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Bored Panda once again reached out to Jim Benton, who kindly answered our interview questions.
First of all, the artist noted that he didn’t make a full switch from the other types of art to create comics. “I still do licensed creations (like It's Happy Bunny, and JoKoBo ) and I write books like Franny K Stein, Dear Dumb Diary, Catwad, and more. I also do art that you might hang on a wall. Comics are something I've always done.”
We were curious to know what the go-to tools are for Jim when he draws his comics.
He replied: “I like traditional tools the best, like dip pens and watercolor, and sometimes I draw with ink, then scan that and color it in Photoshop, because that can be a lot faster. I had a shoulder injury that messed me up for about a year, and during that period, I started using the iPad more and more, because it was easier. I often use the pen that is closest.”
We also asked Jim to tell us about a time when a doodle turned into one of his best ideas.
“It's Happy Bunny started as a doodle. I drew a little bunny that said 'You suck and that’s sad'. It stayed pinned up on a bulletin board in my studio for a long time before I decided to license it on products. Was it my best idea? I don't know, but it's sure popped up on a lot of stuff. I guess everything starts as a doodle: bad ideas and good ideas both start that way. It's hard to tell at the beginning which it's going to be, you just have to grit your teeth and see where it takes you,” wrote Jim.
Regarding inspiration, Jim shared his thoughts: “I'm not sure where inspiration comes from, to be honest. I just sit down and the ideas start to come out… I think our heads are full of inspiration all the time, we just need to open the valve all the way and let them pour out.”
For all the future comic artists, here is a piece of advice from Jim: “It's a wide-open frontier. You can create anything you want—you can be as wholesome or gruesome as you like. Sometimes people will love your work, and sometimes they'll hate it. But if you want to keep doing it, you need to develop a thick skin and press on even when you feel it's futile. The very next thing you create might be the greatest thing ever.”
And lastly, Jim added: “Here's the part where I get to shamelessly self-promote, right? Great! New works in my JoKoBo line (just my initials with 'o's for periods) are at www.jokobo.com. My books are on Amazon here, and my Instagram, where I post a lot of cartoons, is here. And thank you to Bored Panda for kindly sharing my work with your readership.”
