Just like last time, Bored Panda reached out to Millie Ho, the talented artist behind the Sorrowbacon comics with some new questions!
When asked how she balances the diverse influences of anime, Mark Ryden, and Renaissance paintings in her comics, Ho explained, "I mostly draw what interests me. If there's an idea I want to investigate, I'll jot it down and see if I can stretch it over four (or more) panels. I haven't deliberately tried to fit any influences into my comics. If any show up, it's probably not by design."
Delving into the creation of characters like Food Bringer and Sociopathic Cat, Ho shared, "Sociopathic Cat was easy to conceptualize. I've always drawn cats—for people's birthdays, special occasions, and just for fun. His personality naturally bloomed over the course of drawing comics about him. The other characters are harder to pin down; they are likely a combination of a lot of things!"
Millie also noted the significant role of music and graffiti art in her work, stating, "Music has always been a big part of my life. I usually listen to music when I draw, so that influences the comics in terms of what characters say, do, and/or wear. Some comics are even about music. But I don't consciously start with aesthetic considerations. The story idea comes to me first, and its form develops as I draw."
Facing the challenges of creativity and burnout, the artist admitted to Bored Panda, "I'm not always successful. I'm often busy, so I have to force myself to draw whenever and wherever I can. Ultimately, motivation has to come from within. It can be a struggle to pick up the pen sometimes, but once you get started, it gets easier, and even becomes enjoyable. That makes it all worthwhile for me."
Taking the chance we also asked the artist if she had any comic that was particularly challenging, however, Ho didn't point to a specific comic but shared insights into her transition from digital to traditional mediums: "when I started making comics with traditional mediums instead of just digital, I had to figure out a whole new process. This involved trying out different types of paper, paints, and scanners. It was just a lot of trial and error, like many things in life."
