Bored Panda reached out to Brian once again, seeking further insights into his creative process and a deeper understanding of his personal experiences. In a previous interview, the artist mentioned that his comics have resonated with people on a personal level. So, we wanted to know if he could share any stories or messages from his fans that meant a lot to him.
The artist shared, "There was a certain point where the comic almost became therapy to me, I am currently in actual therapy for depression and suicidal thoughts years ago. Been improving myself and how I talked to myself constantly over those years and as I made the comic, it became a way for me to repeat to myself messages that would help me overcome lots of struggles we keep internal... money struggles, depression, and thoughts of giving up.
A lot of these comics will reach people when they are at a low point, just doom scrolling social media, and I will from time to time get messages from people about how a comic helped them. A comic that gets a lot of messages is one about sadness and not just sitting in it and trying to move forward instead of sitting in the muck."
"As a father, there are lots of comics about how to keep trying as a parent, and of course, I get messages from great parents all over the world trying their best. Those always feel good cause you know some people are changing what it is to be a parent in their family and it can be really hard to not be a mirror image of your own parents."
Brian makes comics every weekday, and we wanted to know how he stays focused and keeps getting ideas every day. "I am lucky enough to get a 1-hour lunch break at my office and have a mobile tablet," the artist told us. "I started by working out trying to lose weight, and just changed the habit to do something I always wanted to pursue. I started giving myself 15 minutes after I even made some rough comics, and if they were good, I would draw them at night, making them full color.
As the habit became more disciplined, I would eat in 10 minutes and work on drawing comics for 50 minutes. As a father, I didn't always have a ton of time at home, so as I kept drawing on lunch, I eventually had color comics down to a 1-hour block. It is a habit that I am very happy I made time for, and I am very proud that I made it a priority finally in my life."
