Bored Panda reached out to the 37-year-old author of the Fruit Gone Bad comics. First, we wanted to know how the author started and what made him consider making comics.
"I used to draw comics when I was a kid. Action comics, funny comics, and dungeons and dragons comics were my favorite to draw and write. Then as I got older, I started really sketching seriously and painting black light posters." The author also shared details about who inspires him to keep creating. "My idol is Gary Larson, he was my inspiration. My goal was to get the perfect picture and the point across with as little wording as possible."
Given how many years the comic artist has been creating, it's no surprise that he also has a set schedule for his work. "If an idea comes to my head, I try to get it on paper as fast as I can or at least write down the premise. I think if it can be made better in any way. Sometimes I re-draw the comic if a better idea comes to mind. I pencil it, ink it, then color it. I'm a bit old-fashioned but I’m used to doing it this way as opposed to using a program. I try to publish at least 3 times a week."
Interestingly enough, the artist's relationship with art started all the way from childhood, yet he never took any classes to practice his skills. "I never took classes. I learned from my mistakes. I’m still learning. I read books here and there and picked other artists' brains for tips."
A lot of Fruit Gone Bad comics have actually gone viral across social media, so we were curious to find out how it affected the author himself.
"I’ve seen a bunch of these comics go viral and quite frankly, I was a bit shocked. Certain comics I don’t think will do so well will get lots of hits. Meanwhile others I think are hysterical don’t quite hit the mark with the audience. One comic with an onion ring and a french fry in bed did really well on Instagram reels. It hit 10.5 million views and the comments section exploded. That I was surprised at!"
When it comes to giving advice to those who might be struggling with their own art or ideas due to being demotivated, here's what the 37-year-old author of Fruit Gone Bad says: "I would say what probably any other person would. Don’t give up. Frustration and setbacks in life can give you major creative block. Sometimes you have to walk away from a picture for a few hours or maybe days before you come back to it. Don’t force anything, the solutions will come when your mind quiets down. I think back and should’ve published these comics years ago. I thank my family for inspiring me to do something with them."
