Bored Panda reached out to Steven to delve deeper into his creative process and learn more about him. The artist shared that his experience as a stand-up comedian has influenced the writing behind his cartoons. "I have access to some of the funniest people on the planet, and from time to time, I run a bit or gag by a friend to see their response. They serve as a test audience before I submit the final cartoon. Comedians are brutally honest, which is both a good and a bad thing."
Like most artists, Steven shared that he faces creative blocks from time to time. However, over the years, he’s developed a few techniques to help him push through. "My creative brain works best when I’m up against the wall with a due date looming over my head. There’s something about knowing an assignment is due soon that gets ideas flowing. No matter how hard I try, I’m never able to get more than a week or two ahead of my weekly deadline for a newspaper submission.
I have a few tricks I use when experiencing writer’s block. I work digitally so that I can save all my former characters and backgrounds from previous strips. I’ll then copy and paste the characters into different situations, poses, and atmospheres. My favorite solution to writer’s block is to visualize my characters in my head and let them interact on their own. I set up conversations for them to have and simply sit back and observe. For the most part, it sparks an idea, or if I’m lucky, the conversation will write an entire finished gag."
Steven told us that he has a consistent routine when creating cartoons. "I love to sit down on my couch with my iPad and listen to eighties or nineties television shows softly playing in the background. I find the nostalgia I get from traveling back to my childhood inspires me and creates a comfortable environment for me to work in."
For Steven, his favorite part of the comic creation process is inking the final draft. "There’s something extremely satisfying about inking my final lines as I cover the original sketch. I get to see the cartoon pop off the page, transforming from a simple pencil sketch to a defined final piece. Coloring the strip is equally satisfying. It gives me the opportunity to set the mood for the cartoon. Most of the time, I use trial and error to decide on the final colors. I also find it interesting that a simple color palette change can transform the overall feeling of the gag."
