ComicsJAN 19, 2024

I Created 20 Comics Featuring Themes Of Doom, Failure, Cynicism, Crime, And Punishment

I started with the title. It’s based on an infamous audio recording of legendary jazz drummer Buddy Rich berating his band members on their tour bus after a show. In a profane rant, an unhinged Rich accuses them of playing “clams” all night long, clams being jazz slang for bum notes and screw-ups. I’ve always loved jazz lingo and the word “clam” was rattling around in my skull for a long time before I thought that “Nothing But Clams” would make a good title for a comic strip.

Although cartoony and often nonsensical, my work involves themes of doom, failure, cynicism, crime, punishment, and depictions of characters who tend to be low-lifes and losers. I love cheap gags, off-color jokes, and old-timey cartoon tropes. The title seemed to fit.

My comic work is just for myself. Working in the animation biz, it’s a creative pressure valve, something that’s just mine. Plus, I don’t get notes. So if anyone happens to get a chuckle out of it, all the better, but I’ve always tried not to care about anything other than the fun and freedom of doing it. No overthinking. You have to trust your instincts and have a healthy dose of a “Who cares?” attitude. It works for me, anyway.

More info: Instagram

#1

I Created 20 Comics Featuring Themes Of Doom, Failure, Cynicism, Crime, And Punishment

25points

A bit of history: Nothing But Clams is my fourth comic strip. Three others, in chronological order, were Wombat, Dry Shave, and Tar Paper Town, which appeared in Vancouver’s Georgia Straight and a smattering of alt-weeklies during the '80s, '90s, and 2000s. (Does anyone remember alt-weeklies?) This is my first online-only comic, making it extra low stakes and just-for-kicks. What? You want your money back?

Since first reading Peanuts as a kid, I’ve always been drawn to the four-panel comic strip. There’s just something I find satisfying about the format, something I connect with. It’s both economical and flexible. The challenge of its restrictions makes it part of the fun. I also admire single-panel comics, but find the regular output of those to be difficult. It’s a separate and unique talent, in my opinion.

#2

24points

#3

19points

Leonard Cohen was once asked where good songs come from and he replied, “If I knew, I’d go there more often.” It’s a great line about the mysteries of creativity. Without comparing myself to Cohen in the least, I kind of feel the same way about strip ideas. It’s a strange grey area. Some ideas come fully formed, others I fight with to make work. Of course, there’s a lot of real life material in there, but I tend to use the really weird instances that I think are just so effed-up that I need to share. I think most cartoonists are keen observers to some degree.

#4

18points

#5

12points

I jot stuff down on a pad of paper – often just a phrase or title – and let it percolate until I can shape it into something. I seldom sketch at this point unless a particularly funny image comes to mind. Riffing with fellow cartoonists/artists is always helpful as well. Sometimes just saying an idea out loud helps me see it more clearly. Many times I’ll get an idea that is just so stupid or corny that I can’t resist turning it into a strip. For me, that in itself becomes part of the joke.

#6

11points

#7

11points

From there I sketch it out, shuffle stuff around, pick what characters I think would work best, then go to final line art and half tone for the greys. (I miss the days of old zipatone screens – sheets of halftone that you had to cut with an exacto knife.) I’m a big fan of black and white and doubt that I’d ever start doing color. I'm all about simplicity and economy. I work digitally, but there are some analog strips in the mix as well. But once you go digital, "Command Z" is like crack.

I won’t even get into the subject of what makes something funny. I wish I knew.

All said, I consider four-panel comic strips to be an art form, albeit an often silly, puerile, and inconsequential art form.