Bored Panda reached out to Andrés J. Colmenares to learn more about his comic series. We wanted to know how his art style has evolved over time, and we learned that, "Everything influences my art! Places, people I meet, other artists, my family. My comics have become a bit cleaner with time and more focused to fit the ‘Visual Hug’ concept."
When asked about the challenges he faces when transitioning from conceptualizing a story to translating it into visual form, Andrés answered, "When I was first starting this project, I didn't know how to combine humor with design. I loved both, but it was a challenge, and still is. The thing that has helped me the most is practice, practice, practice. I used to create three comics per day because I really wanted to get better at this, and I knew there wasn't a secret formula or shortcut to making comics."
We also wondered what aspects of being a comic artist are the most rewarding for the author of ‘Wawawiwa Comics.’ We found out, "First, I get to draw a lot. Drawing was a passion when I was a kid, but after my teenage years, I abandoned it completely. Now I get to do what I love, and my office is in my home, so I spend lots of time with my family. Having short and long-term goals pushes me and my wife (we work together) to work hard with a goal in mind. We have so many ideas for Wawawiwa!"
Lastly, we asked Andrés if he could give any advice for aspiring comic artists looking to break into the industry. He said, "I know it might seem difficult, and that the competition looks fierce these days, but I started doing this as a hobby while I worked as a graphic designer. I used to wake up at 3 AM to brainstorm ideas and make comics because it was clear to me it was something I really wanted to do for a living. Be consistent and don't expect it to be fast or easy.'"
