Bill Nichols’ Prescription:
Comics 10ccs of the Process with
Vic Moya

What inspires you to create and keeps you going?

I guess it would be the drive to be better today than yesterday. I look at my artistic heroes and just think I’ll never achieve anything close to them unless I create and push the growth and understanding of my art.

Do you have a set routine? 

Not so much as in I start and stop at a set time. But I do warm up on a separate drawing for about twenty minutes then I attack whatever page or assignment is in front of me.

What kind of output do you try to achieve? 

If I’m just inking over someone else, a page a day. If I’m doing both pencil and ink myself, one day dedicated to each. 

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

Definitely music. Lots of metal and punk rock but lately I’ve been listening to audiobooks while at the drawing table.

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

Barry Windsor Smith. Or maybe Sl Williamson. I was introduced to comic books with a stack of Conan mags and Star Wars books. They were the ones that did the majority of the material in those books. I would spend hours copying and tracing drawings from them as a kid.

When did you realize you could follow this path yourself?

By accident actually. I had a job in corporate America doing stuff and things I didn’t enjoy. Then, about 15 years ago, I was in a car accident and broke my spine. Laying in bed recovering, I was going nuts so I decided to do some samples inking over pencil artists and sent them out. Why not? I had nothing but time. That weekend, I got my first gig and just haven’t stopped since then.

What do you find to be a challenge in creating?

Getting others to understand that even though I’m home, I am still hard at work. No I can’t go hang out. No I can’t just pop out to the store to pick stuff up. No I can’t have three hour text conversation. Know what I mean?

What else do you have to learn?

Everything!!! But what I’m currently putting a lot of focus on right now is dynamic storytelling. Lighting, camera angles, pacing and such.

What keeps you motivated to get better?

Looking at yesterday’s work today and seeing what I could have done better. And then applying those ideas and concepts to today’s work.

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

No. It almost goes into hyperdrive when I try to. Like when I lay down for bed, that’s when I get an idea for the layout of tomorrow’s page or figure exactly what I wanted to do with a design. That kind of thing.

Booster Shots

What advice do you have for aspiring creators?

Create. Create your own path and opportunity. Don’t wait around for someone to give you a shot. Make your shot. I joke about how I hooked up inking comic books for 10 Ton Press. It only took me three years to convince them they needed me as an inker. I went after them. I’d show my portfolio and leave samples at every show I saw them at. I’d take the feedback, apply what worked for me and show them again at the next con. Until finally, I got the gig.

Do you ever worry about running out of ideas?

Oh yeah, all the time. But I surround myself with art from artists I love and just sort of soak it all in until I’m so full of inspiration, that it has to explode out of me.

How do you handle the slow times?

Plan for it. Know there are going to be slow times and have a little something put away for it to cover it. Then I use that time to do a project just for me. Something for no other reason than because, I want to.

How do you feel about the industry?

It’s changing so quickly. I’ve digital penciling and inking come into play and see  everybody panic about it eliminating traditional inking or drawing. It didn’t. Now it’s recognized as another tool than when used properly can help create something amazing. Now AI is taking over and going to eliminate all of use traditional and digital artists! Nope. That to will find it’s way into our industry and become just another tool. Then something else will spell our doom.

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

Just follow on Instagram @inkingfool if you feel so inclined.