Artist Introduction: Amber Carvan

“Writing comics has always come fairly easily to me, but drawing them has always been a challenge. The most disciplined I’ve ever been as an artist was when I was working to deadline on ‘Brick Dog and Other Stories’. At the time I hoped that I would be able to maintain the momentum after the project ended, but I couldn’t. Not even a little bit. Kids will do that. Oh, and and laziness too. Making comics just faded into the background.

Years later I’ve come to realise that identifying as a comic creator is really very important to me. And drawing the comics that I hate to draw seems to be necessary for my soul. At the recent writer’s fest in Newcastle it hit me like a ton of bricks and I could see how little contribution I’ve made in the past five years to the creative community that has supported and nurtured me in the past. This simply has to change!”

Artist Introduction: bowb

“growing up, i thought i wanted to be a comic artist, but it’s nothing like when bart simpson goes to new york and drops in at the offices of mad magazine. it’s hard work, dammit! and you could count the number pages i’ve had published on two hands.

in the mid-90s, i invented a slacker character, “pizza boy”, for my end-of-year design school project, a punk-music-junk-food zine, raging yoghurt, but it turns out i was too slack to do anything about it. it was so of its time, and now that time is over. i thought maybe i could maintain some sort of tenous link to comic-ing by being an illustrator, but that only worked for a little while until the magazines i worked for started buying stock photographs instead.

these days i pretend to be a graphic designer, but mostly i like to blog about what i ate. the thing i’ve discovered over the years though, is that i’m only lazy and unfocussed when i don’t have a deadline, so yeah, i’ve checked myself into rehab.”

Artist Introduction: David Tang

“Comics to me has always been a hobby, so anytime it starts to feel like a chore I’d rather not create. I mean if I don’t enjoy it, what’s the point right? At the same time though, I’ve been telling people I’m a comics creator since 2002, and in all that time I’ve only put out two issues of “Knee Pockets”. I keep thinking that when I turn 30 in a few years, what am I going to have to show for it? Help me comics rehab, help me!”

Artist Introduction: Claire Robertson

“I live and work as a freelance illustrator in Melbourne, Australia.

I say “work”, bit these days I spend most of my time being a full time mother to two little monsters. In spare moments I am theoretically writing and illustrating a series of children’s books for publication some time this decade.

I am in dire need of Comic Artist Rehab – I think the last thing I did was in 1999 (omg!)… I’m a mum, I’m a gardener, I’m a reader of trashy books, I’m a crafter, I’m a watcher of downloaded television shows, I’m mostly always tired and I’m slack… the only time I manage to put any time aside to draw is when I have some kind of deadline. Here goes…”

Round One: Meet the artists

Welcome to Comic Artist Rehab. If you’ve stumbled upon us and are wondering what it’s all about you may find the about page enlightening.

Thanks to all those artists who have volunteered for rehab. Our four artists for the first 28 days will be:

• Amber Carvan – starts November 1
• Bowb – starts November 2
  
• David Tang – starts November 3
  
• Claire Robertson – starts November 4