Bored Panda reached out to Karlo Ferdon, the artist behind the name Don Serapio. The author of this heartwarming series of illustrations told us a bit more about his work. We wanted Karlo to tell us about his journey into the world of comic art and inspiration for becoming a cartoonist. Fedron shared with us: “From a very young age I learned that drawing was a great way to express your ideas, I was and am a fan of many comics, so being able to dedicate my life to drawing is a privilege.”
Don Serapio’s comics often have a humorous and light-hearted tone. We were wondering how the artist comes up with ideas for for his stories, and what his creative process looks like. The artist told us: “My inspiration comes from my relationship with my grandparents, who were very important in my upbringing. Especially my grandfather who had a great sense of humor in life. Ideas come when one is attentive to the things that happen in everyday life and giving them a touch of absurdity or unrealism helps a lot to transform the normal into humorous.”
Next, we wanted the artist to describe the most challenging part of creating a comic. We were curious how Ferdon overcomes obstacles and difficulties during the creative process. We found out that: “The most challenging part is being able to have creative perseverance, trying to make humorous vignettes all the time is not easy, but it is achieved with hard work. And the creative block, at least it works for me, go out to clear my head, walk or rest a little to come back with a renewed mind.”
Lastly, asked what are some of the most rewarding aspects of being a comic artist, and what keeps him motivated to continue creating, Karlo answered: “It motivates me that people like my art and my drawings. In the case of a character created by one, like Don Serapio, there are people who become fans, and support you with every craziness, wanting to buy the books, magazines, t-shirts, or anything related to the characters.”
