Bill Nichols’ Prescription:
Comics 10ccs of the Process with
Jacob Edgar

What inspires you to create and keeps you going?

 

I don’t think I could turn it off, at this point. I’ve been drawing as far back as I can remember and drawing comics since I was ten years old. I somehow got to a place where I get paid to do it, which is nice, but it’s hard to imagine not doing it. I’m inspired by other comics, history, movies, TV, music, real life, anything really.

 

Do you have a set routine?

 

Not at all. I still have a day job and I also have a wife and three kids, so I have to be very flexible and work with a lot of stops and starts.

 

What kind of output do you try to achieve?

 

It’s hard to quantify these days because I’m juggling a few different projects and different types of projects. So I’ll just say, enough of an output to keep up with deadlines! Whatever that may be.

 

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

 

When I’m drawing, I tend to listen to podcasts or have a show or movie going on the iPad nearby. When I’m writing I listen to music without lyrics, or nothing at all.

 

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

 

Jim Lee. When I was reading (by subscription though the mail!) his work on Batman: Hush as it came out, that’s when I decided to be a comic book artist.

 

When did you realize you could follow this path yourself?

 

Hmm. I think Hush really started me on the path and it never occurred to me that it wouldn’t work out. I never wanted to be a starving artist, I was completely fine with working “real jobs” as I honed my skills during and after my time in art school. But I always felt like if I just kept wanting it badly enough and worked on improving, eventually I’d get there.

 

What do you find to be a challenge in creating?

 

Lack of time in the day? Besides that, my own limitations. Making art or comics is a constant battle between what’s in your head and what you actually produce on the page. But that’s also an inspiration to keep going and improving.

 

What else do you have to learn?

 

Oof. Everything. I’m not drawing like Jack Kirby or David Mazzucchelli yet, so there’s a lot more room to grow. More specifically, I’m always trying to get more shadow and contrast into my stuff. That’s a work in progress. And I want to get more comfortable and proficient at traditional inking (I’m mainly digital).

 

What keeps you motivated to get better?

 

I want to look at my own work and feel like I do when I look at art by Kirby, Mazzucchelli, Chris Samnee, Bruce Timm, Darwyn Cooke, etc. All my heroes. I don’t think that ever happens for anyone, that perception of your own work. But the pursuit of that drives me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

For better or worse, not really. It’s hard for me to just read a comic or watch something anymore, without analyzing it. The story and writing, the compositions or cinematography, etc. I’m constantly kicking around future stories in my head in the shower, while I drive, when I go to bed at night… I keep folders of notes in my phone just to jot things down when they come to me. I haven’t gotten to make any of them yet, but one day.

 

 

Booster Shots

 

What advice do you have for aspiring creators?

 

Just keep going. The barrier between aspiring creator and professional creator is paper thin these days. Put your work online, crowdfund it, go to conventions…if the work is good or interesting and you’re getting it in front of people, you will get noticed. Never stop trying to be better.

 

Do you ever worry about running out of ideas?

 

I don’t think so…I have co-created a couple of projects but I have yet to publish anything that was 100% mine, so I have a lot of cards to play. And new ideas are still coming. If they ever did run out, hopefully I could still draw someone else’s.  

 

How do you handle the slow times?

 

The best remedy for my writer’s block I’ve found was taking walks with my dog. If I didn’t figure it out on the walk, I’d at least be refreshed and relaxed when I got back to the keyboard. Talking it over with someone is a big help too. They may not even have any good ideas or feedback, sometimes just saying things out loud will lead you to a big realization. If I get stuck as an artist, it’s usually because I didn’t plan the composition well or I need some reference material. Those are pretty easy fixes, we artists just get a little stubborn sometimes. You sit there thinking “all I have to do is draw this better” but in order to do that, you need to let go and give yourself the tools to actually make it better. A professor of mine used to say that drawing was only about 20% physical, the rest is mental. I’ve found that to be true.

 

How do you feel about the industry?

 

I love the medium, I love the people in it, I don’t know that I love the industry. Page rates are, in general, too painfully low… but there’s no incentive for change because there’s no shortage of creators who will take those rates out of love or a sense of “paying your dues.” I definitely did that. And what you do get paid is typically very slow in getting to you, most cases 30-60 days after completing the work. It’s one thing to make comics professionally, but to make a real living making comics professionally is a totally different level. That’s not something I realized coming up. All the conversation I ever heard or read was about “breaking in,” not about making it an actual viable career. I know this rant isn’t as creative-minded as the questions, but comics is a business. Somehow, we artists have to get better at that part of it.

 

 

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

 

You can find me on Twitter/X and Instagram under @jcbedgar and all my prints and sketches are on sale at https://www.etsy.com/shop/jacobedgarart

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

be reprinted or reposted without permission.