Q & Ages 25 & Up #1

Welcome to very first question-and-answer session! HissTank member and longtime reader Monkeywrench asked me a few questions about the creative process, and I thought I'd share them with you.

Monkeywrench:
Just curious, how many strips do you work on at a time?

1337W422102:
I try to just work on one at time, but since the comic-making process involves several different steps, I don't mind overlapping two comics, as long as they are both in different stages.

Right now, I'm working on the editing of one comic, I've just taken the photos for another, I'm writing the script for a third, and I'm developing the idea for a fourth. I guess that's a little more than one...


Monkeywrench:
Do you ever make one and then scrap it?

1337W422102:
I've never scrapped a completed comic. I've shelved a few, but that's it. Example, The Scarlett Letter came out as #20 but I originally intended it to be #18. (I decided to postpone it because I didn't want to have to interrupt the Willow story arc twice - once for the holiday special and again for the silent 21st issue.)

As I mentioned, there are many steps that I take to make a comic. If I were to scrap one, I'd scrap it during the developmental phase or while I was scripting it. If I didn't think it'd be good enough, I wouldn't go through all the trouble of shooting and editing it just to throw it out, you know what I mean?


Monkeywrench:
How long does it take you to make them?

1337W422102:
I try shoot the comics on the weekends and edit them during week, taking breaks to write some more during the editing. So, ideally, it should take a week per comic. But hey, that doesn't always happen.

What I do is keep a backlog of comics to try to stay a few weeks ahead so that I won't miss a deadline. Despite that, I still managed to botch up the holiday special, posting it a day or two late! (Again, sorry about that, guys!)

Those were some great questions, Monkeywrench!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don't be afraid to speak up. You can use the Comments section under each comic, post on the Official Ages 25 & Up Thread at HissTank.com, or shoot me an email.