Bill Nichols’ Prescription:
Comics
10ccs of the Process with
Matt Bowers

What inspires you to create and keeps you going?

I love comics and continue to read new comics digitally almost daily. I just love everything about comics. More importantly I love creating my own comics. I have so many stories in my head that I still want to tell.

 

Do you have a set routine?

I try to but having a day job makes it almost impossible to have a set routine for creating my comics. Having said that I do always start with a plot then do rough layouts for the entire issue. I’m talking almost stick figure rough layouts. It’s all about the storytelling and pacing at this stage. From there I start pencilling then inks then scanning then clean up in Photoshop. At this stage I will also make any corrections and add special effects. Then I take my file into Illustrator for lettering and sound effects. Then I have my wife Kristin go over the issue to see if she has any dialogue suggestions. Having so many female characters in my book I think it’s important to get her opinion. I make final dialogue/lettering changes. Then I put it all together in final PDF. One for printing and one for digital since they each need a different color profile.

 

What kind of output do you try to achieve?

Since creating isn’t something I can do full-time it changes depending on what’s going on in my life. I recently did a brand new mini comic in about a month from scratch because the opportunity popped up. It’s called the MEMPHIS Beyond Con Special Edition and it turned out great even though it was a stressful process because of the tight deadline. Anyway my ultimate goal is to create my comic full-time and put it out monthly or every 6 weeks at the very least. At this point I know that I can handle that workload. It’s all about having the finances to do it full-time as my job. Whether that’s by finding a business partner for self publishing or finding a publisher.

 

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

Music definitely. Sometimes I will shake things up and have the TV on in the background or nothing and work on silence. Most of the time I’m listening to music on my iPod which has about 30,000 songs on it and I constantly adding new stuff. I absolutely love music and it’s weird because sometimes will trigger a brand new character in my head even if it has nothing to do with the song. I think the act of listening to music opens up my creative flood gates for some reason.

 

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

The first comic artists that I noticed and learned their names was George Perez, John Byrne and Michael Golden. But I think the idea of creating my own comics probably is more influenced by writer/artists like Howard Chaykin, Bill Willignham and Matt Wagner and their early 80’s comics. They had such a huge impact on me that I’m still inspired by them today.

 

When did you realize you could follow this path yourself?

I decided to try and break in to comics after graduating art school. I got my degree in Illustration but realized afterwards that I really was more into comic book creating than doing magazine illustration or something similar.

 

What do you find to be a challenge in creating?

Mainly finding the time to do it on a regular enough basis. 

 

What else do you have to learn?

Tons. I try to learn every time I work on a new page. Whether it’s for MEMPHIS or a freelance lettering gig. I think the death knell for an artist is thinking you know it all.

 

What keeps you motivated to get better?

Imposter syndrome. 😂 I think most artists feel like this but I will be happy with a page once it’s finished. Then I’ll look at it a couple weeks later and see nothing but mistakes. I want to get so good that people can’t ignore my book.

 

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

It’s difficult. Early this year I found out that I have high blood pressure. It’s now under control but I still monitor it twice a day. I noticed very early on that my thoughts can completely through the reading. So I’ve taught myself how to turn my brain off for at least the time it takes for the BP machine to do it’s thing. Sometimes I can’t even do it for that short amount of time though but I try. 😆 

 

Booster Shots

What advice do you have for aspiring creators?

Be yourself and don’t be too hard on yourself. The rest of the world will do that for you so don’t do that to yourself. Learn to have a thick skin which is probably the best thing I learned at Art School. Also always work on improving. Never give up.

 

Do you ever worry about running out of ideas?

No. I worry about figuring out how to get them all out to the world. For instance I have an entire separate new comic that I’ve created called the Atomic Bomb Society that I have no time to work on. Think a mash up of the Defenders, the Justice Society, Dr Who and the Legion of Super Heroes in one book. It’s a large team of heroes formed in the past soon after the first atomic bomb was dropped. Their HQ is in the far future. The tag line is:

“Assembled in the past.

Living in the future.

Saving the present.”

 

In top of that I have the first 50 or so issues of MEMPHIS plotted out. I’m also constantly coming up with brand new characters.

 

How do you handle the slow times?

I don’t know what that means. 😆 I used to have slow times because of publishers dragging their feet but I’ve taken back the reins. I’m currently doing even the publishing on my own so there are no slow times. I also decided to do as many comic shows as possible this year and have already done double what I did last year. And it’s paid off because I’m going to be a guest for the first time at two upcoming shows. The first is at the end of July in Jonesboro, Arkansas and it’s called Nerds Assemble Convention.

 

How do you feel about the industry?

IDK other than I think it will never die but will continue to change.

 

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

It’s not live yet but mattbowersmemphis.com will be my site once I finish it. Also look for mattbowersmemphis on Instagram and Facebook.

 

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.