Tales From The Cave – Creator Q&A (Battlecats)

Q: What does your creative process look like, and where do you draw inspiration from?

Keith: I spend a lot of time working out a story mentally—figuring out what themes will
dominate, how the characters will challenge each other, and overall brainstorming the
larger aspects of the story.
Once I’ve worked those out, or I’m stymied by the roadblocks that arise, I turn to
the page, where I most often figure out what the story’s actually about. This short comic
is a prime example. My first story pitch was much darker, with moral and thematic
ambiguities. It wasn’t until I sat down with the editorial notes and had written the first few
pages of script that it came together.
As for inspiration: it comes from everywhere, and most often without warning.
That capriciousness is what’s leant it a quasi-mythical demeanor. The apple hitting
Newton’s head, the ringing cry of “Eureka!” The trick with inspiration isn’t unlike
love—you’ll find it when you open yourself up to it.

Riccardo: Even if I’ve been drawing on paper my entire life, in 2022 I moved to a full digital workflow, mainly to keep up with the tight deadlines of the US comic book market. At first I used Photoshop, but recently I switched to Clip Studio and I find it to be way more helpful when it comes to drawing a comic page. I use a pen tablet – not a pen display like many of my colleagues, ’cause I spend almost my entire waking life drawing, and I realize my posture has greatly improved since I no longer have to look down at the display screen.
My main goal when I draw is also the thing I struggle with the most, which is to keep a good drawing pace and hit my deadlines. That’s why, when I draw a page, I try to move to the (digital) inking phase as soon as I can, even if my pencils are still pretty rough. I think young artists (myself included) tend to underestimate how important it is to draw quickly, especially if you’re working on a monthly publication. This is why, these days, I try to plan my pages with my timing constraints in mind – an art that I haven’t yet mastered.
I have a ton of artists that I draw inspiration from, but among those that are most active in the current US comic scene, Dan Mora and Jorge Jimenez are the ones I admire the most.

Marco: Good coffee and good music.

Q: As a winner of Mad Cave Studios’ annual Talent Search, do you have any advice to aspiring creatives?

Keith: While the IP may change depending on the year’s submission requirements, a
good rule of thumb is to be sure you are writing for those characters and that world, not
despite it. An important skill to demonstrate is that you can match the tone, style, and
themes for an existing IP; that you can establish, reinforce, and develop
characterization in a short space.

Riccardo: Beside the thing I’ve mentioned above about being fast, I’d say to make sure your foundations are very solid: if you want to be a comic book artist, you should at least master human anatomy, perspective and storytelling. Composition, body language, face expressions and inking should also be considered a must. Also, be aware that nowadays, especially in the US market, the number of artists that draw digitally and ink their own pages is higher than ever – so maybe you should too.
The best way to learn these skills is to put them in practice: so start drawing comic pages as soon as you feel that your theory is solid enough, even if there are still a lot that you don’t know (there will always be). Your goal should be to build mileage: 100 good-enough pages have more to teach you than a single perfect page – so focus on drawing a lot instead of drawing good. Also remember that drawing a comic book page is a completely different beast than drawing in general, so draw PAGES. Even better: draw pages IN SEQUENCE.
Ideally, you should practice by working on a real project, because it helps you build the mindset of a true professionist. I know, when you’re just a beginner the big publishers might be out of reach – but lucky enough there are a lot of other opportunities out there: from small Indie Publishers who accept unsolicited submissions to young talented writers who are looking for someone to draw their crowdfunded project. I know countless Facebook groups and subreddits where young creators can meet and build a team. And if you can’t find anyone who’s willing to work with you (which I doubt, especially if you’re not too picky about your page rate), just create your own project and draw it. Or draw one of the hundreds of scripts that are available for free on the Internet.
Beside the practice, focus on building connections. Like it or not, this is an industry where knowing people can be as helpful as being good. If you have a reputation of always meeting your deadlines, being dedicated, and being someone people enjoy working with – then there’s no reason these people shouldn’t feel confident to mention your name when an opportunity arises.
Finally, just remember that hard work always pays off. So, more than anything else, make sure to periodically ask yourself “Am I working hard enough?”.