Bored Panda reached out to ToothyBJ again to ask a couple of follow-up questions regarding his work. We wanted to know what some of the most rewarding aspects of being a comic artist are for him, as well as what keeps him motivated to continue creating. We found out that: “For sure it's the community aspect of it. You know how nice it is when you tell a joke among friends and make a whole room laugh, now take that to the extreme. It's a rush, but it is earned, so it forever keeps you on your toes, and that, I would say, is my motivation. To keep earning people's laughs.”
Asked how his art style has evolved over time, ToothyBJ shared with us: “I don't try, let me explain: I think that overworked comics lose the looseness that makes (my) humor work. The drawing is not good by any means, I try to make it funny, it's just doodles with words. Sadly even when I try to be loose and quick it still takes a long time to draw, to prepare the files, etcetera. So be kind to me, I do it for free, guys. If you wanna see me try (and fail), check me out on Instagram.”
It seems to be a difficult task to balance the creative aspects of work as a comic artist with the business side of things, such as marketing and promotion. We wanted to know how challenging it gets for ToothyBJ. We were told that: “I barely balance it, I make little to no money from this (If you want to support me hit my Patreon! Help me take less freelance work). It's a hobby, so any free time I have, I try to stay active. I haven't done merch in a long time, it's a hassle. Love everyone who has shown me support so far, really hits you when someone goes out of their way to show their appreciation and support.“
Lastly, we were curious what, in the artist’s opinion, makes a good comic, and what are some common mistakes that artists should avoid. ToothyBJ told us: “I think I already have said this: A good comic tries to surprise you one way or the other, take this and run with it. As for what to avoid, don't make another self-insert comic, don't be that self-centered.”
