Bill Nichols’ Prescription:
Comics 10ccs Romeo Tanghal, Sr.

What inspires you to create and keeps you going?

People will do whatever it takes to make a living & luckily, what Inspires me to do, that is drawing is the one that earns me my daily needs. It’s just like letting out your imaginations & creativity & they pay you for doing that. I call it happiness!

Do you have a set routine?

When I was young, I have a lot in mind to do aside from drawing & that’s what keeps me busy for a time.  But you can only do one thing at a time and doing drawing that time was not a routine. Now that I’m retired, drawing is always in my mind, and it becomes a routine to starts warming up in the morning doing sketches, searching the Internet for something that is Inspiring, looking for competition among fellow artists, comparing your art if it’s better or you have to do more to be at par with them. These things give inspiration or pressure to me and that’s how I start the day. I think I’m better when under the pressure.

What kind of output do you try to achieve?

Well, I’m an artist and of course, I want to always draw or paint, to sell or to keep. Those drawings & paintings that are not sold are becoming my collections. My output is to do more and more until I am able and who knows, I might be famous someday and collectors will pay a good amount of money to get a piece of me. My kids will benefit from this dream if it comes true.

What inspires you WHEN you create? Music? Noise? Silence?

Music inspires me & appreciations for a job well done. You want to do more if you are being recognized.

Who was the first comic book creator that influenced you to pursue this?

Back in the Philippines where I came from, I can see the works of Nestor Redondo, Francisco V. Coching & Alfredo P. Alcala. I was a High School student and already planning to become one of them. I can draw & collected their works to study. I am a self-taught artist.

When did you realize you could follow this path yourself?

After graduating High School, I met an artist who was doing comics already and he show me the rope. I became an assistant to him & From there, my curiosity & self-study pays off. 

What do you find to be a challenge in creating?

Everything you want draw is challenging, but because of the in-born talent ( God given ) you seem to find the right way to do it. Perspective & doing buildings, Skyscrapers, anything architectural is challenging for me. I’m good in free hand drawing but having a little difficulties using the rulers.

What else do you have to learn?

Artists never stops learning. There is always something to learn and worried about. That makes an artist motivated. If there is nothing more to learn, it will be boring.

What keeps you motivated to get better?

Seeing your competitor create something new that amazes you, makes you envious, that motivates you to do more searching of references or spend more time on a drawing.

Can you turn your brain (creativity) off (and on)?

No, It’s always working. You always see it, thinks about it, and what you only can do is ignore it for a while, but then when you see something that will reminds you about it again, there you go.

BOOSTER SHOTS

What advice do you have for aspiring creators?

Just follow your dreams. If you think it’s a good idea, start creating it then show it. As a creator myself, I could qualify myself as a failure. I have lots of good ideas but they were never been publish and it’s all in the closet. I ran out of time and energy. I hope my kids will do something about them.

Do you ever worry about running out of ideas?

You only run out of ideas when you stop drawing. When you are drawing, you’re thinking. And from your doodles or roughs comes good accidental lines, good different shapes. 

You’re listening to music and it brings back memories… actually, you never run out of ideas, you ran out of energy.

How do you handle the slow times?

During my time, there are no slow time. Works are everywhere. I don’t know how to answer this question, never had.

How do you feel about the industry?

I don’t read comics anymore and I only used old comics as references & Googles for my commission orders nowadays. I don’t know what’s happening about the comics Industry.

And do you have a website you would want to direct folks to?

I have Facebook- Romeo Tanghal Sr.  ~ That’s where you can see what I am doing right now and mostly It deals with comics.