In an intriguing conversation with Bored Panda, Simon, a Vienna-based artist and the creative mind behind "SayHeySimon," dives deep into his latest venture, "FruitBombComics."
At the heart of "FruitBombComics" lies an unexpectedly profound source of inspiration. Simon recounts, "I wanted to find characters that looked funny, colorful, and cute at the same time. Figures that many people in the world were familiar with (everyone likes fruit, right?)... this probably gave rise to the absurd idea of making them speak and act like human beings. I'm still shocked but here we are."
The evolution of Simon's art style has been both a deliberate and natural progression. He observes, "I've noticed that I draw much faster (but much more inaccurately) without using sketches. This makes the whole thing feel a lot more 'natural' in the process and, to be honest, makes it more fun. The simpler something is drawn, the funnier it usually looks." He also touches on the influence of external feedback, saying, "One of the main reasons for leaving out 'perfect' lines was probably one of my friends when he made it clear to me that he could hardly see any difference in quality from my previous drawings. (I was shocked at the time) Perfectionism is rarely a good thing, I suppose?"
Feedback from fans has played a significant role in shaping the artist's approach to comic creation. He shares a particularly touching aspect of his journey, noting, "Sometimes people write to me in the comments or private messages how much they enjoy reading my comics and that I give them a smile even on bad days. Whenever I read something like that, I would always like to pour a truckload of gratitude on these people. To be honest, that's my main motivation to keep drawing comics."
The delicate balance between absurdity and warmth is a cornerstone of Simon's work. He explains, "I don't think about it that separately; when I have a good idea, I just start drawing - but I sincerely hope that all my comics are absurd AND heartwarming." He fondly reflects on his main character, the apple, describing it as "pure of heart (yes, fruits have hearts too) even if he often behaves clumsily, silly, and naively, his behavior is usually heartwarming."
Comparing his work to "Safely Endangered," a comic series he admires, the comic artist acknowledges the differences and similarities in their approach to humor and storytelling. "He has his own drawing style that is significantly different than mine; he always uses different numbers of panels to tell his stories, while I usually use 4 panels. But I don't think we're that different when it comes to humor. His comics always make me smile and are often extremely cleverly presented. I can only hope that he feels the same way about my comics."
