This time, we have also decided to contact Steve to find out more about his artistic work. First, we asked what, in his opinion, are some of the most rewarding aspects of being a comic artist, and what keeps him motivated to continue creating. Nelson shared with us: “Because I create comedy, the most rewarding aspect for me is people finding my work funny. That’s what really motivates me to keep creating, is making people laugh. It’s like an addiction - you’re always trying to get a bigger high, which for me is getting a bigger laugh. I’m constantly trying to make funnier and funnier cartoons. Aside from that, the finished product is always rewarding. A lot of hard work and stress goes into coming up with ideas and drawing them, so when you have a completed piece of work to show for it, that always feels great. Unfortunately, the high doesn’t last long and you’re always trying to get your next fix, so to speak.”
Next, we were wondering how Nelson’s art style has evolved over time, and what factors influenced these changes. Steve told us: “My style has changed so much since I first started! It took me years to nail it down. I’m sure it’s the same for all artists. There’s no way around it, you have to just keep drawing until something clicks. I’ve tried black and white, color, messy drawing, clean drawing, characters of different heights and features… I was trying to find a style that fit my humor and I eventually landed on what I do now. But, even then, I would come up with these stupidly absurd or dark-ish jokes that I just couldn’t make work within this style. That’s why I started the Twonk comics on the side to kind of scratch that itch. They are these featureless, cute characters that can be horrible or incredibly stupid and it just works well within that world.”
Asked how he balances the creative aspects of his work with the business side of things, such as marketing and promotion, Steve explained: “I don’t really do a lot of marketing and promotion. Because I do comedy, your audience just wants the funny and they definitely don’t want to feel like they’re being sold to. So it kind of feels weird to ask people to buy your stuff or show people work that you were commissioned to do. I essentially have to be careful how I go about doing it. I do the comics for Confused.com and I share without the Confused branding. I still say in the post that I did this for Confused but because the branding isn’t on the drawing it’s fine. If I stick the branding over it suddenly people don’t like it because they feel like I’m trying to sell something. It’s weird but I get it.”
Then, we wanted to know Nelson’s opinion on what makes a good comic, and what are some common mistakes that artists should avoid. Steve said: “A good funny comic for me is just a really good, solid joke or observation presented well and uncluttered. If I see a comic with too much going on at once and/or too much text I get put off. So many times I’ve read 6 confusing panels of waffle and the payoff isn’t worth it. That’s just me, though, people obviously like that kind of stuff. Maybe I’m just a neat freak with a short attention span!”
Lastly, we were curious how the artist stays up to date with current trends and developments in the comic industry, and how he sees the industry evolving in the future. We found out that: “I try not to worry about trends and all that stuff - you’ll drive yourself crazy if you do. Trends move so quickly nowadays, it’s impossible to keep up. But I do follow a lot of cartoonists, illustrators and industry so you can see what’s going on out there and what people are doing, but that’s about it. I just carry on doing what I’m doing and hope people continue to enjoy it.
In terms of the future, I think one of the biggest hurdles for artists is the ever-changing algorithms which can make it really difficult to get your stuff seen - even by your own followers. I only reach up to 30% of my own followers. But you have to try not worrying about that. I spent a long time being ignored and overlooked so I know how that feels. It’s important you enjoy what you’re doing and not focus on things that are out of your control. At the end of the day, if nothing comes from it, at least you had fun in the process.“
