Comics, as a form of artistic expression, have evolved significantly over the years. From their early beginnings as simple strips in newspapers to today's complex graphic novels, they have reflected changes in society, culture, and technology. Now, turning our focus to Kristian, we're intrigued to explore whether he's observed any notable shifts in the themes or tone of his comics throughout his career.
The artist shared that in the beginning, he certainly experimented with various themes and entirely different tones to explore different creative avenues.
"An early inspiration was the webcomic A Softer World (long-running, but now defunct), and I sometimes aimed for a similar approach, which focused more on the wording rather than the artwork. However, I realized that wasn’t my strongest area, which led me to create more wordless comics with as little dialogue as possible."
In one of his interviews, Kristian mentioned using humor to address serious topics such as mental health, technology, and politics in his comics. We asked the artist if there are any specific issues or events in recent years that have particularly inspired or influenced his work.
"In recent years I’ve been way more entrenched in the fascinating mess that is American politics, specifically how Trump got elected and how the pandemic was handled," Kristian replied. "However, that certainly does not necessarily translate all that well to humor and comic strips. Also, on a more personal level, my dad passed away a couple of years ago, and it has certainly been the hardest thing I’ve gone through. It has also made me think and reflect a lot about the absolute absurdity of our own mortality and what we leave behind after we’re gone. This has resulted in some comics specifically about that topic, but also sillier comics as a counterpoint."
Maintaining inspiration over the long term, particularly during challenging periods, is a common concern for many artists. We asked Kristian how he stays motivated, especially during times of uncertainty or creative blocks.
"Finding inspiration has also been a struggle in recent years for me, and I’ve occasionally found myself just doing some personal pieces of art for no one else to see. I’ve also been focusing a lot more on improving my physical health lately, which also is taking up more time at the expense of making comics. Lately, this has affected my productivity for comics, but hopefully, I can manage to find a better balance for all these things. For me, they are equally important as tools to manage creative blocks and stay healthy on both a physical and mental level."
If you're an aspiring comic artist who is just starting out, Kristian has some advice for you:
"If you’re starting out, just do whatever makes you happy! Don’t worry about 'finding your style' right away. Your style will eventually develop naturally over time, or not at all, which is fine too! Also, don’t deprive the world of your ideas just because you’re waiting for the right moment or for your ability to execute them to catch up. Sure, you’ll stumble a bit, but that’s OK!"
