Cover images from Kazu's website: https://www.boltcityproductions.com/
1. I love what I have seen about your author origins and the teacher who encouraged you as a writer. For readers who aren’t familiar, can you share a bit about that?
Doris Blake was my English teacher in High School. She was very stern but also very funny, and really intimidated a lot of students, including me. She assigned an essay where we were asked to write in the style of John Steinbeck, and I wrote an essay about going to the beach during the summer with my friends. I received an A+++++ grade and was asked to see her after class. Miss Blake then grabbed me by the shoulders and said, in a very serious tone, "You can do this. You can do this for a living." It wasn't exactly a friendly exchange, and felt more like she felt it was imperative that I pursue writing. So, I did and began to take writing very seriously from that point onward.
2. What initially appealed to you about reading and creating comics?
I always drew comics, beginning when I was about 5 years old. They were pretty much the only things I could fully understand and read when I was that age. I loved reading Garfield comic strips, so I wanted to make my own comics.
Read the web comic Copper here: https://www.boltcityproductions.com/copper
3. How have you envisioned the full Amulet series so far as you go about crafting the story? (e.g., do you script out the entire series, does the story take turns as you go, etc.)
My process is more akin to playing improvisational music. While I have some structure to the stories I'm creating, I try to let the art do the talking, and just follow the characters along on their journeys. When I worked in the film industry, I felt it was stifling to try and weave stories through very structured scripts and executive pitch meetings, so when I started making graphic novels, I intentionally threw those kinds of processes out the window. When I watch a Miyazaki movie, I can tell that he is building up what he has in front of him, the way a sculptor works, and there is only a loose plan for how to complete the story. That leaves enough chaotic energy in the story to make it feel organic, very human, and I wanted to create work that was imbued with a similar quality.
4. What advice do you suggest for young/students who want to create comics?
Just practice your skills whenever you are able to find time to do it, and as you get older, just make time to do it. Ease the pressure on feeling the need to succeed, and just focus on the process of creating. If you find success, you will likely feel that it is something you will have to deal with rather than something you experience as a reward. Find your reward in the process, and most other things should work themselves out.
Comments