It might surprise you, but Suzanne is based on a real Suzanne, though very, very loosely. The artist shared a story on his Instagram, where he tells what the character was inspired by. Turns out he based it on his own grandma. Paul, the creator of the comic, visited her in summers in South France, and had lots of good times with her. She liked watching horror movies with him and pretended to lose at chess so she would boost Paul'sconfidence. But there are some key differences between the real Suzanne and the protagonist. Her hair was darker than in the comic, and she was a real sweetheart. "Why would the artist then portray her like that?" you might ask. Paul's answer is simple: he believes that she would've loved it.
Paul, the comic artist, has given Bored Panda an exclusive interview. Here's how he introduced himself and his comics. "My name is Paul, I live in Paris, France. I’m a graphic designer, meaning I watch videos on YouTube all day and pop a logo from time to time. I started making these comics during the first blockade here in France. I had so much free time that I was either doing something creative and fun or turning into an alcoholic to pass the time. Suzanne was my grandmother (I made a permanent story on my page called 'Suzanne,' where I explain that my character is based on her (more by the figure than the rest, the real Suzanne was kind and patient (which my character clearly isn't).”
Paul told us a little bit about his humble beginnings as a creator in his childhood. "I used to draw cavemen when I was a kid. I drew them collecting fruits, hunting mammoths, sleeping in caves. I was literally obsessed with cavemen." He also gave a sneak peek at his process. "Whenever I have an idea, I do a sketch on a little piece of paper. My flat is literally filled with little pieces of paper. When I feel like doing a comic, I just search everywhere for little pieces of paper."
Paul's not just a comic creator, but also a fan of them. "I love @extrafabulouscomics (who doesn’t?), @davecontra (awesome guy), @pierremortel (also awesome guy)." As for the guys that he mentioned, keep your eye out for Pierre Mortel, fellow readers, as he's preparing something really wicked for Halloween for Bored Panda!
The artist has also given a golden piece of advice for wannabe comic creators: "I can only say what works for me: NEVER ASK YOUR FRIENDS FOR THEIR OPINION ON YOUR CREATION! Only strangers will tell you if it’s actually s***. That’s why I love the internet. People are free. They tell you what they really think. That’s how you improve. (Even if freedom comes with a comment saying 'Is that supposed to be funny? Who upvotes this s***? Like seriously?' (actual comments I get on Reddit from time to time.)"
Paul shared his hopes and plans for the future. "I’d love to do merch. When there will be PsychoSuzanne T-shirts, it’ll be the only shirts I’ll ever wear for the rest of my life. Weddings, dates, funerals, whatever.
Also I want to get a corgi and name it Marcel but that has nothing to do with anything. (I saw a video of a corgi once. He was swimming in a bathtub and his butt floated on the surface of the water. I used to be obsessed with cavemen but now it's with corgis' floating butts. That's what I call gaining maturity.)"
