Artist Introduction: Tim Danko

My name is Tim Danko; I have been making komiks for mmbbllrrfff (over twenty years) in Melbourne, Australia and most recently on Great Barrier Island, New Zealand. I have generally created activities under the Dead Xerox Press candelabra. Komiks love and hate me.

Beyond the really obvious reason that checking into any kind of rehab is sooooo cool, I am doing this to make a story. On a broad komik level I never have trouble drawing or coming up with an idea. I get a little antsy if I haven’t drawn something in four days. Making a comprehensible story is another matter. I would like to make a continuing strip like story told in four panel segments that hopefully rehab will provide the structure for without me relapsing into obscurity. Hopefully a direct audience may pin me to the floor and stop me lying (like group therapy, don’t lie to the group). Especially if all the drugs have been taken away. And I’m forced to take out the trash and do the dishes. I’d like to feel like part of a conversation again komik-wise which has felt a bit missing lately.

On a personal level, I am struggling with psoriatic arthritis condition. After trying the traditional medicine way (massive amounts of steroids, grrrrrrrrrr….), I have been looking at alternative ways and been told that the main cause is my body’s immune system attacking itself. Essentially my self not recognizing itself. I hope to pursue these stranger selves through the rehab therapy and resolve them into one happy family, and cure the crippling pain in the joints. Jeepers…

Artist Introduction: Tempo Spindle

I have been an on-again-off-again aspiring web cartoonist for a few years now. I usually let my day job get in the way of me achieving anything. Not actually working in an artistic field makes it hard to focus on an artistic endeavor. Just so you know I work in a warehouse that ships electrical supplies. Before that I worked in a warehouse that shipped computer equipment. These are the kinds of jobs that wipe you out at the end of the day and make writing and drawing a comic a chore, instead of the fun and rewarding task it used to be. That is, fun and rewarding to me. 😉

When I started my website AmerigoInfernox I thought that I would buckle down and really give this a go. This was a place for me to really dig in and make comics. My own venture, my money, my risk. I bought the site about a year ago. I think I have about ten comics up and most of those are from the last couple months.

Sadly this is why I need rehab. I have the intention and ability, yet I always find a reason to not make a comic. I need a kick in the back side to get me going. I believe that I can make a serious go at being a good and consistent artist, and more than that, I want to.

Artist Introduction: Ive Sorocuk

I’ve been in love with reading and making comics for as long as I can remember. Recently I’ve also been making badges, t-shirts and toys with comics falling behind.

I made comics every weekday for over two years as part of the Daily Grind Iron Man Challenge and since dropping out have had trouble making comics regularly again so I’m checking into rehab to get it together. I have NO idea what my rehab comics will be about yet.

Artist Introduction: Clint Cure

I can get really into a comic and draw for days at a time, once I get started. That’s the hard part.

I’m doing this cos I have another comic I’ve been working on for someone else. It’s ten pages and I’ve taken three years to do the first five.

Round Two: Meet the Artists

Our artists for the December round of Comic Artist Rehab will be:

• Tim Danko – starts December 1
• Tempo Spindle – starts December 2
• Ive Sorocuk – starts December 3
• Clint Cure – starts December 4

Rehab Exit Interview: Amber Carvan

1. Briefly describe your experience at comic artist rehab:

The four days would go very quickly! I’d be chuffed about finishing one comic and then it felt like I had barely caught my breath before another was due. It was good though. I enjoyed the challenge. I loved reading the comics that Claire, David and Bowb made and found the support from commenters really encouraging – especially at the beginning! It went much better than I had imagined. Actually, I feel kinda sad that our round is over.

2. What, if anything, did you learn from the program?

I learned that drawing a comic doesn’t have to be preceded by *days* of high drama and agonising. It’s actually not such a big deal. In fact, it’s quite possible for me to just sit down and do it. Also, I learned to open myself up to to the creative process again. I remembered what it’s like to look at the world with my ‘artist’ eyes.

3. Which one of your own comics are you most pleased with and why?

I like the last one, the valley. It was a challenge to write/draw about a macabre/taboo subject in a frank and honest way, but without having people think that I was about to top myself. I haven’t received calls from any concerned friends so I figure I must have succeeded!

4. Which one of your own comics are you least pleased with and why?

Probably walking in the bush. I drew heaps of comics that day trying to get something good. All of them were ok but nothing special. I regret not using this one instead:

The idea of the salada as the embodiment of four-panelled perfection has stuck with me.

5. Do you hope to keep up drawing comics after rehab? If so, how often.

I *really* want to start doing a mini-comic again. A no-frills, no drama, mini-comic that is photocopied on copy paper and read by a small circle of people. Something that has no crazy ambitions to be a graphic novel or an ignatz award winner. Just a simple mini-comic. I really like the idea of that.

6. Any suggestions for future rounds?

There was a point in this round where there was a real lull in energy. I could see that it was happening but didn’t really know what to do about it. I think that if this happens again I might jump in with a surprise challenge or something…. I don’t know. Ideas/ suggestions are most welcome.

Rehab Exit Interview: Claire Robertson

1. Briefly describe your experience at comic artist rehab:

When Amber first posted about Comic Artist Rehab I thought it was such a great idea that I signed up without really thinking about what might be involved. It hit me pretty quickly that while I have done a few things in the past I am not really a comic artist and that this was going to be a real challenge for me. Fortunately I came up with an idea for an ongoing narrative right from the beginning and while I was not exploring new ground (motherhood? again? eh!) it meant that I didn’t have torture myself finding a new story each week. This would have been the hardest bit for me and would have probably meant that I would have fallen off the wagon very early on. Knowing this, I scripted the story out from day one and only deviated from it on day 16 when the story took on a bit of a life of its own.

I really wish I had broken out a little and tried some different stuff, stylistically and story-wise (I did go out and buy some ink and brushes) but in the end it was more a case of just getting *something* up by the designated day.

It was hard work and I had to grapple with lots of demons and a feeling of not having enough time but overall I am *so* pleased I took part. The support was great and I got to develop a couple of characters who I want to go on and do more things with. Not only that but it’s my first foray back into blogging for a while and it’s made me think about coming back to my own blog again. The whole exercise has been really inspiring for me.

Here is a photo I took with my phone this morning of the real Warm Kitty and Louise (looking a bit worse for wear these days).

2. What, if anything, did you learn from the program?

Deadlines really work for me. I won’t do anything if not for a deadline. Also, I really did surprise myself with how much I enjoyed the whole experience.

3. Which one of your own comics are you most pleased with and why?

I liked the story on day 24 although if I was going to do it again I would *definitely* swap panel three and four around (thanks bowb!). I challenged myself to do a comic with a lot less words and found it worked out ok. Obviously the drawing was a tad rushed in this one, so alternatively I like day 8 as I feel the compositions and the colours are pretty good.

4. Which one of your own comics are you least pleased with and why?

I hit a real ‘blah’ patch on day 20 which is when I stopped colouring my work. I didn’t really get my groove back for the rest of the month. The story didn’t seem to flow and it was getting a repetitive . I think if I had more time to think the whole thing out and these were longer than four panels I might have taken the whole story off on a more fantastical (silly) path at this point.

5. Do you hope to keep up drawing comics after rehab? If so, how often.

I didn’t think I would want to but now we’ve had a few days off and the pressure has gone I am starting to imagine what a full length story would be like… so yes! I also just got my new copy of Tove Jansson’s Moomin (Book Two) and she really inspires me. But will I actually get to it? Probably not for a while.

6. Any suggestions for future rounds?

The mix of style of the four rehabbers was terrific. I think it made the month really interesting. It would be great to continue to have a good mix like this. Hopefully the word will spread about the project because the cheering in the comments was really helpful. I will come back to cheer on future rehabbers for sure!

Rehab Exit Interview: Bowb

1. Briefly describe your experience at comic artist rehab:

i was pretty nervous going into this, because i knew that my fellow participants are established comic artists and a practising illustrator, and i’m just an aspirational comic person with like, a handful of published things over the years, and my career as an illustrator had died off a long time ago.

i didn’t really set any great expectations when i went into this, nor any ideas of what to draw. actually, the one story i wanted to tell was the girlfriend bun story, and i’m kind of glad i waited until the end; i felt much more confident with all the technical aspects of putting it together, so even though i had pretty much sketched it out at the start, i think it would have looked quite different if i had started with it.

i am still conflicted about the lettering thing. i think i just have to get used to handwriting again – i used to have really good handwriting about ten years ago, before my keyboard usage completely eroded my skills. but thanks, everyone, for being so encouraging about it.

the peer support, actually, has been lovely and supportive. who woulda thought rehab would be such a warm and fuzzy place?

i guess it’s just really good to have been drawing again.

2. What, if anything, did you learn from the program?

i am happiest with getting a grip on colouring. now that i’ve figured it out, i think about the comics that i’ve admired, aesthetically, and i realise that they mostly employ a limited, muted colour palette. i don’t know why it didn’t hit me earlier. actually, i don’t think i’d done a comic in colour before, but i always found that aspect of illustration work challenging. so, yay. having said that, i did have quite a hard time colouring that last strip, so clearly, still dangling off the learning curve.

3. Which one of your own comics are you most pleased with and why?

i like the jellyfish one best. apart from being happy with the scripting and the composition of the individual frames, i also felt like i was really coming to terms with colouring. like i suddenly realised i could use several colours, and not have to colour everything, and make them all work harmoniously. and then apart from all that, it’s also a documentation of a lovely half an hour i shared with the kid.

4. Which one of your own comics are you least pleased with and why?

i’m not really displeased with any of them. they were all valuable exercises, and all involved a respectable amount of time and planning (and learning about colour, mostly). even the one i did in under ten minutes, the day of many deadlines, i like it because it was right there in the moment, man. so… maybe the first one? it is somewhat wishywashy, and i think there’s… i dunno… a lack of confidence or style or something.

when i first started out, i was concerned that my style was quite generic, and looking at that first comic at the end of rehab, it does seem like my drawing changed over the course of month – it seems to have become a bit simpler and rounder…cuter?. it doesn’t seem particularly distinguishable, but perhaps it’s what i’m stuck with. i suppose i could now work on distinguishing myself…

5. Do you hope to keep up drawing comics after rehab? If so, how often.

we can only hope! right after my last strip, i thought “hurrah, it’s over, and i won’t have to draw a comic again for a very long time”, but a little while later, i thought that maybe i could probably manage a four-panel piece every week. i mean, i’d really like to develop a longer piece, but i’m nervous about scripting, and drawing the same characters over and over again… and i’m lazy. we’ll see..

Rehab Exit Interview: David Tang

1. Briefly describe your experience at comic artist rehab:

It was a pretty stressful experience actually, in between work and life, it didn’t leave much time for making comics. But somehow I managed to get the comics out. A big part of it was not wanting to let down my fellow Comic Rehabers – after all if they can do it, so can I.

I had to give up a lot of things though, I’m actually going to Bali next week and was planning to work out my guns. But because I had to make so many comics, I didn’t have time to go to the gym! So I’ll be traveling with a bit more flab than I would’ve liked 😦

2. What, if anything, did you learn from the program?

Whenever I’m not actively making comics, for some reason I always think I can draw a page quickly and easily. For example I would often waste away a weekend and say “ahhh… I’ll work on comics later, there’s still time.” But when I finally get around to starting, I barely manage a panel.

Participating in Comics Rehab makes me remember how long it takes to make a page, and unless I set aside sufficient time – it’s not going to happen.

3. Which one of your own comics are you most pleased with and why?

Day twenty-three: “All dressed up” (part 3), looking at the art it’s probably one of the best pages I’ve ever drawn. I struggled for AGES trying to get the likenesses down of my friends in panel 2 but in the end, I’m really happy with the results.

4. Which one of your own comics are you least pleased with and why?

Day nineteen: “Things to do before I turn 30” was a very last minute comic. It was probably around this time that I hit a funk and my output started to go downhill. My art (with the exception of the next week’s) just wasn’t as strong as the previous weeks.

5. Do you hope to keep up drawing comics after rehab? If so, how often.

I’m going to take a couple weeks off, but afterwards I am aiming for a panel a day for a few weeks, take a break, rinse and repeat. I’ve got some good momentum right now and it would be a shame to let it fizzle out. But we’ll see.

6. Any suggestions for future rounds?

It would be good to get the word out more. Especially early on, when there were more people around, cheering and commenting – it encouraged me to produce better work, because I wanted to impress people. But towards the end, it felt like I was in a desert – making even four panels every four days a mammoth task.

Round One: Day Twenty Eight