Bill Nichols’ Prescription:
Comics
10ccs of the Process with
Les Garner

What inspires you to create and keeps you going? 

 

In terms of comics, most of the mainstream bores the crap out of me, but there’s a love I have of the medium and the drive to do my part to hopefully make sure there are still interesting and engaging comics coming out. 

 

Do you have a set routine? 

 

Absolutely. I find having a set routine, every single day, is crucial. If you achieve something “naturally”, just kind of winging it, well, great. But imagine if that same person applies some principles of discipline to things? I think if you want to be good, it takes practice and if you want longevity and consistency, that takes repetition and good habits; and if you want real, sustainable success at anything, beyond all else, you have to have discipline.

 

What kind of output do you try to achieve?

 

When I’m in production on a comic, it may vary from day to day, but I shoot for an average of 3-4 pages a day penciled, or 2 pages a day fully penciled and inked. Some days I’ll go a little faster, some days a little slower, but as a consistent average I can count on, that is pretty close.

 

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

 

Even though I love music, I tend to work in silence. I become hyper-focused when I’m working, and the only sounds or stimuli I want are in my own head. Focus and discipline are so key, too.

 

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

 

Oh, definitely Neal Adams. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, Neal Adams. Frank Miller would be a close second, along with George Perez, and then probably the team of Claremont/Romita Jr. But there are a ton of influences. 

 

When did you realize you could follow this path yourself?

 

I don’t think I ever really thought about it in those kinds of terms. From where I grew up, there weren’t many options in life, but when I was a kid and saw names credited for creating the comics I loved, that registered to me as “SOMEONE had to MAKE this” which was profound. The only two things I ever really considered for myself were comics and maybe music, but comics won out because they didn’t require nearly as much reliance on others. I could do so much of it by myself and with my work ethic, that made the most sense. In a way, there never really was that much of an option to consider much else. 

 

What do you find to be a challenge in creating?

 

Creating is easy. Full stop. I separate it from production, though. I can create all day long, tons of stuff, but until it goes into production, and I’ve got or given it’s deadlines and requirements, it isn’t really real. Now, with production, I despise coloring. Hate it. Not a fan of lettering either, but if I’m working on a book that I also write, it just makes sense to do them myself so it allows a more organic editorial flow. 

 

What else do you have to learn?

 

Tons. The art of things is never-ending. You can always learn, grow, and improve and if you ever think you’re done, well, you are. But in a bad way. Outside of the art part of things, though, or general production, promotion is maddening. I’m in-person-social as they get. Gregarious as hell and have a great time interacting with people. Online, though, is awful for me. And I have absolutely nothing on hand for even the beginnings of an email list or any of that. It’s honestly pretty damn sad, and drives me nuts all the time, especially since that all seems like things that take years to build. It’s frustrating because I spent so many years honing the craft, but then you see things take off that seem to be soaring on the power of sheer promotion and it’s a little daunting. I have no clue how people go about getting traction in social media or any of that crap. The degree to which I’m cynical about it doesn’t help and I know it’s probably a weakness. 

 

What keeps you motivated to get better?

 

I know I’m better today than I was yesterday, and I can’t wait to see how better I’ll be tomorrow than I was today. That’s a process I’ve come to appreciate as I’ve aged. It sort of excites me to wonder what my work can look like in another 10 or 20 years. Oh, and paying the bills. I work in a variety of areas besides just comics, but in all of it, producing high-quality work at a respectable volume and rate are, to me, the keys to keeping the bills paid at the stuff.

 

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

 

Like a switch.

 

Booster Shots

 

What advice do you have for aspiring creators?

 

Be willing to starve. When people say it’s crazy to try this stuff, don’t listen. And when people tell you how great you are, definitely don’t listen. Believe in yourself enough to be hard as hell on yourself so that you hold yourself to high standards and constantly shoot for better and better. Anything less is a waste of time.

 

Do you ever worry about running out of ideas?

 

No.

 

How do you handle the slow times?

 

That’s why I work in multiple fields like animation, 3D modeling, FX, collectible design, and sculpting. All of those things relate to comics. But comics is a fickle mistress of a business, as are all of those other fields as well. Trying to only do one of them is a recipe for disaster. But doing at least a couple of them and paying close attention to how learning and practicing them influences your work in other areas, like comics, will help you stay sharp across the board while staying more employable. 

 

What are your thoughts about the comics industry?

 

Love the medium, hate the industry. Or at least the industry as I know it. I am honestly still painfully new to the way things are now, with crowdfunding and so on. The comics industry I know is from the mid-90s, and it was awful. I see a lot of remnants of it trying to hang on, and a lot of those dying, to which I say, “Good”. That whole mess needed to finish dying off long ago. As to what has come since and is coming? I’m painfully lacking in trying to figure it out. Right now, most of my comic work is with publishers like Source Point Press, who are absolutely badass to work with. They treat me great. But I also really want and need to get my footing in the broader, crowd-funded world of it for more reasons than I care to consider.

 

What do you consider your crowning achievement?

 

Apocalypse Girl. Full stop. I love that book. That it got picked up by Source Point Press when it did was amazing and it’s been great with them, even though COVID thoroughly threw off a LOT of plans for it, it was still successful and we’re moving forward with the next two volumes. And maybe this time around, there will actually be some conventions to go to and support it!

 

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

hahahahaha… 

Well, my official studio site is www.sixus1.com but it’s painfully out of date. I don’t think it’s been updated in a couple of years. There are Facebook pages that might be more current (facebook.com/Sixus1Media , facebook.com/ApocalypseGirl and facebook.com/LesGarnerArtist) and then the Instagram page (instagram.com/Sixus1)

 

 

 

 

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.