Bored Panda reached out to Rupert to find out more about the “Off the Leash” series and the artist himself. We wanted to know how Fawcett became interested in comics, and what inspired him to pursue it professionally. We found out that: “I have always loved art and it was the one thing at school I was good at, I wasn’t at all academic. I used to draw for hours. Humor and comedy has also always been very important to me. Growing up, funny people and comedians were just as important to me as the pop stars of the day.”
Asked to tell us about his artistic background, Rupert said: “I was born and raised in London and went to art school when I was 18, I always dreamed of being a professional artist since I was a child. I have had many books of my work published and translated into different languages and feel very lucky that I spend my days doing what I love, drawing and listening to music.”
We were also wondering what influenced the artist’s unique style in creating “Off the Leash” comics. Rupert shared with us: “As a child, I read lots of comics and loved the Tintin books by Hergé.”
The comic series is quite relatable for pretty much every dog owner. Rupert told us how he comes up with ideas for his strips: “I am inspired by what I see around me but sometimes when I am approaching a deadline for a book, I struggle a bit.”
Lastly, Fawcett shared his advice for aspiring comic artists looking to break into the industry. He said: “Becoming a professional cartoonist and artist is not at all easy so you have to be very determined and never give up. I received many rejection letters in my early days. Good luck to all the struggling young artists and cartoonists out there, be strong!”
