We got in touch with Gryzlock to ask more about their creative process. The artist shared that they simply grew up loving comics and cartoons. "I used to have a pile of comic books. All hidden under my bed. I read and re-read them for years. Then I discovered manga in the late 80s. I was mesmerized by all of it. For me, all of this was art. Maybe not in the classical sense but art nonetheless. I was a big fan of Jim lee, Humberto Ramos and Masamune Shirow growing up."
Doodling in the class often got Gryzlock into trouble, but it's probably where the artist started to feel like they were adequate at something. However, like everybody else, the artist had to find a job to pay bills and drawing became less and less of a hobby with time. Then covid happened, so staying in quarantine, Gryzlock decided to invest in an iPad and got back to drawing again after 10 years of not doing so. "I played a bit with it and made a strip for Imgur, which went viral, to my surprise. So I just kept drawing them."
We asked Gryzlock what inspired them to create such funny comics. The artist replied that they try to find a joke and dial it up to 11. "That s my process for most of my jokes. A good indicator that I believe my reader is going to like it is if I'm 'giggling' while drawing and making the strip. I laugh at my own jokes."
The artist tries not to be "a slave" to any schedule and tends to at least put up a strip every week or 10 days. "Drawing comics is very time-consuming even if they look simple, a strip takes me usually between 5 and 10 hours. I don't want to burn myself out constantly drawing new content. Drawing has to be fun for me and not an obligation. Unless one day I can make a living out of it. Then I'll gladly draw 8 hours a day."
The artist shared that when they see one of their comics going viral, oh man... It's a rush. "I never know which ones are gonna be a hit. But if I may be honest, it feels like I accomplished something and that I'm leaving my mark. That I existed in this world. And then I see them reposted on different social media. I feel proud. And it's powerful."
The artist also shared some tips for those who want to become comic artists one day. "One of the best tips I could give is to use the K.I.S.S technique. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Don't overcomplicate things. Sometimes less is more. Have fun doing it. Find the right tools for you. Personally, I'm lucky enough to have been able to invest in an iPad 4 air and the appeal pen. It's just convenient to draw in front of a movie or in bed. Triple check for typos in texts, I messed up a couple of times."
