii: Are there any main sources of inspiration when it comes to a gag or a story? Where do your ideas typically come from?
KS: I carry a moleskin and pen at all times to capture quotes from my wife and our friends. But most of the science-themed scripts come from the public science outreach events that I host in Colorado Springs. Science outreach is my passion, and by hosting these events and writing a comics I’m able to make use of the same research for both. When it comes to these topics I try to hone in on something that frustrates me, figure out why, then exaggerate that emotion.
ii: Walk us through your creative process. Once you have a joke or an idea, where do you go to next?
KS: I feel that the best comics strips come from writing the punchline first, then working backwards. Once I have a good punchline, I think about my characters. Which of my characters would say this? Who could they be talking to? Maybe someone who hasn’t gotten enough attention lately. Once have the characters in mind I can begin to picture their mannerisms, and from that interaction I try to imagine them in a scene. Is there an opportunity to add visual humor? Once I get to a rough dialogue, scene, and gestures I go through an exercise I learned from some improv classes. It was an exercise called More Awesome where the crowd would shout “more awesome” at any point and the actors would have to exaggerate what they were just doing to greater and more hilarious heights. I’ll often rework the dialogue and punchline trying to raise the stakes, and trying to get it all to fit in the panels with he right rhythm. Then the most important step is to let my wife read it, and depending on her reaction I’ll either get to drawing or rework the punchline.
ii: What is your favorite medium to work in? Do you prefer any mediums over others?
KS: For the longest time I’ve been enamored with working in ink. There’s something dangerous about it, the fear of slipping and having to start all over. I’ve experimented with a wacom tablet, but working with an ink brush is much more satisfying and even quicker when it comes to linear. Although, since we started coloring all of our comics in January, I would murder someone for a Cintiq. Being able to work directly on the screen would save SO MUCH TIME. I produce all of the comics in Illustrator because vector looks so much cleaner at any resolution. I do not recommend it for coloring.
ii: Do you have any other significant hobbies or interests other than your comics?
KS: With the comic, masters classes, and a 6 month old daughter - it can be hard to make time. Combining my passions with the comic really helps, and after two years of Carbon Dating it hasn’t felt like work yet despite some late nights. That’s probably the most important lesson I’ve learned, write about a niche that you really enjoy. Go for a specific audience rather than trying to appeal to the masses and you’ll find more enjoyment and a more passionate audience.
ii: Are there any creators or works that have inspired you or influenced your comics?
KS: Bill Watterson is the enigmatic, undisputed champion of comic strips. Everything I had ever wanted a comic strip to be, he drew it first. I was always a fan of The Far Side growing up, and Looney Tunes, I grew up trying to imitate both.
ii: How do you promote your comics? Are there any sites or social media pages you post to?
KS: Project Wonderful (https://www.projectwonderful.com/?tag=3628) is the best tool out there for new artists, you can gain a new and enthusiastic reader for only a few cents. I’ve tried Reddit, which is free and provides a spike in traffic but extremely low retention. The only free site with the effort is Top Web Comics if you do it right, and being in the top 100 makes it one of my biggest traffic drivers. Of course, when I was starting out I had it posted on every comic listing. Mostly I stick to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the Hangouts feature. The best advice is what no new webcomiker wants to hear, if you want to attract readers you have to be willing to invest in them (with real money).
ii: Carbon Dating is a "Web Comic" (comics are comics, no matter how they are read), But have you had any experiences with print?
KS: Besides Skeptic Magazine, I’ve put out a few print anthologies of the comic. The world of self-publishing is getting easier all the time, especially for independent artists. If you have even a small audience, using Kickstarter you can support a print run ahead of time without the fear of being stuck with stacks of unsold books. Each time I had to as for help from a friend with more layout experience, but being able to hold a copy in your hands is extremely gratifying.
ii: Do you have any conventions or art shows under your belt? If so how was the experience? If not, do you see that in your future?
KS: Because the science community is my niche, I prefer to be the only cartoonist at a convention for science nerds than the only science nerd at a comic con. I shoot for a mix of both, and this year I’m planning on Denver Comic Con, The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas (science convention honor of magician The Amazing Randi), Dragon Con, and some other local cons. My first few conventions were intimidating, but the first time a reader finds you in person makes it all worth it. Publishing a comic online often feels like shouting to the void. I now find that the energy and enthusiasm from conventions recharges my motivation and can sustain my effort for months. If nothing else, make some buttons and business cards to hand out and have fun meeting other artists. Every good thing that has happened to my comic has come from the connections made at a convention.
ii: Shoutout time! Are there any other creators in your field who's work you appreciate?
KS: I never expected to, but I’ve found a supportive circle of artists that have coalesced through Twitter.
Ethan Kocak of blackmudpuppy.com
Natasha Dancy of tethered-comic.com/
and Daniel Sharp of http://demonarchives.com/
we’re all science geeks at heart, and having other artists at the same point with their comics is encouraging. But honestly, the most important relationships I’ve formed have been with a few readers who have supported my comic from day one. Nathan, Larian, and a number of other names and faces I’m become familiar with through conventions, comments, Kickstarter, and Patreon. There have been times I didn’t feel like drawing, but a quick google hangout with these friends leaves me with new ideas I can’t wait to get on paper.
Thanks to Kyle Sanders for some great answers! And thank all you readers for your constant support! Keep an eye on us for some more great posts!
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