Questionable Comics is a series where Dan Hill surveys professionals from every corner of the comics industry about their methods and experience. First up this week is Alison Sampson, co-creator of the Image graphic novels Genesis and Winnebago Graveyard, and the curator of the excellent Think of a City project.
What current projects are you working on?
Winnebago Graveyard with Steve Niles for Image Comics, a couple of covers, a pitch for an incredibly exciting thing, and another thing.
Use one word to describe how you work.
Methodically.
What’s your workspace like?
Plain, flat formica table, office chair set to ergonomic height, anglepoise, fountain pen, iMac, Hobonichi notebook, H pencils, frogtape, A3 printer. Kind of an architect’s set up, minus the mountain of product information.
What do you listen to when you work?
Nothing, or various TV dramas, which I can have on loop as I’m mainly just listening- I’m on my fourth round of The West Wing. Sometimes Al Jazeera, but it seems like for this (Steve’s) book real world stuff is too distracting.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t make it commercial, make it attractive- Steve Wacker
How do you get into art mode?
I’m always in art mode.
Is your work paper or digital based?
Both, it depends what I’m doing.
What’s the one thing you wish you could improve about your work?
Quicker pencilling, better page rates, less silencing of women on the internet. That’s 3 you say?
When’s the best time to work?
Spring mornings. Or when there’s jaffa cakes. Or when there’s money. Or when the art has red on it. Or when I have to design a thing. Honestly, I really like doing this.
Who do you consider to be inspirational creators in your field (classic and modern)?
I always go blank when asked this, especially as the people who inspire me are often not in my field. Sanaa Architects, Simon Conder, John Allan, Jenny Saville, Anselm Kiefer, Mike Webb, Wim Wenders, Ursula Le Guin, William Gibson, Douglas Coupland, Ray Bradbury. I also like the work of Brandon Graham, Jacques Tardi, Steve Niles (obv) and I think Jeff Parker and Kieron Gillen make some interesting writing choices that I’d like to draw. There’s some super smart people in comics- Shelly Bond, Ben Read who runs Improper Books is pretty cool. Also, without Eric Stephenson, I wouldn’t be doing this, and I certainly wouldn’t be doing it +like+ this.
Next is Scottish indie comics artist Garry Mac, who runs his own publishing line, Unthank Comics, where you can currently read his series Freak Out Squares.
What current projects are you working on?
Working on a graphic novel called Tomorrow for BHP Comics, written by Jack Lothian, and once that’s done I’m onto Freak Out Squares #4, which will actually be combined with the other three and released as a GN.
Then I’m focusing solely on my own stuff for a while.
Use one word to describe how you work.
Slooooowly.
What’s your workspace like?
Right now, it’s tidy, but it exists in an indeterminate state between order and chaos. I’ve got a sweet digital set up, with a high up monitor and a 22HD Cintiq down low as a tablet. I love it. The set up also easily allows me to shift into writing mode, or making music or whatever.
What do you listen to when you work?
All sorts– soundtracks, electro, ambient– depends on my mood. Sometimes podcasts– I’m a big fan of Warren Ellis’ Spektrmodule.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t spend too much time looking over the stuff you’ve already done on a book – by the time you get to the end you’ll have improved so much that you’ll be tempted to start redrawing the early stuff.
Make every thing you do better than the last.
How do you get into art mode?
Right now “art mode” kind of comes upon me, and I have to drop everything to start working when I have the motivation. I’m working full time doing admin, so art mode only happens in short bursts.
Is your work paper or digital based?
Mainly digital, although I’m going back to a paper/digital mix soon, because I want to get back to pencil on paper for the finished lines.
What’s the one thing you wish you could improve about your work?
One thing??
Ummmm… I wish I could draw environments better. Perspective is the enemy…
When’s the best time to work?
Whenever the motivation comes… But I suppose my preferred time is early morning or early evening.
Who do you consider to be inspirational creators in your field (classic and modern)?
Frank Quitely, Moebius, Katsuhiro Otomo, Paul Pope, Charles Burns, Taiyo Matsumoto, Tomer Hanuka, Jamie McKelvie, Geof Darrow, Gabriel Rodriguez, Kirby.
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