This was a long comic I had the idea for when I started making Bonebag Comics, but at the time my skills using digital media were very inexperienced. So I shelved the story.
Many years later, I was digging through my old stuff and found this story: WORKER’S COMP. It was still a little rough but my skills in writing and art helped me punch it up to be what we see before us.
The character Pablo seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to do two things:
1.) Practice my Spanish.
2.) And work around assumed stereotypes.
Plus, there was the added bonus of having a poop joke in one of my comics.
One of the greatest joys as a comic creator is showing a comic to a friend and watching their face make a sound of disgust while simultaneously smiling. That’s when you know that you have made something truly great.
Part way through the comic, I decided to have the main characters have a quick chat, while in the background, an absurd amount of action was taking place. I learned this technique while watching old Leslie Neilson movies (The Naked Gun Series, Airplane, Wrongfully Accused, etc.).Bonebag assumes that Pablo is just a landscaper who was wronged by his employer. This is a stereotype that was hard to navigate – I wanted my comic to be funny but also show a twist in people’s perceptions. Doing it well was a difficult ‘TYPE-ROPE’ I had to walk (pun intended).
All in all, I think this comic turned out well. Okay, not so well for the main characters but you get the idea. I hope you enjoy reading my comic as much as I liked making it.
You can find all my comics on Instagram or tapas.io.
BONUS PANEL
I came up with the concept of Bonebag when I was in high school. He did not look like he does now. It was the late ‘90s and he more closely resembled the dark and gritty comic character SPAWN (created by Todd MacFarlane).
As time went on, I realized Bonebag was less of a lone wolf vigilante who seeks vengeance on those wrongfully killed.... and more of a person who didn't want to follow the career path his parents had set up for him. Sure he has the heart of a warrior, but also the soul of a slacker.
I have been making comics for a very long time it seems, but Bonebag comics was started in the year 2012. I was working as a computer-aided drafter to pay bills and support my family. On my lunch breaks, I would draw my comics. It was very therapeutic from my daily stress. I would produce maybe one comic each month unless I was too busy with other things.
Like most webcomic creators, I am a self-taught illustrator. I would probably say that I have well over ten years of experience making comics, but I would only count the last five years as being really efficient in how I make them.
There are many comic artists that are truly inspirational to me. Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy) showed me that comics do not need to be overly detailed to convey a character or their story. Rob Schrab (creator of Scud the disposable assassin) showed me that if you WANT your character to fight a giant squid wearing cowboy boots and holding TASER guns, then by all means draw that. Bill Watterson (creator of Calvin and Hobbes) taught me the value of knowing what I'm worth and that it's okay to set personal boundaries with those who would profit off of your creations.