Bored Panda reached out to Zaehringer once more to delve deeper into his fascinating creative process. As art often presents some difficulties, we were curious to learn more about what aspects the artist finds most challenging when creating comics. Zaehringer shared that drawing anything hard is... hard for him. "Vehicles are the worst. I drew a motorcycle recently and I felt like I needed a vacation. The best way to stay creative during these difficult drawing moments is to work in an environment that fosters focus: solitude, silence, the less internet the better. Allow the process to take time. Did I mention no internet? Sometimes you gotta go online for reference, but you gotta watch yourself. The internet sucks away your time, and time fuels creativity."
Inspiration, ideas, and motivation play a vital role in any creative journey. Whether you are an artist, writer, or any kind of creator, finding sources that fuel your imagination is essential. So, we were wondering where these sparks of creativity come from for Zaehringer. The artist told us that anything that makes him laugh is an inspiration for him. "When I'm on top of it, I try to keep a list of one-word prompts based on things that made me laugh, to refer to when I'm writing. In the world of comics, my big influences are The Perry Bible Fellowship, Three Word Phrase, and Chainsawsuit. Other formative influences: my cousin Steve Moore, who drew the newspaper comic In the Bleachers. He inspired me to make comics in the first place. And my friend Kevin Garvey, who drew comics with me at the library every day after school for years."
The best part of making comics for Zaehringer is actually not one, but two: "When you get into a 'flow state,' and you've lost track of time, and even your sense of self. This is utopia. You only realize you're there after the fact. Usually, it dawned on me that my music stopped playing and I didn't notice, because I was so focused. That's how I know I hit the flow state. The second best part of making comics is finishing your comic and staring at it, slack-jawed and sleep-deprived, knowing you should go to bed, but just staring, like almost hypnotized. That's good."
When asked about his future plans, the artist enthusiastically replied, "To keep on truckin'." To add a playful touch, he included two emojis: (laughing face) and (crying face), revealing the messages and emotions he wants to share with his readers.
What are your thoughts about these comics? Share them in the comments! And don't forget to upvote your favorite pieces!
