Bill Nichols’ Prescription:
Comics 10ccs of the Process with
Liam Sharp

What inspires you to create and keeps you going?

So many things! We can go back to the horror double bills on Friday night when I was a kid. Or Ray Harryhausen, and any number of stop-motion fantasy and science fiction movies. Comics, Star Wars, and great genre and pulp illustrators. As well as classical artists like Michelangelo and the pre-raphaelites. Or even just things like a gnarly tree, wildflowers, waterfalls, or mountains. I’m endlessly inspired by a huge array of things. Books inspire me too, as a writer.

Do you have a set routine?

I work long hours every day if that’s what you mean…

What kind of output do you try to achieve?

I always feel the answer to ‘how fast do you do a page’ is really 36 years currently. Speed has pretty much nothing to do with quality. But I do a book a month, and more. It’s taken decades to get confident enough to do that though.

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

When I write or layout pages I need silence. After that I love music. I’m a HUGE music fan. It’s well-known I love progressive rock, which fully puts you in a creative and immersive space, but I’ve found music I love in pretty much any genre and style. Great music is great music!

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

There’s no single creator. I’ve never really had favorites of anything, because I’m wide open to so many things, and it changes constantly.

When did you realize you could follow this path yourself?

When I met Sir Don Lawrence and became his assistant. But I don’t think there was ever any doubt that I would make a living of some kind via my art or writing. It’s what I always did, and it’s what people always expected me to do.

What do you find to be a challenge in creating?

It’s all a challenge! And if it’s not, you’re not doing it properly. If you continue to always be reaching and improving then absolutely nothing is ever easy, because you can always do it better.

What else do you have to learn?

Beyond the drawing? Discipline. It’s extreme art. There’s nobody cheering at the end of the race. There’s no recovery time. It’s the hardest form of art I know, and you have to love storytelling to an almost obsessive level if you’re going to do this. It is life alone in your own head for a good 95% of your waking hours. And you have to be able to draw absolutely anything at a moment’s notice. There’s no time to second-guess yourself. There’s just you, the blank page, and the day ahead of you. So without discipline and commitment, you’ve got no chance.

What keeps you motivated to get better?

The fact that there is always room to improve. If you think what you do is perfect and cannot be improved upon, then you should stop, because not only are you incapable of seeing that nothing is perfect, but you’re deluded and it will all be downhill from there…

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

No. But that’s not the point. You have to do it anyway, regardless of whether you are feeling it or not. That’s the REAL job.

Music, reading, films… everything! Revisit the stuff you love most. Get that old copy of The Studio out, or the comics you loved as a kid.

Booster Shots

What advice do you have for aspiring creators?

Concentrate on the storytelling first. Style comes later, over time. Great storytelling eclipses great art. And don’t judge yourself against your heroes or peers. That’s the path to despair, and it will just make you doubt yourself.

Do you ever worry about running out of ideas?

No.

How do you handle the slow times?

Times without work? Use it to chase other dreams. I’ve written novels when I’ve had no work. Or I’ve painted, tried different mediums. Or I’ve made music. And if not that, then work on your own comic project, and publish that. 

How do you feel about the industry?

It’s the most inspired and creative time I’ve ever seen. There is more talent out there than ever, and more opportunity to make the kind of book that speaks to you, your life, your loves, and your culture. It’s incredibly rich and exciting. But it’s also tough because of that, as the competition is so very fierce. I just very much dislike the gang hatred I see sometimes. It’s not the same as a disgruntled letter in a letter column. We’re just people doing what we love, and trying to do it well. It upsets me seeing people trying to end the careers of other people they don’t even know. People with kids and families. People that are loved and often just doing their best, working damn hard. Life’s too short to waste on hating comic creators. There’s much bigger fish to fry.

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

I do! www.sharpy.net

Best,
Liam

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed by the above creator are theirs. This interview may not be reprinted or reposted without permission.