Bored Panda reached out to Iziah once more to learn more about his creative journey and artistic process. When asked to describe how he brings his ideas to life, the artist explained that he always begins with his Zayatoon spreadsheet.
"That’s where I write every idea that makes me laugh," he added. "If I chuckle at the idea of the joke, it makes the cut. That way, at least it made one person laugh.
When I get time throughout my day, I sketch a few comics out. I’ve never been great at sticking to one drawing style, but in the past couple of years, I’ve definitely found a level of consistency I’m happy with. They might not be perfect, but they feel like mine, and that’s at least a little satisfying."
We were curious about how Iziah decides which stories or characters to adapt into his comics. "It’s always about whichever character fits the joke. I don’t really do recurring characters beyond the Zayatoon ones. One day, I’d love to create a little cast of characters I can use over and over, kind of like a Seinfeld-style group of quirky, dysfunctional misfits. But for now, it’s just a couple of little people having dumb, sometimes oddly insightful conversations. The joke drives the characters, not the other way around."
While creative blocks are a common challenge for many artists, Iziah revealed that he has never experienced them himself. "A lot of times I'll go through periods where work piles up and I don't draw as much, or even when my work as a producer/editor gives me enough creative fulfillment that I feel I can get along without drawing. But at the very least I can say with full confidence that I have never once run out of jokes to tell."
Curious about the roots of Iziah’s artistic journey, we asked whether he had ever pursued formal training or if he’s a self-taught artist. "I am entirely self-taught," he responded. "My experience started with me getting my first USB drawing tablet when I was 21. Working as a security guard at the time, I was in desperate need to have a sort of escape. And though the job was stressful, I met a lot of interesting characters and found a lot of humor in the day-to-day job that I drew about. Those comics likely don’t exist anymore as they were a little rough around the edges. Years went by and I got a little better, began animating, started working in the creative industry without experience, and owing it all to my little Zayatoon creatures that live in the confines of those 4 panels."
