We contacted Stephen again to learn more about the creative process, influences, personal experiences, and insights for aspiring cartoonists. We were curious to know if the artist has any routines or habits that help him create comics regularly and stay productive. He jokingly replied that, firstly, he sits down and gets comfortable. Not too comfortable, though, because he doesn't want to fall asleep. "Then I have to physically put my pen in my hand. If I don’t do that, I’m likely to start reading something, like Bored Panda. While Bored Panda can be a lovely treat during the day, it can also be a tool for procrastination for me."
Stephen has mentioned before that his passion for comics was sparked by newspaper cartoonists from his childhood. When we asked the artist if there were specific cartoonists or comic strips that hold a special place in his heart, he replied, "If I'm rereading Calvin and Hobbes, it will brush off with me. Same with Bloom County and Peanuts. I've read so many, and there are many wonderful oldies. Lately, I've been checking old newspapers. If you go back several decades, you can discover comics that never made it to a book collection."
To add more intrigue, we asked Stephen to depict a typical day in his shoes as if his life were a comic strip. "I sort of do that now," the cartoonist shared. "A lot of things depicted in the comic aren’t too far off from my life. I think I would make myself an iguana with a cowboy hat. Nothing like an iguana in customer service. It would be my life with a little flair."
If you aspire to be a comic artist, Stephen has some advice for you! "Do what interests you. If you try and guess what people will like, it most likely won’t work. Have fun. That’s the most important."
