Bill Nichols’ Prescription:
Comics 10ccs of the Process with
Björn Barends
What inspires you to create and keeps you going?
I think I’m mainly driven by the fun of creating my ideas. There are so many ideas I have in my head that I would like to see on paper myself.
Do you have a set routine?
I don’t really have a routine, I usually work best in the evening when i’m not disturbed by emails or calls.
What kind of output do you try to achieve?
I usually have a vision in my head of what a piece of work should look like. but usually the result is very different. The fact that I can still surprise myself with the result is great fun and I hope it stays that way. so I try to surprise myself with the result.
What inspires you WHEN you create? Music? Noise? Silence?
It varies a lot and depends on what phase of work I’m in. Sometimes I need peace and quiet, sometimes I have shows, movies or music on the side.
Who was the first comic book creator that influenced you to pursue this?
That was probably the first Spawn comic I held in my hand, so Todd McFarlane. Crazy that he got me into the industry years later.
When did you realize you could follow this path yourself?
It’s been a long hard road. Since there isn’t really a big comic industry in Germany, I worked more in tabletop games or card games for many years and took on many other jobs as well. So I had a lot of experience when I got into the comic industry. Once I was in, I knew I didn’t want to get out of it and was willing to work very hard for it.
What do you find to be a challenge in creating?
The biggest challenge is certainly to give my best every day and with every job. I’m not a machine and sometimes it can be hard to fulfill the expectations I have of myself.
What else do you have to learn?
I try to learn every day, look closely at other people’s art, especially when I see something I like. and there are always new challenges, when you have mastered something that before you thought “how the hell am I supposed to do that” then you have learned something new.
What keeps you motivated to get better?
That’s what makes work fun most of the time, always trying to get better and never resting on my laurels.
Can you turn your brain (creativity) off (and on)?
Yes, that’s what I would say, when I’m not working I can be uncreative. but it also happens that I need some time to find the right way or the right idea for a new work, that can be frustrating and put me under pressure. I have deadlines in which I have to be finished.
What advice do you have for aspiring creators?
Work a lot, show your work a lot, accept criticism, your own style will eventually develop on its own. in general, you should really love creating art and love to fail and get better, otherwise I think it’s difficult.
Do you ever worry about running out of ideas?
So far I have more ideas than I can realize, so not really, but as written above, there are days when there is a difficult start.
How do you handle the slow times?
Luckily I hardly have them, and as soon as they appear I have lots of ideas of my own that I can finally tackle.
How do you feel about the industry?
I love the opportunities the industry brings in different fields. and there is a lot of room for creativity in different areas. whether you love to write stories or turn them into images or just want to create individual works of art, you can find your home here.
Do you have a website or link to promote your work?
https://www.instagram.com/bbarends_illustration/
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed by the above creator are theirs. This interview may not
be reprinted or reposted without permission.
Bill Nichols
Author, Artist, Editor for ShoutFyre.com
Bill is the creator of Arteest & Ursula comics, writer for Ringtail Cafe, co-creator of Savage Family, writer and inker of HellGirl: Demonseed. Editor for ShoutFyre and Sketch Magazine. Co-author of Camelot Forever novel series.