Bored Panda reached out to Pavel, the imaginative creator behind the "Almost 100 Ghosts" comic series. Pavel, who lacks formal art education, described how his self-taught drawing skills evolved from simple paper sketches to sophisticated digital art, saying, "I learned to draw through practice, starting with very simple drawings on paper, then using a graphics tablet. The style became more detailed over time, and when I felt confident, I allowed myself to simplify my style again—that’s how the ‘Almost 100 Ghosts’ series appeared."
When asked about the characters in his comics, Pavel explained the distinction between his creations: "All characters in the 'Almost 100 Ghosts' series can be divided into two types: regular and episodic. Episodic characters, like a magician ghost or a zombie wandering around the neighborhood, appear once or twice for a joke and do not develop. Regular characters, on the other hand, start with distinctive traits and evolve over time, allowing me to give them more detailed personalities."
Regarding the development of his storylines, the artist shared how audience interactions influence his creative process: "I plan the overarching plot of the series in advance, and it's generally set in stone. However, sometimes readers' questions or theories inspire new ideas, so the activity of my audience has often inspired me to create new storylines."
Pavel's inspirations for the themes of his series stem from a lifelong love of the horror genre, as he recounted, "I've always loved horror movies and scary books like the 'Goosebumps' series by R.L. Stine since childhood, which led me to the theme of my comic series. Storylines can also emerge spontaneously or be inspired by movies, books, and video games. Sometimes, jokes are born simply because I want to draw something like vampires or necromancers."
Looking toward the future, the comic artist expressed enthusiasm about expanding his work and engaging with a broader audience: "While 'Almost 100 Ghosts' is not my only project since I've been drawing comics since 2016, it became the first series I wanted to fully translate into English to see if I could resonate with an international audience. The experiment was successful, and I'm planning to translate more of my comics. I also have an idea for another project aimed at a wider audience, but it's too early to discuss it now—I'll definitely share more when the time comes."
Pavel wrapped up the interview with some exciting news, "I also wanted to share that the first printed collection of 'Almost 100 Ghosts' comics was recently released in Russia, including 150 issues of the series. It's thrilling to see my work on paper and even more so knowing that devoted readers can now hold the fruits of my labor in their hands."
