1. What were you hoping to get out of rehab? Did you get it?
I guess I was looking to rekindle my confidence in my ability to create new things. I very easily get sucked into the literary equivalent of pushing your food around the plate to make it look more empty: editing and editing poems and never declaring them “finished”, getting zines ready to print but never printing them, stalling everything at the proofreading stage… something like rehab, which forces you to commit to creating new stuff on a regular basis, is the kind of thing that I generally respond well to.
In the end, I had a new 28-panel comic strip that I didn’t have before, and I’m pretty happy with that.
2. What was the most unexpected thing about this round?
I wasn’t expecting Nacho Ravioli, but I’m glad she turned up.
3. What – about your own comics – made you happiest during this round?
The way that I got a feel for drawing the two main characters. They sort of gained more definition re: their visuals every time I drew them. They’re quite well defined in my mind – and on the page – now, as opposed to the sketchy way they appeared when I first thought of them.
The other thing that made me happy was how friendly and encouraging and NICE everyone was in the comments. It really felt like our own little happy comic-loving community.
4. what – about your fellow rehabbers’ comics – made you happiest during this round?
I particularly liked the way people were taking photos of their comics instead of scanning them. There was something scruffy and handmade about that approach that I really liked.
As for fave strips from each of my fellows:
- Nicola’s Monkey Boy Wanders the Streets strip had great crowd scenes
- Miss Helen’s Lady Bath strip was so joyful (plus: man with abdominal nine-pack!)
- The touch of pink and the gentle tone of Amber’s Seasonal Shift strip was lovely
5. Are you rehabilitated now?
Oh I hope so. I have form, though. I may have to come back for another post-relapse round.
6. Where can people see your comics in the future?
Best place to find out what I’m doing creatively (or not doing, as the case may be) is my website: http://theotheradamford.wordpress.com.
7. Any suggestions for future rounds?
More photos! More spot colour! What about rounds that are defined by their technique? A crayon round, a texta round, a pencil round, a cut-n-paste round, a vector art round…
Comic Artist Rehab 