Show Notes:

Tell me a little more about Fat Cat. Are you sure you followed the right path with Girls With Slingshots? I mean. Fat Cat. Brian

You have a large cast of characters. How do you manage all those egos? Who is the problem child? Who is your favorite? Brian

How do you balance your gag strips with strips that simply move the story forward? Joel

Really Funny strip! Has real life story written all over it. Am I right? Joel
http://www.girlswithslingshots.com/comic/gws-1571/

How has your approach to creating a web comic changed from when you started? Matt

I feel like there is more design detail in your close up panels lately. Loving it! Conscious effort on your part, or the march of subconscious character design development? Joel

Your comic has some fairly adult humor at times. What are some of the perks and drawbacks to that approach? Matt

You’ve been at this for almost nine years now. How do you keep it fresh, and how do you maintain your enthusiasm? Matt

Follow up to Matt’s 9 year question: From a business standpoint how have you diversified to continue to be an independent artist? Joel
Buffer? Schedule? Joel
If you could travel back in time and give yourself some advice relating to your comic, what would it be? Matt

I JUST found out about ComicChameleon… And noticed that GWS is part of the opening lineup. What can you tell us about it? Joel
http://www.comicchameleon.com/ (Watch video guys)

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, and Matt

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker:

Show Notes:

Nuts and Bolts
All Night is 100% digital. Has your professional work always been digital or have you made the shift like so many others? Joel

I keep hearing more and more about Manga Studio. What is it about the software you like? What puts it above Photoshop or Sketchbook Pro for you? Joel

http://hanna.aftertorque.com/

Most artists we talk to tend to be “character people” for the lack of a better term. You draw backgrounds for vertigo’s The Unwritten series. How did that come about? Background lover at heart? Joel

http://anime-backgrounds.tumblr.com

https://www.google.com/search?q=Eyvind+Earle.&aq=f&oq=Eyvind+Earle.&aqs=chrome.0.57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

What can you tell us about your decision to use a horizontal page layout? What factored in? Joel

Born and raised in the “middle of the Mississippi River”? Cool underwater town we don’t know about? Joel

Your top 3 art influences. Gut reaction. And… GO! Joel

Your interest in the supernatural started early. Was there a person in your life or story in particular that you can site as “the beginning” Joel

All Night deals with the Occult. It’s been nearly 30 years since Michael Jackson’s Thriller video warned us in the opening of that video that we were about to view something that dealt with the occult. Should I be scared? Brian

Are you a comic book fan? Did you ever read any Horror comics from the 70s like Tales from the Crypt? Brian

How did you earn the Xeric Grant to self-publish Francis Sharp in the Grip of the Uncanny! ? Joel

What was that experience like for you? Joel

What was it that prompted you to start the comic? Matt

We don’t often get a chance to interview people who have just started their comics. Were there any surprises, and and did you get through them? Matt

Your art is fantastic, but it does look very labor intensive. Are you worried about maintaining the quality you’ve started off with? Matt

I like the look of the magical language. Is it planned out, or do you make it up on the fly? Matt

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, and Matt

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker:

Show Notes:

Bear Nuts… What’s in a name? How did it come about? Are we talking nutty bears or bear-y nuts? Joel

STD bear and the Cone F Shame… Tanked bear eating his own barf… What is the grossed thing you’ve drawn in bear nuts? What is your barometer? Joel

What motivates the bears? Their own boredom? Pleasure in tormenting others? Joel

One of the design choices you make when drawing the bears far away is to not draw their nose. Style thing? (Anime) Or scale thing? Joel

Shop talk! What is your process? Traditional? Digital? Combo? Walk us through … Joel

How big do you draw Bear Nuts? (THE COMIC. Get your mind out of the gutter.) Joel

You’ve been at this a while, you obviously know your characters really well. Ever catch yourself thinking like any of the bears at social gatherings? Joel

Are you familiar with Happy Tree Friends? Before or after Bear Nuts? Source of inspiration? Joel

Tell us about your prints! “Tanked Nouveau” is a fave. Joel

What work fills your time outside if bear nuts? Joel

ipad question Joel

editor interest ? Joel

traffice / ads… Joel

Time constraints aside, any thoughts of animating Bear Nuts? Joel

Over time I’ve noticed slight design changes in the bears and their proportions. Natural evolution or conscious effort with things you’re not happy with? Joel

Why no girl bears? Joce

Given the subject matter of your comics, do you ever take flack from people who take offense to your comic? If so, how do you deal with the trolls? Joce

Do you find it difficult to incorporate all 9 (Now 10 with the panda) of your characters into the strip? I imagine Gay Bear would be quite a diva if he didn’t get enough screen time… Joce

The Bear Nuts characters are obviously the dark universe equivalent of the Care Bears, but were there other things that inspired the idea? Matt

Your stuff is very highly polished, how long does it take you to do a finished page? Matt

I see you are a fellow animator. Which medium holds greater appeal for you, animation or illustration? Matt

Bear Nuts seems to be largely your creation, but you still mention that your husband is involved. How does he help? Matt

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, and Matt

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker:

Show Notes:

Congrats on Adventures for a Lazy Afternoon. Still a few days left and you are already at 300% of set goal. Pleased? Did you celebrate the day you funded? What did you do? When does the real work begin? Brian

How is your new year’s goal of 20 pages a month going for book 4? Brian

Inking on Velum was the topic of a recent YouTube video you posted. What are the risks vs reward in this process? Brian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn-G52vz5Ws
What size? Joel

With three books available now, have you made any move towards giving readers the option of a digital version? Joel

Do I detect a fellow Elfquest fan? Matt

Your story has a leisurely pace to it that I love, but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Have you had any complaints? Matt

I get the impression that, unlike a lot of artists I know, you really love doing backgrounds. Am I wrong? Matt
http://www.williamstout.com/

You give some good advice about backgrounds when you posted this comic. What was on your mind? What spurred that thought during the comic? Brian
http://www.beanleafpress.com/?p=4355

You have a character who speaks all in ryhme. Were you kicking yourself for that decision after a while? Matt

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker:

Show Notes:

Can you give us (and listeners) the basics on Oyster War. Joel

Your other works fall in historical function. I take it Oyster War is the same? (Forgive me, my American history is crap.) Joel

So I have to ask, why oysters? Joel
Follow up: Did you have to do a lot of research before/while writing Oyster War?

Who are your current cartooning influences? (Long list? Your top three or four.) Joel

You use a wide range of colors on Oyster War, not all of them obvious choices, how do you select your color pallet? Joel
Follow up: (comment) Great use of color for highlight/communication on Page 43.

How do you come up with your characters names? Historical influence as well? Joel

John Clark Monk sounds like an… Interesting fellow. Based on a real story/legend or all you? Joel

tools of the trade: how do you draw the comic? Joel

In a conversation we had on Twitter about web design you mentioned a coming end for Oyster War… What can you tell us about that? Always the plan? Looking forward to new projects? Joel
Follow up: Once you wrap things up, any thoughts on revamping the website for new readers vs. current/on-going readers?

Tease his new projects… Joel

You have only one supernatural creature in your cast, a selkie? Is she going to be the only piece of mythology, or is there more in the works? Matt

I love the Captains tendency to mangle well known sayings. How did you come up with that character quirk? Matt

You’ve put out a few books already. Which one was your favorite to work on and why? Matt

There’s a lovely retro vibe to the comic. It reminds me of some of the early newspaper strips. Was that what you were shooting for? Why? Matt

The comic is so rich visually that it must take a long time to do each page. Have you had to crop anything out of the story in order to keep things moving? Matt

I saw on your “about me” page that you’ve done some teaching. What classes did you teach? Matt

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker:

Show Notes:

TECH QUESTIONS:

Are you all digital or do you brainstorm/sketch in the really real world? Brian

Are you still using Photoshop CS4? Tried Manga Studio 5? Everybodies doing it. C’mon. Just a quick hit. Brian

What kind of hardware? Wacom? Intuous? Cintiq? Nintendo Zapper? Brian

Have you been creating the comic with an eye toward a print version? Matt

http://www.devilsdue.net/plume/

I read through the archives on my iPad. It felt like there was a lot of white space on the site. Why not make you art bigger? It deserves it! Joel

How big are your originals/digital templates? Joel

ARTISTIC VISION QUESTIONS:

You use halftone patterns in your comic. Is this an homage to old school comic shading? How do you do them? C’mon. Out with it. We won’t use it…we promise. Brian

You have a very rich but muted color palette. Is this an ever evolving pallete like my spelling of pallette or did you pretty much have a theme in mind from the offset? Brian

What influenced you to do a old west themed comic? Was it so you could draw horses walking away? Or something more sincere like “my dad and I used to watch….” Please let it be something sappy!! Brian

You have had other artists such as Nei Ruffino, Joel Humberto Herrera and Elizabeth Torque create alternative covers for issues of the comic book versions of Plume. How do you feel with your characters in the hands of other artists? Was this a personal experience or something setup by your publisher? Brian

Your drawing style seems heavily influenced by animation, specifically disney and anime. Do you have some favorite films? Matt

I noticed your characters tend to have a white outline around them, how did that come about? Matt

Vesper’s hair is black with no detail beyond the silhouette. Corrick is the same but white. How did you reach that aesthetic? Is there a reason you can share for the juxtaposition? Joel

WRITING STYLE QUESTIONS:

Your dialogue is sparse but punchy. Lots of energy. Do you write in this way naturally or do you labor over each word, beating the dialogue into some ruggedly handsome well spoken cowboy from the turn of the century. Brian

Do you often find yourself in the grocery store staring at the grapes trying to remember what you needed? Also, it isn’t grapes. No wait. That was me. Brian

Wait…now I remember. Do you write all the stories on your own? During my cyberstalking of the comic I saw a post where a friend was helping you write dialogue. Was that for humor effect or a little peak behind the curtain at the enormous head that is the Wizard? Brian

Is the whole story already written out or are you working from some kind of outline? Matt

How long do you anticipate the final story to be, or is it meant to be ongoing? Matt

Vesper and Corrick. Interesting names! How did you come up with them? How do you approach names in general? Joel

You do a great job of not beating the reader over the head with important details. IE: Amulet. Golden gun. Intentional technique or happy accident of your storytelling style? Joel

Personal Appearances and Shit:

Part of the comicer’s life has increasingly become dependent on getting out to the conventions & meeting the fans and potential fans. Tell us about the reception you get at the cons with Plume. Brian

Do you ever dress up for these conventions? Maybe in some Plume themed costuming? Do the Steam Punks ever try to start shit? Brian

Another part of the conventions is getting out and meeting your colleagues and heroes in the industry. Regale us with such an encounter. Brian

Lora Innes: The Dreamer

http://www.thedreamercomic.com/

Into The Future:

With 2 successful kickstarter projects funded. Do you see a 3rd on the horizon? Love/Hate Kickstarter? Brian

More Plume? Other projects upcoming? Brian

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker:

Show Notes:

Why do you smell so good? Do you bathe in some sort of expensive soaps? – Brian

We had a chance to read Bodie Troll on our digital devices. What are your distribution plans? – iTunes? Comixology? Independent PDF?  - Joel

In the same line of thought, have digital platforms (iPad, android tablet, retina displays) influenced your layout? Joel

Is is a spoiler to ask how Bodie became employed by Miz Bijou? Joel

I love all the names for the characters in the story so far. How did you come up with them? Do you have a secret sauce for naming your characters in general? Joel

I already love the style of Dead Duck, but it seems like you kicked it up a level for Bodie Troll. How much time does a page for each take? Matt

Is Bodie going to be an ongoing series? Please say yes. Matt

I could gush about your artwork all night. Who are some of the artists you would gush over? Matt

Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker:

Show Notes:

What was the motivation behind creating ink’d? Brian

(if not answered above) Are any of you aspiring cartoonists, fans or just saw a need in the market? Brian

You had an unsucceful Kickstarter Campaign back in January. Obviously, you are still moving forward. What’s the plan now? Brian

How much will ink’d cost? viewer vs publisher? Brian

Did you work with any cartoonists during the development of ink’d? Brian

Do you have a favorite cartoonist? Brian

Your number 1 selling point for ink’d as a publisher. as a user. Brian

With the general decline of ad revenue on websites (specifically webcomic sites) do you feel ad supported revenue with your app may suffer? Joel

How are you handling multiple screen sizes? From iPhone small to iPad big. Retina? Joel

The screen shots on your website appear elegant and user friendly. Can you tell us about your design mission objectives? Joel

Your site description mentions a curated experience for readers. Who’s taking care of that, Inkd or the creator? Customizable? Joel

Tell us about the Author Advisory Board. What’s that been like? Joel
Can you share how artists have received the project / how they have contributed? (I understand if per-launch you can’t be too specific) Joel

Out of all the platforms you’re planning to be on, which one do you think is/will be the most difficult? Matt

Have you been actively approaching creators or are you counting on them coming to you? Matt

Ranking system? Comics rated like apps are rated in the app store? (not important – can leave until last) Joel

Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker:

Show Notes:

MATT: I don’t know if any of this will help, but here are some bit’s o’ information:
“I wrote a kid’s book called “”Lela’s Tree”" as a charity fundraiser for a local Nashville adoption…
”
STEPHEN: I love Futurama, King of the Hill, The Muppets, A Lone Star State of Mind, Trailer Park Boys, & Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—all of which inspired NEX in one way or another
Bucksnort TN really exists
NEX was originally created as an 80 page series proposal to Adult Swim
Watching Mat The Wad inspired me to consider animation before making NEX a comic…a realization that the amount of work would be awful and nightmarish in it’s neverendingness talked me out of it.
Listening to CCtoC (along with one other pcast) is what convinced me to make NEX a comic, and to post it online for free.
NEX book #2 will have a back up story about a trio of Fat Vampires, called…Fat Vampires.

Walk us through your creative (visual) process for NEX. (Digital? Traditional? Obviously full color.) Joel
With all the cultural references you use in the dialogue, are you worried some people won’t get it? Matt
So the burning question (if not already answered)… Why rednecks? Joel
What type of comics would you say dominate your reading? Marvel/DC? Indie? (web) Gag a day? Long form, like yours? Joel

The comic has a lot of dialogue at times, was it difficult to balance the visuals with the word balloons? Matt
I see a little MAD magazine influence here, am I wrong? Matt
I hope the crazy stalker alien isn’t based on a real person. Matt
Spoiler on a spaceship. Awesome. Matt
Will there ever be a sequel? Matt
Old comics? Matt
Characters based on real people? Matt

Where do you see yourself in 5 years with regards to NEX and your work? Goals? (not just the books) Joel
Let’s not forget to mention the fun community still growing at Webcomics Google+ Community Joel
https://plus.google.com/communities/106742014422516775756

Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker:

Show Notes:

Sheldon

This is your longest running comic correct? You ever think about stopping? (right for the jugular…gnaw gnaw gnaw..like a pug with no teeth) Brian

It seems you put no limits on what Sheldo would be able to do in your comic by making him a self made man from the start. How does Sheldon keep grounded? In other words…do you ever worry your readers will not be able to relate to 10 year old rich kid of the internet age? Brian

Drive
What do you get the most out of with Drive? Departure from Sheldon? Testing ground for new techniques/ideas? Joel

I think I read/heard that you draw Drive with a pure digital process. Do you own or have you produced art for comics on an iPad/tablet? Joel

One was not enough? What did your spouse think about a second strip? Brian

Freeing Comics Talk
In your talk at OSU “The Freeing of the Comics” you mentioned how little online advertising effects your bottom line. As far as I can tell, in the past 2 years online advertising (for comics) has fallen further. Have you considered dumping ads all together on your site? Joel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzRival4atI

Be accessible. – Be entertaining. – Be kind. Joel has a story. I am scared.

Process
Your process is well documented in books, podcasts and even a video on your site – but how has it changed recently? (past few years) Joel

Fill us in on the new standing desk. How do you like it? (I have one as well – make shift, but it works.) Joel

Time Management
How do you stay in the present when so much planning is going into your future. Brian

Stripped: The Comics Documentary
Stripped features a HUGE list of comic professionals… Can you share one of your favorite moments? Joel
A. With a mentor? Joel
B. With a peer? Joel
http://strippedfilm.com

You’ve reached what most creators would consider to be success. What do you think were the most important ingredients in getting there? Matt

What has been the most unexpected part of your journey? Matt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow’s_hierarchy_of_needs

Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com

Opening Loop – 2DEEP REMIX by SteelCityRed http://www.looperman.com/users/tracks/895897

Closing Loop – DeadStringer – My Loops, Acapellas And Songs At Looperman.com http://www.looperman.com/users/profile/794457

Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver

Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes

Official Note Taker: