Bored Panda reached out to Ryan again with even more questions about his work. This time, we wanted to know which moments of the comic creation process were his favorite. The cartoonist kindly shared: “Developing new material is an enjoyable challenge and it’s an exciting moment when a new comic idea appears that I’m eager to share. I like self-isolating late at night or at a coffee shop and searching for a creative mindset. I usually think of ten ideas or so during a session and only finalize a small fraction.”
We were also curious about which specific elements the artist finds most effective in creating humor in his cartoons. Mason told us: “I don’t always know which comics will resonate with an audience and often bet on the wrong horse. Attempting to be funny is complicated and there is a vulnerability that comes with it. I think I benefit from a goldfish-like memory that allows me to continually search for new ideas without getting hung up on the last one. When flipping through my sketchbooks I often run into comics that feel completely new to me.”
“I don’t have a favorite comic that I’ve drawn and always hope my best work is ahead of me,” Ryan said when we asked if any particular comic stood out as his personal favorite. He continued: “One comic that resonated with people was about an excavation crew unearthing a T-rex with a UFO in its jaws. It appeared in official science literature, has been translated into multiple languages, and one reader made a pretty amazing 3D diorama. The comic also lead to some pretty bizarre comment threads.”
Our final question focused on the pivotal moment or experience that had the greatest impact on his growth as an artist. Mason shared with us: “I job-shadowed a professional cartoonist during college and it was helpful for me to see their process. I grew up in a small town and didn’t know other illustrators and even while attending a large college was the only cartoonist for the paper. Cartooning can feel like a solitary and lonely process at times and it was validating to see a professional take cartooning seriously.”
