Meet a Local Cartoonist: Chris Mararac

Chris Mararac is the subject of the last of our local webcomics creator interviews...

Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Chris Mararac: In terms of cartooning, I occasionally work on a webcomic called Work Time Friends but it was on a bit of a hiatus as I just bought a house and then I got a promoted to a new position at work. I play on restarting it next year. But Work Time Friends kinda deals with some humorous situations working at an office job. It's supposed to be a kind of goofy slice of life piece. As for Small Press Expo, I usually do some short comics that is heavily influenced by Japanese comics/manga.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I work mostly in digital, using a wacom tablet and photoshop for illustrations. For actually comics, I started using a program called Manga Studio. It's a great program because it streamlines word bubbles and makes using screentones a snap. I sometimes still do the rough sketches for preliminary work though.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

5/27/1980.

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I'm actually in the Silver Spring, MD.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I have a bachelor in Fine Arts from the University of Maryland.

Who are your influences?

In terms of Cartooning and Comics, I would have to say that Becky Cloonan (She was the artist on Demo written by Brian Wood and also illustrated American Virgin released by DC Vertigo)  actually talked me into switching my major from Comp Sci to Art. At the time I felt I wasn't good enough but she countered with that that was why I'm in school. I also have a whole slew of heroes from Rumiko Takashi who did Ranma 1/2, Brian Lee O'Malley who did Scott Pilgrim, and many others. Though, sometimes when I look up to them, I feel a bit overwhelmed, because they're so far ahead.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

Currently, art seems to have taken a backseat for me. I'm still trying to get a graphic design position anywhere but I'm currently working for Navy Federal Credit Union as a loan servicing account specialist. I think if I was to do it all over again, I'd probably would have liked to taken more risks in my younger years, because the older you get, the harder it is, when you're tied down with a mortgage.

What work are you best-known for?

I honestly don't know what I'm known for. LOL

What work are you most proud of?

I strangely get really proud of whenever I finish a new project and I try to showcase it to all my friends. Drawing makes me feel like such a kid, in a good way.

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?

I'm trying to finish a short graphic novel for SPX 2013. I usually just do short zines, but would like to work on a bit more developed story.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

Whenever I'm stuck, I try to relax and find inspiration to start up my motivation again from other things, whether it's a movie or an interesting comic. I sometimes try to remind myself what inspired me in the first place. I have a small list of things that always seem to inspire me and I'll go back to that. But overall, I try not to force myself too much when I'm overly exhausted. Rest is just as important.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

For now, comics will probably just remain as a hobby but it's  something I still want to continue to do as long as it's fun.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

One thing is that DC is seriously underrated, which is kinda a hipster thing to say. I mean, when people think DC, they mostly think it's just politics but there is a pretty decent art scene here. It does have its own culture but most people fail to realize that. A lot of people who visit just think of seeing the monuments, but fail to realize that Maryland and Virginia is pretty close by with lots to do, etc.

Also, DC, MD, VA, is pretty culturally versed, there is a pretty big Asian community, as well as other ethnicities... so that's another plus.

Least favorite?

I don't like how they call the DC, Maryland, Virginia area, DMV... because I start to think of the  department of Motor Vehicles, and nothing good comes from that association.

What monument or museum do you take most out-of-town guests to?

 I think the most interesting museum is the Spy Museum but whenever I have family or a guest over, they always seem to have to do the whole tourist thing, see the monuments, etc. Can't really avoid that. But I think I usually focus on the Smithsonian Museums, because we're in a recession and free stuff is awesome.

Favorite restaurant for same?

Hmmm... Off in Rockville, there is Jo's Noodle House which is an awesome hole in the wall Chinese place. Usually after the Small Press Expo, we'll go there. For DC Proper, I would suggest the food trucks.

Not the new hipster ones, but the ones that sell hot dogs all across DC Area. I personally think they're better than NY hotdogs.

Do you have a website or blog?

I do have a personal website, http://www.uppercut-justice.com/, where I post (on hiatus) Work Time Friends, as well as a artblog I run with some people called Digital Sketchbook.

Meet a Local Cartoonist: Monica H. or "MonMon"

I met Monica Horn, who draws as Monica H. or "MonMon" at last fall's Intervention con. Here’s her interview:

Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Monica H: I run a webcomic called Ocean Tides which is on Smackjeeves.com. It is a ghostly romance drama about a girl name Lily who Lily meets a spirit named Alex. She has to help Alex realize what’s happening around him and wonder why he hasn't crossed over yet. I update every Friday unless stated otherwise.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

It is a combination of both. Along with my laptop, the materials and programs I use are computer paper, cardstock, Black Faber-Castell ink pens (SX, S, M, B, and F), Prismacolor markers, lightbox, HP scanner, my tablet and Photoshop. I start out sketching a thumbnail based off of the script I wrote for the chapter. Then a larger sketch, I ink using my lightbox. Scan, clean it up and tone in Photoshop.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born 1986 in Monterey, California.

Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I moved out here because of my job as a graphic/web designer. I currently reside in Northern Virginia.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I majored in graphic design and minored in illustration. I have been drawing every since I was little, and inspired by many different Artists. I am a graphic/web designer by day and a webcomic artist by night.

Who are your influences?

Walking in the artist alleys at conventions sure does inspire me at times but I have to say many other webcomic artists, Illustrators, my friends, my family and of course my fans of my comic.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I wouldn't change anything about my career, though I am always willing to learn new things and learn ways to improve my work.

What work are you best-known for?

I guess my webcomic Ocean Tides, or my watercolor paintings. If you asked me this 5 years ago I would say my fan art for different anime shows, but I felt that I need to improve my own work and find my own style.

What work are you most proud of?

Since I only have one webcomic at the moment and I can say that I am proud of Ocean Tides, my style has changed in the past three years. I can say I am proud of trying to find my own style as well with in those three years.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I hope to complete Ocean Tides and start working on a new webcomic that I am currently scripting.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I sketch or doodle anything, whether it be characters from my webcomic or just characters from a show and book. I just keep at it until something sparks my interest. I also paint -- painting is also a great stress relief.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

I plan on trying to get my work out there for others to enjoy and by the end of day to know that I am placing something out there for others to enjoy, I am happy.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

Intervention Con 2011 was my first con that I attended as a artist and I have to say I have had a lot of fun, I learned a lot from the other artists in the artist alley. As for other cons I do go to Otakon as a attendee, I always enjoy going.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

I enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival and the 4th of July Fireworks

Least favorite?

The traffic, I can live without it. Haha.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

I enjoy the National Gallery of Art, but I haven't been to any monuments recently.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

I enjoy the Hamburger Hamlet in Crystal City, they make a great rueben sandwich and the sweet potato fires.

Do you have a website or blog?

My blog is http://chibihoshiko.wordpress.com/  and my webcomic for Ocean Tides is http://oceantides.smackjeeves.com/

Meet a Local Cartoonist: Gregory Uchrin

A rarer breed than many other cartoonist types, Gregory Uchrin is a webcomic political cartoonist who answered my questions at last fall’s Intervention con.


Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Gregory Uchrin: I’ve been doing a political cartoon on the web since 2003. The original title was “Hail Dubyus!” -in response to the imperial aspirations of our then administration, but since 2008, I’ve published under a more neutral title “Intravenous Caffeine” , since I realized I would have much more scope for parody with the new administration. I also wanted to expand into less political areas with other works.


How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?


I sketch, pencil and ink traditionally. Depending on the complexity of the cartoon, I may scan in the sketch or pencil work and print it out in non-photo blue for inking, but usually I will ink directly on the pencils. After scanning my inks, I color them on the computer.


When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?


1951—I was 60 in October. I’m an old fart :D I was born in New Jersey.


Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?


I grew up in New Jersey, but came to DC for college and stayed on because I liked it here. I lived up by Catholic U in Brookland. I also did grad school at Catholic, but since marriage, I’ve lived just outside the city in Alexandria VA.


What is your training and/or education in cartooning?


I’m self-taught, but with all the art books and internet tutorials available, being self-taught is a highly individual thing. I grew up watching Jon Gnagy on live television and that was the start of my artistic education. Classwork can be very important though, because if you’re self-taught, you have to figure out everything for yourself, while a good teacher will help you to learn the techniques that will aid in the realization of what you’re trying to show.


Who are your influences?


So many to choose from! I really love the late 19th/early 20th century illustrators like the Brandywine School, Edwin Austin Abbey, and J. Allen St. John and the science fiction/fantasy illustrators of the 30s/40s like Virgil Finlay and Margaret Brundage. In serious comics, for sheer style, I go for the classics like Hal Foster and Alex Raymond, but for comic stuff, I go for the early MAD school, like Harvey Kurtzman, Wally Wood, Bill Elder and Jack Davis. New Yorker cartoons, especially Charles Addams. CREEPY and EERIE (and EC reprints) were another early love. In politics, I love Herblock and Doonesbury, but they really haven’t influenced my style. I’ve been getting more and more into manga but at this point, it’s too early to talk about any influences except in a general way. Except Masamune Shirow!


If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?


LOL - I would have started a LOT earlier and taken some courses in anatomy and life drawing.


What work are you best-known for?


My political cartoon series are still my most recognizable works, but I’m starting to be known for my quirky humor pieces, like my Chibi Last Supper, a parody of the da Vinci picture.


What work are you most proud of?


My next one :D. I did some rather hard-hitting cartoons during the Bush administration that make me feel like I actually did something important. And I’ve got a BLEACH parody (called BLECCH!) that makes people laugh out loud. On a more artistic note, I recently did a pastel portrait of a cosplayer friend of mine that surprised me that I managed to do it so well. It’s on my deviantart site.


What would you like to do or work on in the future?


I’d like to do a narrative webcomic that’s character rather than news driven. With political cartoons, you spend 75% of your time reading and watching news, looking for something that gives you a comic image. I’ve got a series of “fantasy casting” pieces--what actors/actresses I’d cast in a live version of an anime or manga and I’m currently working on a “Ghost in the Shell” picture. And I’ve been sketching out a horror story I’d like to turn into a graphic novel.


What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?


I experiment with sound restoration. 78s. PRE-VINYL! And I do research on the medieval period and Arthurian legends. Anything far from actually drawing anything. I’m not a games player though. I never seemed to develop that kind of hand-eye coordination with the early videogames. Which may be a good thing for me since it keeps me working.


What do you think will be the future of your field?


I’m not sure. After the insanity of last week’s Miss Republican Idol—ooops, I mean, CNN tribute to anyone running against Barry--oh, wait, was that supposed to be a debate?--I’m not sure politics hasn’t gotten so ridiculous that it’s impossible to satire. It’s probably a good time to expand beyond it.


What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?


I attend all of the local cons, but I’ve only started participating in Artist’s Alleys in the past year. InterventionCon is only two years old and it’s becoming a very well run event. I also did AA at Katsucon and Anime MidAtlantic, but I missed out on applying to AnimeUSA because they announced the Alley practically the same day of the Japanese earthquake and my attention was elsewhere. But I like AUSA a lot and may actually cosplay there this year! T-mode is a nice small con, but I’ve only attended once. And of course, Otakon is mind-blowing. Both as an attendee and Alley participant.


What's your favorite thing about DC?


I like that it’s a big town that’s small enough to know. I can go anywhere and wind up running into a friend or colleague.


Least favorite?


Traffic.


What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?


The Smithsonian, National Gallery, Freer Gallery, Hirschhorn.


How about a favorite local restaurant?


Since moving to Alexandria, I don’t get much into the city for dining, especially since there’s a number of great restaurants in my neighborhood that I love: Hana Tokyo, La Casa for pizza, and Tempo for more elegant but laidback dining.

Do you have a website or blog?


Politics: Intravenous Caffeine— http://ivcaffeine.com/ —my older Bush era cartoons are still on HAIL DUBYUS! http://haildubyus.com/  I display my non-political works at DeviantArt at http://gregoriusu.deviantart.com/gallery  My books BUSHWHACKED and BLECCH! -are available at Ka-Blam http://ka-blam.com/  (search for the titles).

Meet a Local Cartoonist: Garth Graham

 Garth Graham was at last fall's Intervention con and answered my usual questions.

Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Garth Graham: I'm a webcomic artist. Right now I'm working on an urban fantasy, before that a slice-of-life comedy strip, next up who knows! Something in space maybe.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I used to pencil and ink by hand, but these days I do everything digitally. I use a Wacom Cintiq, do my line art in Corel Painter and all of my color work in Photoshop.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in '83. I'll leave you to guess which century.

Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?

Actually I live in Virginia, down in Stafford. I came here when my parents moved here and haven't found a particularly compelling reason to move away yet. The greater DC area is very centrally located to a lot of the conventions I go too, and there's quite the wealth of comic artists in the area.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I don't have any formal training in cartooning. I went to Virginia Tech to get my degree in Industrial Design, which overlaps a surprising amount with what I do. But the art and the story telling and all the comic-specific skills are things I've worked at and built up on my own over time.

Who are your influences?

Probably too many to list, but chiefly among them reside Mark Silvestri, Phil Foglio, J Scott Campbell, Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Douglas Adams, Robert A. Heinlein, Peter F. Hamilton and many many others.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

That's a hard question. I don't really know if I'd change anything. Hindsight says I might have been better off if I had timed some things differently (launching new titles right as the housing market crumbles for instance), but there isn't really a moment that I wish I could go back to and re-do.

What work are you best-known for?

I am probably best known for my series of twisted faerie tale art prints.

What work are you most proud of?

Whatever is most recent. Every new page, every new print. Each piece I feel is better than the last, and that's what I'm most proud of.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

In the future I'm hoping to work on some more sci-fi kinds of stuff. Science fiction is what I grew up on, and while a lot of people consider me a steampunk artist, sci-fi is still my go to source for awesome and wonder.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I go do something else. Anything else. I boot up the xbox, I go for a jog, or go to the gym to do some rockclimbing. Something that works a different part of my brain, or no part at all. I let my subconscious churn it over for a bit and it always comes back to me with a solution.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

I think, given time, all comics will be webcomics. They'll be in print too, absolutely, but the first point of distribution will be digital, will be on the web. I think this will allow for a real surge of independent (i.e. not Marvel or DC) comics into the public eye. The Marvel and DC universes won't be the entirety of what make up American comics in the minds of the general populace. It's going to be a wild trip.

What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

Local to DC, I attend Intervention and Katsucon regularly. AnimeUSA is another local con I've been to in the past. I'm hoping to get into SPX next year.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

Let's be honest, there's a LOT of cool stuff going on in DC. Not just history and politics and the center of power of what is arguably still the most powerful nation on the planet, but there's enough social life going on that no matter what your interest or inclination you can find it happening somewhere and join in the party.

Least favorite?

The traffic.

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

I've a long standing love of the Smithsonian Air and Space museum, both the one in DC and the big one out by Dulles.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

While not technically in DC proper, I'm a big fan of Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring. Great atmosphere, great food, wenches, sea shanties, fire shows, and belly dancing. What more could you want?

Do you have a website or blog?

Several, in fact! My most actively updated website is, of course, my current comic Finder's Keepers which can be found at http://www.finderskeepers.gcgstudios.com/ . My former site is http://www.gcgstudios.com/

Meet Two Local Cartoonists: Mike Isenberg and Oliver Mertz, writers of "First Law Of Mad Science"

Mike Isenberg and Oliver Mertz, co-writers of "First Law Of Mad Science" were at the fall Intervention con and answered my usual questions. I took the liberty of merging their separate e-mail responses into one since this comic is the first for both of them, and their answers overlapped as a result.

Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Mike Isenberg & Oliver Mertz: I am the co-writer of the comic series "First Law Of Mad Science." It is a print comic that we are self publishing, and it will be available in comic shops nationwide this November.*

MI: In addition to the writing, I'm also responsible for lettering the book.

MR: How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

MI: Oliver and I write together using Skype and GoogleDocs, which allows us to see what the other is typing in real time, from hundreds of miles away. He lives in DC, and I'm in NYC, so being able to collaborate so directly over the internet is really essential for us. Once we finish a script for one of the issues, we send it to our artist Daniel Lapham, who draws using traditional pencils and inks, which he then scans and sends back to us. At that point we send the inked pages along to another artist, Jeff McComsey, who adds the grayscales digitally. And finally, I use Photoshop to digitally letter the comic, and then InDesign to put everything together for the printer.

OM: I live in DC and Mike lives in NY, so face to face writing isn't possible. We then work with several other artists, who bring our scripts to life. Daniel Lapham does our pencils and inks. Jeff McComsey does our grayscale. Jamie Noguchi, who is also from the DC area, does our cover art. All three of them are incredible artists.

MR: When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

MI: I was born in DC in 1982.

OM: I was born in 1982 in Silver Spring.

MR: Why are or aren't you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?

MI: Right now I live in New York City, in a neighborhood of West Harlem known as "Hamilton Heights." I grew up just outside DC, though, in Bethesda, and then later spent a year living with some friends in College Park.

OM: Washington is a great city. I live in Cleveland Park, right by the Uptown. By the way, living by the Uptown was kind of a childhood dream of mine. It was always an event going to the Uptown. Movies always seemed better.

MR: What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

MI: I studied Creative Writing in college, and took a couple of comic-book history classes while I was there as well. As a writer I often wish I had cartooning talent; it'd make things a lot easier if I could draw our story on my own. There's something to be said for collaboration, though; a good collaboration can become much more than the sum of its parts, and it's been really exciting seeing all the amazing talent that other people are bringing to our story.

OM: I studied film at American University. This may be why most of our early comic scripts resembled film scripts. It's not that I didn't love comics. I always have. It's just that I learned to write in film script form. That took some time to adapt. After months and months of reading any and every comic script I could get my hands on, I felt confident writing in that form.

MR: Who are your influences?

MI: Yukito Kishiro, Alan Moore, Jeff Smith, Warren Ellis, Will Eisner, and Jason are all comics storytellers that I really admire. And of course H.P. Lovecraft gets a few direct homages in our book.

OM: I don't think you can approach one art form and expect to create something without being influenced by other art forms. I grew up devouring stories in any form I could get them; I read tons of comics, watched every movie ever made, and read any book I could get my hands on. I love early Ridley Scott films, I'm somewhat of a Hemingway nerd, and owe my life to Rob Schrab's Scud: The Disposable Assassin.

Also, if I can ever find a way to work Robert Altman-style overlapping dialogue into a comic, I will.

MR: If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

MI: It's still a bit early for that, I think; we've only really just gotten started in comics. I'm sure we've made plenty of mistakes, but thankfully they all seem to be small ones so far.

OM: Being that "First Law of Mad Science" is our first comic, I'm looking forward to making mistakes that we will one day look back on and lament.

MR: What work are you best-known for?

MI & OM: First Law Of Mad Science.

MR: What work are you most proud of?

MI & OM: First Law Of Mad Science.

MR: What would you like to do or work on in the future?

MI: "First Law" is really only just getting started, and we've got a lot planned for it, so I'd love to be able to keep that going for a while. We had a side project recently, writing two short comic scripts for the upcoming WWII zombie anthology "FUBAR 2", and that was a lot of fun, so we may look into doing some other side projects while we're working on "First Law."

OM: I would love to continue writing "First Law" and to continue to tell (hopefully) satisfying stories.

MR: What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

MI: The great thing about working as a team is that usually if one of us has writer's block, the other will still have some fun ideas to kick around, which tends to clear up the writers' block pretty quickly. In the off chance that we're both in a rut at the same time, we'll just shoot the shit over Skype or maybe play some video-games together online. Taking a small break like that seems to help a lot; usually by the next time we meet we'll be ready to get back to work without any trouble.

OM: There are points when either Mike or I have writer's block. Working as a team allows for one teammate to snap the other out of it. If one of us is excited by an idea, it's usually not long before the other is rejuvenated.

MR: What do you think will be the future of your field?

MI: Well of course right now everyone's buzzing about digital comics, and I think we're clearly heading somewhere in that direction, but I think it's much to early to really say where we'll end up. Will the "e-book" model that DC and Comixology are using really hold up for comics in the long run? Or are we going to see more and more creators swing towards a webcomics-style model? I really don't know, but I'm excited to see how things progress.

OM: The way I look at it, stories are stories. I don't write to make money. I write to tell stories that I want to read. Hopefully, others will also want to read them too. People will be reading comics for a long time. It may be that one delivery method for stories and art will be no more. That's fine. It just means that people will get their comics in another format. It doesn't mean that the demand for high quality content has changed.

MR: What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

MI: This year in the DC area, we attended Intervention and Baltimore Comics Con. We would have loved to exhibit at SPX, but we were wait-listed for a table and didn't get one this year. SPX has always been a big deal for me; back in high school I used to bike down to the show in Bethesda every year. It would have been great to come back to my home town and attend my home convention again, but on the other side of the table and with a comic to show. Next year I'm going to be watching the SPX website like a hawk so I can submit our exhibitor application the minute they start taking them.

OM: Mike and I exhibited at Intervention and the Baltimore Comic Con this year. Both were great shows. I did really enjoy getting to Intervention by Metro. Big points for that.

MR: What's your favorite thing about DC?

MI: All the great friends I still have in the area.

OM: Big Planet Comics. I love comics and they are nice enough to sell them to me.

MR: Least favorite?

MI: Probably a tie between the humidity and the traffic.

OM: The lack of hover-cars. This is probably due to the fact that hover-cars don't exist. But come DC! Get some hover-cars!

MR: What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

MI: Air & Space! Maybe I'm just a giant nerd, but I still geek out over touching moon rocks and hanging out under the Spirit Of St. Louis.

OM: I love the third floor of the National Portrait Gallery. I suppose, that or the Hirshhorn.

MR: How about a favorite local restaurant?

MI: Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Cafe, in Bethesda. When I was a kid, they were located across the street from Big Planet Comics. As soon as we'd place our dinner orders, my folks would give me a couple of bucks and I'd run out to Big Planet to check out the new comics. I think a few of my older comics still have salsa stains on them from trying to read them at the table when I'd get back.

OM: Filomena in Georgetown is really great. I've had the privilege of sitting the kitchen table in the back of the restaurant. It was the best meal I've ever had.

MR: Do you have a website or blog?

MI & OM: http://FirstLawOfMadScience.com

*November 2011, shortly after this interview was conducted.

Meet a Semi-Local Cartoonist: Chris Otto

Chris Otto on the left and writer Ben Taylor at Intervention con.

Webcartoonist Chris Otto wrote a nice introduction for the Intervention con site last fall, which I'll quote here rather than rewrite it: "I started "A Dog's Life" last September after years of being a webcomics fan and wanted to try to make people as happy as I am when reading them. I just had to wait for inspiration to strike, and one day I started seeing my dog Hunter in my head in comic strip form, and there it was. I may have been a little hasty from conception to the time I started posting comics; I wrote and drew up 30 strips in 3 weeks and started posting. Am I insane for deciding to start up a comic with no artistic history and pushing 40? Perhaps. Have I had more fun than should be legal since I started drawing? You bet. Dogs rule, cats drool." He was kind enough to answer my usual questions.

Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Chris Otto: I am the creator of the comic “A Dog's Life” on the web. I write, draw, color...I do it all!

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I draw the strip on Bristol board with pen and ink, then scan it into the computer for coloring and lettering.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

July, 1971.

Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I'm actually in Richmond, but I travel to DC often for comic events and visits with friends.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

Unless doodling Bloom County characters in my notebooks in high school counts, none... I just picked up a pen and started to draw.

Who are your influences?

Dave Kellett and Berke Breathed are the biggest ones.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I would have waited until my drawing was more refined before launching the comic. The early strips are pretty scary, art-wise.

What work are you best-known for?

A Dog's Life. It's my first comic.

What work are you most proud of?

The 10th strip of the current story line, “Bark To The Future” is probably the best thing I've drawn; it's on my wall now.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I plan on doing the comic for a long time, and I'd like to take the book I nearly finished
writing and turn that into a second comic.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I'll take a shower; my best ideas pop into my head in the shower. I take a lot of showers!

What do you think will be the future of your field?

Comics on the web have been around a long time, and more and more arrive every day. As
traditional print media dwindles, people will go to the internet for their comics.

What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?


I was at Intervention for the first time this year, and hope to attend again next year. The DC Comicon is another of my favorites, run by Brett Carreras of the VA Con and MarcNathan of the Baltimore Comicon... it's a fantastic show.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

People from DC come from all over but inevitably become die-hard fans of the local teams, especially the Caps and the Nats...the sports fans here are great!

Least favorite?

Driving.

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

I'm a big fan of the Spy Museum.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

Ted's Bulletin. Best. Milkshakes. Ever.

Do you have a website or blog?

You can read “A Dog's Life” at http://adogslifecomic.com/

Meet a Formerly Local Cartoonist: T Campbell

Webcomic writer T Campbell was at the Intervention con last fall. I bought his collections of the Penny & Aggie webcomic when I saw artist Gisele Lagace's artwork, and enjoyed them immensely.He answers our usual questions, although refusing to tell what the 'T' stands for.

Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

T Campbell: Most of my comics are on the Web, one way or another, though many are also in print. I've done a very little work for major print publishers like Marvel, Archie and Tokyopop.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I'm a writer, but many of the artists I work with have switched to a computer-based system since I started working with them. In some cases I honestly don't know. The look of computer work is more and more difficult to distinguish.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in Virginia Beach in the 1970s.

Why aren't you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area did you live in?

I bounced around several apartments in the DC area for a few years, trying to get enough freelance work to justify my continued residence there, then got a comics job which took me to Oxford. After that was over, I came back to the Virginia Beach area, where I was more comfortable.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I did a little study at the Savannah College of Art and Design, but as more of a writerly sort, I had to apply my English degree and self-educate from there. Still, the scriptwriting course at UCLA probably helped.

Who are your influences?

Alan Moore, Peter David and Scott McCloud were the ones most in my mind when I started my career. I try to find a new one every few months, these days.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

Start earlier-- I have a running fantasy of getting in on the ground floor of the Web, when some well-chosen investments could've changed a whole lot of things! Failing that, not do my History of Webcomics book, which was a lot of work for too little money, too much politics and a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.

What work are you best-known for?

Almost certainly Penny and Aggie, my just-concluded seven-year story about teenage girlhood, followed by the epic fantasy Guilded Age.

What work are you most proud of?

That's a toughie. The aforementioned pieces are pretty good, but I also have to throw a little love to Fans, my longest-running and most inventive series, about science-fiction fans in science-fictional adventures.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I'm just starting a series called Quiltbag, about sexuality, college and finding your identity.


What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

It helps to change things up. I'm someone who can get very focused-- one might say fixated-- on one thing for an extended period, so I find that shifting that focus usually gives me time to recharge my interest in everything else.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

What local cons do you attend ? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

I've attended both. They're good shows, full of people who seem to have very good attitudes about comics and generally commercially healthy.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

There's so much here-- so much history, so many remarkable things going on.

Least favorite?

Traffic.

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

I'm fond of the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum. All those giant aircraft and spacecraft in one hangar. Really inspiring.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

I'm a simple sort: a Friendly's is as good for me as anyplace more exotic.

Do you have a website or blog?

Lots of websites, but you can check me out at http://tcampbell.net to get started.

Two, no, three, new cartoonist sites this evening

I ran across Rebecca Moretti (nee Simms) and Chris Mararac at the DC Conspiracy table at Anime USA this past weekend. Simms-Moretti was selling two collections of her webcomic, and Mararac had large prints of his cartoon artwork.

Simms does the webcomic Girl Ninja, and is a former local. Mararac's site is www.uppercut-justice.com

I also saw the people behind the Intervention con, and here's a link to Onezumi Hartstein's webcomic Stupid & Insane Defenders Against Chaos.

Webcomics creators at SPX

I enjoyed Lauren Orsini's SPX article on webcomics - a good take on things that I hadn't considered before. It's amazing how one con can be so many things to so many people.

Carolyn Belefski profiled at Fairfax Connection

Carolyn will be at SPX this weekend too.

Drawn to the Web: Comic strip artist Carolyn Belefski finds a home and an audience on the Internet.
By Michael O'Connell
Fairfax Connection September 06, 2011    
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=354019&paper=63&cat=104

Oh, and Michael interviewed me for this too, to get a feeling for the state of comics.

Meet a Visiting SPX Cartoonist: A Chat with Jennifer Hayden

The Washington City Paper blog is a bit backed up with a bunch of interviews I've gotten for SPX so I'll run some with friends here. I met Jennifer Hayden at Baltimore Comic Con in 2010, and we talked about webcomics and her plans to draw a comic about her breast cancer. As you might expect, Jennifer's not your typical 20-something young cartoonist. According to her biography on ACT-I-VATE, "is a politically incorrect mother of two. She lives in a barn in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, three cats and the dog. As a child, she spent every summer sprawled on the couch, reading the Archies. Now that wise investment is paying off."

CDC: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I do autobiographical comix. My first book of comix, Underwire, just came out from Top Shelf. It started life as a webcomic on ACT-I-VATE.com. Meanwhile, I've started posting another webcomic called S'Crapbook on www.onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.com, and I'm finishing a graphic novel about my life and my experience with breast cancer which will be published by Top Shelf as well.

CDC: What work are you best-known for?

JH: I guess I'm known for my work in Underwire, the personal rantings of a middle-aged woman with a husband and teenagers. Although some people have seen bits of the other book I'm working on, about my breast cancer, which is a much heavier project.

CDC: How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I never went to art school, so I draw with the same tools I used as a teenager: a Rapidograph pen on Bristol smooth paper. Now, though, I use Photoshop to scan the panels, which I create individually, and to arrange them on pages for print purposes (they stay individual panels in my webcomix.)

CDC: Can you tell us a little about your books that you'll have with you at SPX?

JH: I'll be debuting my new book Underwire. Top Shelf did a beautiful job publishing this baby--softcover with French flaps, and a gorgeous book and cover design by Chris Ross. It's eighty pages, with twenty-two of the webcomic strips, plus seventeen new pages of comix and art made exclusively for this book. I'll also be selling a new minicomic, with a collection of strips from my new webcomic S'Crapbook, currently running on www.onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.com.

CDC: If you've attended the Small Press Expo in the past - do you have any thoughts about your experience?

JH: My first SPX was last year--I went to help out at Dean Haspiel's table, selling his new book Cuba--and I had such a blast. It's so much more sane, quiet and comfortable than New York Comic Con and even MoCCA, two conventions I've attended in New York City for the past few years. I couldn't get over how easy it was to talk with my favorite cartoonists. They were all there! I was literally wandering around in heaven. And this year: Roz Chast? Diane Noomin? Will my head just explode? Possibly.

CDC: What are you looking forward to buying or seeing or doing for this year's event? Or who do you want to see, to catch up on old times, or to have a fangirl experience?

JH: I look forward to having my first book out, that's for sure. (I am thinking of fashioning a paper crown that says "comix princess" and wearing it all weekend.) I also am seriously looking forward to being on a panel on Sunday called "Images of The Body", moderated by Craig Fischer, with Robyn Chapman (Hey 4-Eyes!, Make), Gabby Schulz (Monsters), and Jen Vaughn (Don't Hate, Menstruate! Heavy Flow), about "the ethics, erotics and extremes involved in representing the external experience of the body." Naturally I have a long shopping list of books I can't wait to get my hands on, from Top Shelf and some other publishers, and I'll be catching up with friends and swooning over some longtime idols. And then, of course, there's the smorgasbord of minicomics...

CDC: What's your favorite thing about the DC area? Least favorite?

JH: I was at the convention most of the time last year, so I didn't much of DC. I understand the traffic can be a bear, and this year should be challenging, with all the commemorative stuff going on in the city.

CDC: What monument or museum do you like or wish to visit when you're in town?

JH: I'd love to see the Smithsonian someday.

CDC: What do you think will be the future of your field?

JH: I haven't really been in this field long enough to say. What excites me is the prospect of graphic novels growing in this country as a literary form--to takehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif on more aspects of traditional and experimental fiction, and use art to blow out the cobwebs. I think there's huge room for growth in this direction, and I can't wait to see what happens.

CDC: Do you have a website or blog?

JH: Yes. http://www.goddesscomix.blogspot.com/ and http://www.jenniferhayden.com/.

The Small Press Expo takes place 11 am–7 p.m. Sept. 10 and noon–6 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, Bethesda. $10-$15.