Bill Nichols’ Prescription:
Comics 10ccs of the Process with
Chris Noeth

What inspires you to create and keeps you going?

I had comics since I was 3 years old. A  time before I could even read thanks to my grandma. When I was four, my parents allowed me to stay up late because I had trouble sleeping one night. This night the original King Kong movie was on TV, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. That film opened up a vast, fantastical world for me. Then, at the age of seven, I watched Superman – The Movie in the cinema. From that moment, I knew I wanted to contribute to these fantastic worlds, especially through comics.

 

Do you have a set routine?

My primary creative work involves running my indie game studio, McPeppergames, where I develop games. As a father, I work on comics in my spare time, so there’s no fixed routine for my comic projects. However, I approach game development like a typical 9-to-5 job and try to work on comic related stuff in the evenings or on weekends.

 

What kind of output do you try to achieve? 

I’ve worked as an artist on several US comics (Tales From The Crypt, It Came From Beneath The Sea… Again), where the goal was always to complete one sequential page per day. Currently, as a writer for MAYA and DARK ZERO (graphic novels being published by SPLITTER-Verlag in Germany, illustrated by Ricardo Silva and Jethro Morales, with cover art by Tina Valentino), I take a few weeks off each year to finalize the stories and dialogues.

 

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

It varies. I can’t listen to music with lyrics while programming or writing comic dialogues. However, I love visually strong heavy metal music, such as Metallica, Megadeth, Manowar, or Running Wild, and also bands like Rammstein. This kind of music generates the necessary images in my mind that I use as inspiration for my stories.

 

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

Growing up in Germany in the 70s and 80s, I had the advantage of experiencing the best US comics from the 60s. I was exposed to the works of John Buscema, John Romita Senior, and Jack Kirby. I read nearly all the superhero comics from their first issues and was especially captivated by Stan Lee’s series. Spider-Man, Hulk, and the Fantastic Four were my favorites, and I was also a huge Superman fan.

 

When did you realize you could follow this path yourself?

I’ve always enjoyed drawing and creating stories. I wanted to make films, but the lack of equipment and funds made that impossible. Around 1987, I started collecting US comics and realized that there were superstar artists like Frank Miller, Marc Silvestri, Dale Keown, Jim Lee, and Todd McFarlane. Their creative energy flipped a switch in me, making me aware that with just a pencil and paper, I could create entire worlds.

 

What do you find to be a challenge in creating?

I develop stories that I like and hope that many readers share my taste. This process often involves self-doubt, as tastes can vary. Overcoming these doubts and getting into the creative flow is crucial. Once in the flow, everything runs smoothly.

 

What else do you have to learn?

As a creative person, you never stop learning, whether it’s writing or drawing. I’m currently in a phase where I’m preparing to illustrate my own stories. This involves shedding my “old” drawing style and developing a new one that is not overly detailed but still appealing.

 

What keeps you motivated to get better?

This is hard to answer since I’ve been daydreaming my whole life. Ultimately, it all comes down to good stories. My motivation is simple: I just want to tell good stories that ideally stay with readers for a long time.

 

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

I can distinguish between consuming stories (in any form) and creating my own. So, I can suppress my creativity for a while. However, living without fictional stories is impossible for me.

 

What advice do you have for aspiring creators?

Just do it! It’s like learning to swim… you have to take the plunge and then learn the movements to stay afloat. Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to bring your creative ideas to the public. With social media, you can find an audience without relying on publisher feedback. You can post your work and, with a professional look, even try crowdfunding.

 

Do you ever worry about running out of ideas?

Never! I have so many ideas that I’ll probably never be able to realize them all. With DARK ZERO, I’ve launched a complete sci-fi universe, while MAYA is my answer to a superhero universe. These two worlds alone offer so much room that I could continue writing and drawing them for the rest of my life. And then there are all the other wild ideas that haunt me, plus the ideas for beloved characters that don’t belong to me. 😉 … Did you hear that, Marvel and DC? HAHAHA!

 

How do you handle the slow times?

I switch between projects as soon as I notice something is progressing slowly. Otherwise, you often waste time on things you’ll end up redoing or discarding. Having multiple projects can be an advantage here. It’s beneficial when working on your own things without the pressure of deadlines from publishers.

 

How do you feel about the industry?

I’m very critical of the current US comic industry because I often feel that many editors of popular series lack the necessary professionalism. Todays comics are not the comics and stories I grew up with. It seems like most people today see comics as a stepping stone to the film business or other entertainment sectors, and even editors don’t understand the medium as well as they used to. This is very unfortunate, and I hope for a turnaround soon. The current poor sales figures speak for themselves. Political agendas, completely overhauling beloved long-term fan favorites, and endless, pointless multiverse stories… this isn’t a successful long-term model. The people in key positions should understand this and stop chasing short-term media attention. In the end, it must appeal to the comic fans, not some wannabe critic on a website with 100 hits. I found it very disturbing how some top comic professionals attacked a retailer a few months ago who spoke critically about current comics. He said he can not sell most of todays books. They attacked him even though this man is trying to sell their products. In such a case, a creative person should do one thing: listen carefully to what the man says. If he has trouble selling your product, it’s 99% not his fault, but yours!

 

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I would fly around all day. Invulnerability wouldn’t be bad either, so I don’t end up as a bug on the windshield of an Airbus. HAHAHA

 

Do you have a website or link to promote your work?

My comic albums MAYA and DARK ZERO are currently only available in Germany and can be ordered directly from the publisher. Here are the links:

 https://www.splitter-verlag.de/maya-1-odinsblut.html
https://www.splitter-verlag.de/dark-zero-1-schwarze-sphaere.html

 

For more about me and my work, you can follow me on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/chris.noeth/
See some of my old art at DeviantArt here:
https://www.deviantart.com/chrisnoeth

 

And my indie game studio McPeppergames at: http://www.mcpeppergames.com

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed by the above creator are theirs. This interview may not 

be reprinted or reposted without permission.