Wayward - An interview with the Creators.
By Jon Evans
Wayward is a series of comics about 'Teenagers fighting bad-ass-crazy Japanese Monsters', but is so much more than this. With a combination of beautiful artwork, a compelling story and a fascinating insight into Japanese mythology, Wayward is a must-read. You can read the review of Wayward Volume 1 - String Theory here.
We joined Jim Zub, Steve Cummings and Tamra Bonvillain and asked them about the creative process.
We joined Jim Zub, Steve Cummings and Tamra Bonvillain and asked them about the creative process.
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BC: Are any of you superstitious?
TB: I'm not. JZ: I love fantasy and supernatural storytelling, but I’m not personally superstitious, no. SC: Probably not. BC:Do any of you have any particular habits when creating? Do you do anything weird or unique to inspire you in your working environment? TB: Nothing too crazy. Sometimes I do a Google hangout with a group of other comic creators, which has been great. I don't live near a lot of other people in comics, so it's nice to feel connected to it more that way. Otherwise, I'll watch movies or tv shows, listen to podcasts, books on tape, or music sometimes. JZ: I work best in my own studio space, but I don’t have any particular habits I follow when I’m writing. Occasionally I’ll have music on, but that’s more to drown out noisy neighbors than to set the mood. With so many different projects on my plate I’ve had to write on planes, write in hotel rooms, write at work during my lunch break, and write at odd hours, so I’ve learned to turn ‘on’ my writing mode when deadlines are looming. I know that doesn’t sound as special as waiting for the muses to kiss my fingertips before I’m inspired to do the work, but that’s how stuff gets done. SC: I like to listen to tv shows and movies while I work. That or soundtracks. I discovered that a lot of the recycling shops (Japanese for thrift store) carry old anime sountracks on vinyl so lately I have been picking those up to listen to while drawing on the cheap! |
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BC: How easy is the workflow for you in terms of differing time zones and distances?
JZ: I’m the writer but I also act as the Project Manager on Wayward. I make sure each person on the team has what they need to do their job and act as a go between with Image for our solicitation, printing, and advertising deadlines. At first the time zone stuff (Yokohama is 13 hours ahead of Toronto) was a bit of a hassle but, as things have gone along we’ve all gotten used to it. There’s something kind of amazing about sending material off, going to sleep and seeing new artwork in my inbox when I wake up the next morning. We try to stay ahead of our deadlines enough that time zone shifts aren’t a factor when it comes to the final hand-in of print files to Image. TB: Doesn't seem to be too much of a factor for me. I stay up way into the AM, so by the time I finish pages, Steve is usually up anyway. There's seems to be enough overlap in my waking hours with the rest of the team, that it's never been an issue. SC: I haven't found it to be a hindrance yet. When I wake up and start drawing I usually have a window of a few hours to chat with Jim if anything comes up and he is always good about getting back to my email the next day when I can't catch him before he turns in for the night. But when we started I was honestly really concerned it would be a problem. And Tamra is great about coloring with any notes I send taken into account. BC: What are your greatest inspirations be they music, film and media, artwork or people? TB:I love schlocky movies, lots of comics, and other colorists' work. SC: Mine are the artists Norman Rockwell and Morita Masanori and Hojo Tsukasa from way back in the day. Also recently I have gotten come to love the work of Ark Perfomance, a Japanese manga creation team. JZ: That’s a really broad question. I’ve gone through all kinds of different phases of inspiration and all of those inform my storytelling sensibilities. Just talking comics, as I grew up I shifted from reading superhero comics (primarily Marvel), through to mature/indy fare (including the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sandman, The Tick), then Manga (including Blade of the Immortal, Video Girl Ai, Akira, and Appleseed), then webcomics (starting with PVP, Penny Arcade, Shlock Mercenary, and Sinfest) and now just a hodgepodge of all of the above. Some of my favorite current comics include Atomic Robo, Daredevil, Saga, and Invincible. If I listed off music, film, art, and animation influences I’d be here all night. I love discovering new creations/creators. |
BC: Are there any plans for Wayward Merchandise?
SC: Not yet but if Jim and I decide to do something I want to start with metal lunch boxes!
JZ: We’re focused primarily on the books right now, but I’d be happy to see other stuff pop up down the road. No current plans though.
BC: If you were approached to turn Wayward into a television series would you be happy to do this and would you prefer live action or animation?
TB: I think 2D animation would be cool.
SC: I think the hurdles of producing a show that would need to be done in Japan would be too high. That said if there were to be one I would be thrilled because I could finally get a Stan Lee style walk on! I could see this being done as an anime without too much problems and that sort of development would make my decade.
JZ: I think animation would probably be a more reasonable fit, but with the current state of special effects I guess anything is possible.
SC: Not yet but if Jim and I decide to do something I want to start with metal lunch boxes!
JZ: We’re focused primarily on the books right now, but I’d be happy to see other stuff pop up down the road. No current plans though.
BC: If you were approached to turn Wayward into a television series would you be happy to do this and would you prefer live action or animation?
TB: I think 2D animation would be cool.
SC: I think the hurdles of producing a show that would need to be done in Japan would be too high. That said if there were to be one I would be thrilled because I could finally get a Stan Lee style walk on! I could see this being done as an anime without too much problems and that sort of development would make my decade.
JZ: I think animation would probably be a more reasonable fit, but with the current state of special effects I guess anything is possible.
Jim Zub - Writer
It is evident from the first 10 issues that you have a strong core of a story for Rori and her friends. Did you have a complete narrative in mind when creating Wayward?
I have a bunch of major events planned out and an ending I’m working toward. The key for me is to have enough structure that we know where we’re going without making it so tightly planned out that we can’t add in newer/better ideas as the story evolves during creation.
It's been fascinating reading the back matter by Zack Davisson (Wayward's Cultural Contributor). How important is it to you to ensure the mythology in Wayward honours the historical mythology Zack writes about? How much artistic licence do you take when writing the plot?
I’m excited about bringing Yōkai into our story in a recognizable fashion, but this is fiction, not a historical recreation so my top priority is making something entertaining. Like all mythology, the Yōkai stories vary quite a bit between sources, so we have a lot of latitude to make the creatures our own without contradicting the source material. Zack’s essays help broaden the story and give our readers a greater appreciation of where these myths come from. They allow us to keep the main story focused on the characters rather than info-dumping historical background material every time something new shows up.
You have said that Rori’s mixed race background is integral to the story. Are we going to see some issues featuring the characters from Celtic mythology such as Supernatural Race, the Tuatha Dé Danann?
Our third arc is solidly focused on Japan, but Rori is still a crucial part of that and her role as an outsider will definitely work its way into it. Beyond that, I don’t want to spoil upcoming plot stuff, so all I can say is ‘keep reading and you’ll see.’
We enjoyed the different POV storyline of Ohara, especially with the insight it gave us into the lives of the middle class in Japanese. Do you plan to do this with any other characters?
Yes, absolutely. We shift narrators again in issue 11. Although Rori is a central character, Wayward is about all kinds of different things and seeing the story from different POVs is part of that.
Would you ever do a spin-off origin story of the Yōkai, Like a Wayward version of the Silmarillion?
No plans right now, but if the series grew and was popular enough it would be neat to go into the past and show our version of some of the big Japanese myths.
Rori’s name means ‘Brilliance’ in Celtic. This seems appropriate considering her character. How much importance do you place on naming your characters? Is it arbitrary or is it done to give clues to the story for curious fans?
The names are almost always intentional. Rori’s name was carefully chosen. The last name ‘Lane’ seemed appropriate given her power with pathways and the journey she’s taking us all on.
I have a bunch of major events planned out and an ending I’m working toward. The key for me is to have enough structure that we know where we’re going without making it so tightly planned out that we can’t add in newer/better ideas as the story evolves during creation.
It's been fascinating reading the back matter by Zack Davisson (Wayward's Cultural Contributor). How important is it to you to ensure the mythology in Wayward honours the historical mythology Zack writes about? How much artistic licence do you take when writing the plot?
I’m excited about bringing Yōkai into our story in a recognizable fashion, but this is fiction, not a historical recreation so my top priority is making something entertaining. Like all mythology, the Yōkai stories vary quite a bit between sources, so we have a lot of latitude to make the creatures our own without contradicting the source material. Zack’s essays help broaden the story and give our readers a greater appreciation of where these myths come from. They allow us to keep the main story focused on the characters rather than info-dumping historical background material every time something new shows up.
You have said that Rori’s mixed race background is integral to the story. Are we going to see some issues featuring the characters from Celtic mythology such as Supernatural Race, the Tuatha Dé Danann?
Our third arc is solidly focused on Japan, but Rori is still a crucial part of that and her role as an outsider will definitely work its way into it. Beyond that, I don’t want to spoil upcoming plot stuff, so all I can say is ‘keep reading and you’ll see.’
We enjoyed the different POV storyline of Ohara, especially with the insight it gave us into the lives of the middle class in Japanese. Do you plan to do this with any other characters?
Yes, absolutely. We shift narrators again in issue 11. Although Rori is a central character, Wayward is about all kinds of different things and seeing the story from different POVs is part of that.
Would you ever do a spin-off origin story of the Yōkai, Like a Wayward version of the Silmarillion?
No plans right now, but if the series grew and was popular enough it would be neat to go into the past and show our version of some of the big Japanese myths.
Rori’s name means ‘Brilliance’ in Celtic. This seems appropriate considering her character. How much importance do you place on naming your characters? Is it arbitrary or is it done to give clues to the story for curious fans?
The names are almost always intentional. Rori’s name was carefully chosen. The last name ‘Lane’ seemed appropriate given her power with pathways and the journey she’s taking us all on.
What is the hardest part of the creation process?
Creating a story with revelations that are surprising in the moment they’re read, but that also feel absolutely appropriate once they’ve taken place. Wayward is the most complex story I’ve written up to this point in my career. We have a large cast of varied characters, a real world location we’re trying to faithfully present, and a wellspring of historical lore we’re utilizing while adding our own twists and big ideas to the mix. It’s a ton of work but it’s pushing me to improve as a writer and I enjoy the challenge.
What challenges did you face when releasing Wayward #1?
Like any new creator-owned project, we were trying to get the word out to readers and retailers, to build a new thing from scratch and convince them that it was a worthy purchase on the shelf beside some of the biggest media brands in the world. The fact that we’ve been able to do that and slowly build small but sustainable readership is amazing.
Your economic breakdown posts are fascinating, especially in terms of where the money for each issue goes to in different platforms. In terms of increasing Wayward’s profile in a crowded market, what has been the most effective way of getting people to know about Wayward?
I did a ton of interviews for Wayward before the launch and I know that helped raise our visibility, but I think the logline we came up with (“It’s like Buffy in Japan”) coupled with that iconic first issue cover showing Ayane surrounded by that army of cats really helped grab attention. Strong visuals and an easy to understand concept made it easy to explain and sell the series.
How important is the feedback you get from your fans?
I’m thrilled to hear from readers, of course. Knowing that they’re enjoying Wayward and telling other people about it means a lot. That said, with so much of the over plot already worked out I’m not looking to our readers for suggestions on how the story should go. I’m hoping they trust Steven and I to tell the story we want and that if we’ve entertained them this far we’ll continue to do so down the road.
Do you get any hardcore manga fans commenting on Wayward? Is there a different expectation between East and West in terms of how you present your story?
I’m genuinely surprised we’ve received as much positive feedback as we have from manga and non-manga readers alike. Readers tend to see the elements they want in the series. I’ve had comic readers tell me Wayward wasn’t manga-like at all and that they felt it was more like Buffy or Supernatural, and I’ve had manga fans tell me that Wayward feels just like anime unfolding on the page. As long as they’re enjoying it, I’m not picky.
Steven printed a limited run of Japanese language Doujinshi issues of Wayward and those have done well in Japan. Our Japanese readers seem intrigued by what we’re putting together and I’m hopeful we’ll be able to find an official Japanese publisher for the series down the road.
With Wayward successfully established, do you have any plans to create any new comics or do your existing writing commitments limit what you can do?
I have another creator-owned comic in the planning stages for 2016 but I’m not sure exactly when it will launch. Wayward is my top priority right now.
Creating a story with revelations that are surprising in the moment they’re read, but that also feel absolutely appropriate once they’ve taken place. Wayward is the most complex story I’ve written up to this point in my career. We have a large cast of varied characters, a real world location we’re trying to faithfully present, and a wellspring of historical lore we’re utilizing while adding our own twists and big ideas to the mix. It’s a ton of work but it’s pushing me to improve as a writer and I enjoy the challenge.
What challenges did you face when releasing Wayward #1?
Like any new creator-owned project, we were trying to get the word out to readers and retailers, to build a new thing from scratch and convince them that it was a worthy purchase on the shelf beside some of the biggest media brands in the world. The fact that we’ve been able to do that and slowly build small but sustainable readership is amazing.
Your economic breakdown posts are fascinating, especially in terms of where the money for each issue goes to in different platforms. In terms of increasing Wayward’s profile in a crowded market, what has been the most effective way of getting people to know about Wayward?
I did a ton of interviews for Wayward before the launch and I know that helped raise our visibility, but I think the logline we came up with (“It’s like Buffy in Japan”) coupled with that iconic first issue cover showing Ayane surrounded by that army of cats really helped grab attention. Strong visuals and an easy to understand concept made it easy to explain and sell the series.
How important is the feedback you get from your fans?
I’m thrilled to hear from readers, of course. Knowing that they’re enjoying Wayward and telling other people about it means a lot. That said, with so much of the over plot already worked out I’m not looking to our readers for suggestions on how the story should go. I’m hoping they trust Steven and I to tell the story we want and that if we’ve entertained them this far we’ll continue to do so down the road.
Do you get any hardcore manga fans commenting on Wayward? Is there a different expectation between East and West in terms of how you present your story?
I’m genuinely surprised we’ve received as much positive feedback as we have from manga and non-manga readers alike. Readers tend to see the elements they want in the series. I’ve had comic readers tell me Wayward wasn’t manga-like at all and that they felt it was more like Buffy or Supernatural, and I’ve had manga fans tell me that Wayward feels just like anime unfolding on the page. As long as they’re enjoying it, I’m not picky.
Steven printed a limited run of Japanese language Doujinshi issues of Wayward and those have done well in Japan. Our Japanese readers seem intrigued by what we’re putting together and I’m hopeful we’ll be able to find an official Japanese publisher for the series down the road.
With Wayward successfully established, do you have any plans to create any new comics or do your existing writing commitments limit what you can do?
I have another creator-owned comic in the planning stages for 2016 but I’m not sure exactly when it will launch. Wayward is my top priority right now.
Steve Cummings - Line Art
How has your art style evolved since you started to draw? How hard is it to establish your own style?
I started drawing as a kid and all through high school wanted to draw comics. When I was in Japan, in college, I was too poor to go and have fun so I sat around and drew a lot. The end result was in learning to draw and figuring out the basics of story telling I absorbed mostly Japanese/Manga storytelling and art influences. That made for a distinct style that was all mine but when I moved back to the states in 2002 and started drawing comic books, I immediately had to try and change up what I was doing and "westernize" my style. Since then my style has developed with tight lines and less use of blacks.
Do you have a preference as to the tools you use for drawing? Real world or electronic?
Analogue for me. At some point I will start doing more digital work but for right now I am all pencil and paper. I even still tone by hand.
How challenging is it to draw scenes based on Jim’s notes? Does he give you plenty of free reign or do you find you have a lot of revisions?
We give each other pretty much free reign in doing what each of us does. That is important in making sure Japan looks like Japan.
What percentage of your time is spent around Tokyo photographing reference material?
I don't go out and purposefully photo unless a scene calls for a location that is really out of the way for me. Normally I just take pictures of things as I am out and about.
Have you ever planned any guest artists for Wayward? Would this be well-received by the readers?
Beyond variant covers no and I couldn't tell you.
The 5 issue front-page panorama cover is a cool idea, but apart from variant covers and the back matter what other unique content do you think draws fans to buy the individual issues rather than waiting for the trades?
I don't think it's the unique content so much as they want to read the story real time instead of waiting on the trades.
When Jim writes ‘Rori walks though Tsukiji Fish Market filled to the throngs with thousands of people’ does your heart sink? What tricks do you have to make the more complicated scenes work but that are also realistic in terms of your time?
That would take a lot of time to draw, yes! I would probably have to go and take lots of photos first, adding to the time. There is no trick though. I just spend as much time as it takes to draw a page and if it takes 12 or 14 hours then that's as long as I will work on it.
Who is your favourite character to draw?
Shirai.
I started drawing as a kid and all through high school wanted to draw comics. When I was in Japan, in college, I was too poor to go and have fun so I sat around and drew a lot. The end result was in learning to draw and figuring out the basics of story telling I absorbed mostly Japanese/Manga storytelling and art influences. That made for a distinct style that was all mine but when I moved back to the states in 2002 and started drawing comic books, I immediately had to try and change up what I was doing and "westernize" my style. Since then my style has developed with tight lines and less use of blacks.
Do you have a preference as to the tools you use for drawing? Real world or electronic?
Analogue for me. At some point I will start doing more digital work but for right now I am all pencil and paper. I even still tone by hand.
How challenging is it to draw scenes based on Jim’s notes? Does he give you plenty of free reign or do you find you have a lot of revisions?
We give each other pretty much free reign in doing what each of us does. That is important in making sure Japan looks like Japan.
What percentage of your time is spent around Tokyo photographing reference material?
I don't go out and purposefully photo unless a scene calls for a location that is really out of the way for me. Normally I just take pictures of things as I am out and about.
Have you ever planned any guest artists for Wayward? Would this be well-received by the readers?
Beyond variant covers no and I couldn't tell you.
The 5 issue front-page panorama cover is a cool idea, but apart from variant covers and the back matter what other unique content do you think draws fans to buy the individual issues rather than waiting for the trades?
I don't think it's the unique content so much as they want to read the story real time instead of waiting on the trades.
When Jim writes ‘Rori walks though Tsukiji Fish Market filled to the throngs with thousands of people’ does your heart sink? What tricks do you have to make the more complicated scenes work but that are also realistic in terms of your time?
That would take a lot of time to draw, yes! I would probably have to go and take lots of photos first, adding to the time. There is no trick though. I just spend as much time as it takes to draw a page and if it takes 12 or 14 hours then that's as long as I will work on it.
Who is your favourite character to draw?
Shirai.
Do you base any of the teenagers on real people in terms of their looks or are they completely fictional?
Not anyone specific but Shirai's hair is based on some baseball players I saw around the time I was sketching his design. Rori has a chelsea (a very overgrown one), but beyond that they are all fictional.
How challenging was it to design the Yōkai in their more modern guise? What process did you go through from taking the original historical artwork to the monsters in Wayward?
I had to put some thought into them but ultimately we are making them our own versions so I went for brutal and power in the designs.
How much of a say do you have on how Tamra colours your work, or do you leave her to it?
I leave notes in the margins for Tamra or sometimes send reference photos of specific things/places but normally she takes care of things.
Do you have any advice for artists trying to get into the industry?
Just draw all the time. Don't let the Nintendo or bars pull you away. It takes time to develop skills the right way so draw, draw, draw!
We used a Kanji translation app to try and decipher some of the background signage in the comics. Although it kind of worked (it doesn’t take idiomatic translation into account) it was pleasing to see such authenticity in the detail. How important is it to you to add this detail even if 90% of your audience may not appreciate it?
I have to know it's right on my end otherwise I couldn't send it to Jim as finished. The Japanese readers here appreciate the details too and let me know. But I have to get it right, otherwise I couldn't sleep!
Not anyone specific but Shirai's hair is based on some baseball players I saw around the time I was sketching his design. Rori has a chelsea (a very overgrown one), but beyond that they are all fictional.
How challenging was it to design the Yōkai in their more modern guise? What process did you go through from taking the original historical artwork to the monsters in Wayward?
I had to put some thought into them but ultimately we are making them our own versions so I went for brutal and power in the designs.
How much of a say do you have on how Tamra colours your work, or do you leave her to it?
I leave notes in the margins for Tamra or sometimes send reference photos of specific things/places but normally she takes care of things.
Do you have any advice for artists trying to get into the industry?
Just draw all the time. Don't let the Nintendo or bars pull you away. It takes time to develop skills the right way so draw, draw, draw!
We used a Kanji translation app to try and decipher some of the background signage in the comics. Although it kind of worked (it doesn’t take idiomatic translation into account) it was pleasing to see such authenticity in the detail. How important is it to you to add this detail even if 90% of your audience may not appreciate it?
I have to know it's right on my end otherwise I couldn't send it to Jim as finished. The Japanese readers here appreciate the details too and let me know. But I have to get it right, otherwise I couldn't sleep!
Tamra Bonvillain - Colours
The colours in Wayward are gorgeous. The blend of the more pastel tones for the less magical daytime parts of the story, and the higher contrast tones and neons for the darker underground areas and night time adventures work really well. How long did it take you to decide on the palette you have chosen?
Thanks! Figuring out palettes doesn't really take me too long, but I also approach it differently than a lot of people because of my method, I think. I don't make swatches or anything. I start with local color for everything (the color of a thing under white light, not being affected by other colors). I then run some kind of tinting/color effects over that to unify it to a certain lighting (or not if it's lit neutrally). I make other layers to add light and shadow of a particular color (like purple shadows, orange-ish light, or whatever the scene calls for). All that helps me move faster than I would otherwise and keep things consistent from page to page, and across issues if palettes are reused. So, I have an idea of the color mood I'm going for, and I tweak those layers accordingly until I get something I like. Some are trickier than others, but setting a new palette is usually pretty quick for me.
Looking at the trades, there seems to be a theme to the colours you use with Vol 1 veering towards the colder, bluer colours whereas Vol 2 has warmer more fiery colours. Is this intentional and is linked to the narrative or are we reading too much into this?
I think in that case, a lot of it is incidental. So much of the first volume takes place during gloomy weather or at night, and the second volume is during the day a lot, specifically when it's more orange/warm at dusk. I feel like a lot of decisions I make are done intuitively, so it's possible I picked up on those cues and ran with it. Also, John (Rauch) colored a lot of the first trade, so maybe some of it is just our different approach?
What is your colouring set up? Do you use a combination of Photoshop/Illustrator or do you use more specific tools like Manga Studio and Painter?
I have some of those programs, but for coloring, I have thought about trying other programs at times, but when you get your work flow down, it feels like that might be really disruptive.
It would be interesting to see an ‘Art of Wayward’ book which focusses on your creative process. Would you and Steve ever be interested in something like this or would you be reluctant to show off your unused material?
It could be cool. I don't personally have any unused work really. Maybe some alternate takes on certain pages, where we decided to go a different direction. I did have fun with the color process thing I did for the second arc, and there is a LOT more detail I could go into.
How challenging is it to juggle work commitments? Do you ever find yourself prioritising a particular piece of work?
Yeah. Sometimes deadlines bump up against other deadlines, and it can be stressful. Late artwork (though I've never had that problem with Steve) can also throw things out of whack if the deadline remains the same for me, since now I have less time to finish. I prioritize in terms of what I do first, sure, but I try very hard not to rush through anything in service of something else. If anything takes a hit, it's more likely the amount of sleep I get.
Would you say you have a colouring style that is uniquely identifiable? Does this help when being approached for commissions for comics and variant covers?
I hope so, but I dunno. It's hard to see that in my own work, since I'm so close to it. I'm aware of the differences, but I'm staring at it all the time. There have been certain approaches I've done that people have specifically requested from me, so I suppose there is to some degree.
Do you have any advice for artists trying to get into the industry?
Work a lot. Have stuff to show people. You'd be surprised how many people want to get into comics and have no samples to show. Just do comics. Do it yourself or find people to make comics, put it out there, and eventually someone will notice. Make good connections, too. All my work now is from previous connections and word of mouth.
If you could have coloured any comic in history, is there one you wished you could have done?
Swamp Thing.
Thanks! Figuring out palettes doesn't really take me too long, but I also approach it differently than a lot of people because of my method, I think. I don't make swatches or anything. I start with local color for everything (the color of a thing under white light, not being affected by other colors). I then run some kind of tinting/color effects over that to unify it to a certain lighting (or not if it's lit neutrally). I make other layers to add light and shadow of a particular color (like purple shadows, orange-ish light, or whatever the scene calls for). All that helps me move faster than I would otherwise and keep things consistent from page to page, and across issues if palettes are reused. So, I have an idea of the color mood I'm going for, and I tweak those layers accordingly until I get something I like. Some are trickier than others, but setting a new palette is usually pretty quick for me.
Looking at the trades, there seems to be a theme to the colours you use with Vol 1 veering towards the colder, bluer colours whereas Vol 2 has warmer more fiery colours. Is this intentional and is linked to the narrative or are we reading too much into this?
I think in that case, a lot of it is incidental. So much of the first volume takes place during gloomy weather or at night, and the second volume is during the day a lot, specifically when it's more orange/warm at dusk. I feel like a lot of decisions I make are done intuitively, so it's possible I picked up on those cues and ran with it. Also, John (Rauch) colored a lot of the first trade, so maybe some of it is just our different approach?
What is your colouring set up? Do you use a combination of Photoshop/Illustrator or do you use more specific tools like Manga Studio and Painter?
I have some of those programs, but for coloring, I have thought about trying other programs at times, but when you get your work flow down, it feels like that might be really disruptive.
It would be interesting to see an ‘Art of Wayward’ book which focusses on your creative process. Would you and Steve ever be interested in something like this or would you be reluctant to show off your unused material?
It could be cool. I don't personally have any unused work really. Maybe some alternate takes on certain pages, where we decided to go a different direction. I did have fun with the color process thing I did for the second arc, and there is a LOT more detail I could go into.
How challenging is it to juggle work commitments? Do you ever find yourself prioritising a particular piece of work?
Yeah. Sometimes deadlines bump up against other deadlines, and it can be stressful. Late artwork (though I've never had that problem with Steve) can also throw things out of whack if the deadline remains the same for me, since now I have less time to finish. I prioritize in terms of what I do first, sure, but I try very hard not to rush through anything in service of something else. If anything takes a hit, it's more likely the amount of sleep I get.
Would you say you have a colouring style that is uniquely identifiable? Does this help when being approached for commissions for comics and variant covers?
I hope so, but I dunno. It's hard to see that in my own work, since I'm so close to it. I'm aware of the differences, but I'm staring at it all the time. There have been certain approaches I've done that people have specifically requested from me, so I suppose there is to some degree.
Do you have any advice for artists trying to get into the industry?
Work a lot. Have stuff to show people. You'd be surprised how many people want to get into comics and have no samples to show. Just do comics. Do it yourself or find people to make comics, put it out there, and eventually someone will notice. Make good connections, too. All my work now is from previous connections and word of mouth.
If you could have coloured any comic in history, is there one you wished you could have done?
Swamp Thing.
You can purchase all back issues of the Wayward series, as well as Volume 1 and 2 and the Deluxe Hard Back Collection at Image Comics. Many thanks to Jim, Steve and Tamra for their time.
