Bored Panda reached out to Jared to ask him a couple of new questions regarding his comic series. We wanted to know what are some of the most rewarding aspects of being a comic artist, and what keeps him motivated to continue creating. Jacobs shared with us: “The most rewarding aspect of being a comic artist is seeing the joy I can bring to my readers/followers. Without them, I would not have much reason to continue drawing comics. I love reading comments on my posts that say positive things like, ‘Your comic made my day!’ or ‘This is the funniest thing I've seen all week.’ Knowing that I can bring a little sunshine and happiness to even one person makes me press forward with my comics despite the difficulties that come with being an artist.”
Asked how his art style has evolved over time and what factors influenced these changes, Jared told us: “I have always been a massive fan of Hergé, the creator of Tintin, and how he draws his characters. They are so simply drawn, yet their expressions are so charismatic and relatable. I wanted to incorporate this simplicity and expressiveness into my comics. I also love the art style of Mike Mignola, the creator of Hellboy, and his use of shadows in his art. I used to avoid using lighting and shadows in my comics as they add a whole new layer of complexity to the drawing process, but now I'm learning to embrace the use of shadows and I think my art style has improved significantly because of this. I would love to dabble into some horror themes in my comics when I am more comfortable with using shadows.”
Next we were wondering if the artist could describe the most challenging part of creating a comic. We found out that: “The most difficult part of creating comics is finding the time to draw them! I recently became the father of a beautiful baby girl, which takes up a majority of my free time. Add on top of this my full-time job, Master's degree that I have yet to finish, and Army Reserve commitment and you can see why I would not have much time to draw. Thankfully, I have a very caring wife who is willing to provide a majority of the care for our child, thus allowing me some time to get creative. Without her, I would not be able to draw!”
Lastly, we were curious how Jacobs stays up to date with current trends and developments in the comic industry, and how he sees the industry evolving in the future. The author of the "Cheddarbacon Studios" comic series said: “I stay up to date with current trends by reaching out to my other comic creator friends to learn what 'recipes for success' they have discovered. I recently joined a group chat with 20+ comic creators who have shared with me what they have found through their experiments with social media.
One evolution in the comic industry that has been quite challenging is the rise of short video apps such as TikTok or Instagram Reels. I've seen many comic creators update their comics and post them as reels or TikToks in an effort to modernize and reach a wider audience. Some have found great success in this, while others are struggling to keep up. I also think that with the new 'Procreate Dreams' animation app coming out soon we will see the rise of new talented animators and comic creators looking to show off their skills. I for one am very excited to use this app as I use Procreate for all of my art/comics, so hopefully I'll be able to pick it up rather quickly!”
