Tauhid Bondia has created so many amazing comics, so we were curious if he’s ever dealt with burnout, writer’s block, or other creative challenges. The artist mentioned he does experience writer’s block from time to time. "Most people think that means you can't come up with any ideas but I usually experience it as sort of forgetting how to execute the ideas I have. It's weird, but always temporary, so I just focus on other things until it passes."
Creative work brings its own set of challenges. For Tauhid, the biggest struggle as a comic artist is keeping his work fresh and engaging for himself. "I have to be having fun or the readers won’t have fun. But doing the same comic every day for years tends to become a bit of a chore. That’s why you’ll see my character designs evolve or new characters enter the story. It keeps things fresh."
Even though Crabgrass Comics is inspired by Tauhid's own childhood, he joked that creating the comic might have actually made his own childhood seem dull by comparison. "I used to get a very nostalgic feeling drawing the strip, but these days, the boys go on some pretty wild adventures. Nothing like what I did as a kid. But the friendship between them is just a reflection of friendships from my youth as it was, so there’s that."
When asked what a typical day in his life as a comic creator is like, Tauhid admitted it’s pretty boring. "I used to get up early and start my day, but nowadays, I just wake up when I wake up (often around 10:00 or 11:00). I update social media first thing, then work on a couple new comics for the next 4 to 8 hours. Once I'm done, I leave my office and don't return until the next morning. Work is work, Life is life, and never the two shall meet. I think this helps keep me from burning out which can be a real problem for cartoonists."
Growing up in the ’80s is very different from today’s world. We asked Tauhid if he thinks Kevin and Curtis would fit in and thrive in today’s digital world. "I think Miles would thrive. He’d be a total iPad kid and an avid gamer. Kevin would be that kid whose phone screen was always shattered if his phone wasn't lost completely."
