Bored Panda reached out to Stephen Beals again to find out more about his recent work. First, we asked about the most rewarding aspects of being a comic artist, and what keeps him motivated to continue creating. The artist told us: “I make comics every day because I love them. They are there to comfort me after a bad day, to tuck me in at night, and to make me a balanced meal. OK, I exaggerate, but not much. Finding others who can relate to what I write is the ultimate motivator. Thank you, random internet stranger! You’ve encouraged me to write another day."
Asked about how his art style has evolved over time and what factors influenced these changes, Stephen answered: “Art evolves the same way a person’s handwriting evolves. Influences happen along the way. Art school. Artists I admire. Different techniques. But like handwriting, you can be in a hurry. I contend that a lot of great art was made by accident when the artist was in a rush. The artist likes that accident and repeats it. The tools have changed drastically. I’ve gone from a pen to a brush to a stylus, and now want to go back to a brush. I miss ink.”
Next, we wanted to know more about the most challenging part of creating a comic. Beals shared with us: “It’s always the writing. I can have an amoeba of an idea and growing it into a creature I like is a hit-and-miss operation. It’s kind of like raising a child in a few hours, except I would love my child no matter what. I do not feel the need to love all of my comics. In fact, I prefer to forget about quite a few. The language is important and hitting the right beats is both fun and challenging. The art would be equally challenging if I spent as much time as I wanted to on staging, but time is always of the essence and the writing comes first.”
We were also interested in how the artist manages to balance the creative aspects of his work with the business side of things, such as marketing and promotion. Beals told us: “I don’t! I’ve had many people request books, and it’s an ongoing goal to make one, but time is not my friend. The strip has become popular despite my lack of marketing efforts.”
Then, we were curious about how the comic artist stays up to date with current trends and developments in the comic industry. Stephen said: “I read as much as I can. Reading cartoonists’ posts or articles on sites like Bored Panda is really the best way to keep up. There are many cartoonists I have been fortunate enough to know, and talking with them is always amazing. Cartoonists are the nicest people! Cartooning moved from print to digital. The reasonable expectation of pay was lost in a sea of web goop. I see digital subscriptions and sites continuing to be the future.”
Finally, we wanted to find out if Stephen has other creative projects or mediums he would like to explore in the future. Beals revealed: “Two things on my Fiddle About and Have Fun List: Painting and writing a mystery novel. A funny mystery novel. Will I write it? That’s the mystery.”
