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We were wondering what has changed since the last post was made. Rose replied: “Since the last Bored Panda post, I’ve found myself going back into more light-hearted comics, which is such a relief! For a while there, so many of the comics I was producing was dealing with burnout. You can actually see the progression if you look at them in chronological order. But since then, I’ve been in a much better space and am starting to produce more of the fun, silly comics that got Summers Off to where it was in the first place.”
The artist also described the essence or theme behind the comics: “To someone who has never seen these comics before, I’d say that this is an absurdist look at the classroom that, ultimately, is grounded in reality. After all, the classroom is quite absurd. I look to tell the truth in my comics because I think that’s what makes the best comedy. That’s why there are still darker themes that run through Summers Off, but that tend to go broad enough to point out the silliness of the system society’s created.”
Regarding the creative process, Rose shared: “Oh man, my creative process is much less a process than it is a couple of different approaches I take. Most of the time, these comics come from me complaining about something to a friend or a colleague, and I rush to write down what just made us laugh. Sometimes, I have an idea of something that’s bothering me in general, and I draw 5 or 6 versions of a comic until I figure out exactly what I’m trying to say. Truthfully, the rarest thing that happens is I witness something in class that cracks me up, and I jot down verbatim in a sketchbook.
However, I do have some rules I try to follow. Every comic should be as timeless as possible (no current event references), relevant (is this an honest point of view), and kind-hearted (the last thing I want to do is to punch down).”
We always want to know what the artist hopes for audiences to take away from their comics.
Mojo Rose wrote: “Ultimately, I hope that readers of this comic feel seen. We say it all the time, but teaching is such a tough profession, there are all these ideas on the way a classroom should look or how a teacher should be, but the reality is much more complex. I hope that at the end of the day, teachers can read these comics and say ‘Me too!’ or ‘I’m glad it’s not just me,’ and I hope that students and parents can laugh along too while saying ‘Ooooh…is that what it’s like?’"
Lastly, the artist added: “I just want anyone out there to go out and find the humor in your own lives, no matter how bleak or crazy or absurd things are. Even if laughing at it won’t make it go away, it’ll make it much easier to understand. Laugh on, you crazy diamonds!”
