Thread "User-submitted interview! Ryuthehedgewolf interviews ShinuZero of Despotize!" in forum "Interviews"

Posted at 2:02AM, Feb. 23, 2009

This interview is of ShinuZero, whose comics are Despotize and Human After All!
(Interview conducted by ryuthehedgewolf!)

So I see you got featured! What was your first thought when Despotize got featured?

When I first saw the thumbnail on the front page I almost exploded. The first thing that I thought was, "Am I dreaming!?". Ever since I joined DD about 2 years ago on my old account, getting featured has been the dream. Having it happen like that, especially out of nowhere, was unreal.

I have actually been wondering, what exactly do you draw the comic with? I'm stumped. I'm sure a lot of others have been wondering the same thing.

Despotize has gone though many inking styles in the past. I guess it's hard to tell what exactly I'm doing. Right now, my main tools are my mechanical pencil, ballpoint pen, and toning markers.

I usually sketch out the page, then ink it lightly and erase the lines. I then go over a lot of the lines again to add line variation and tiny details, then add the tones in. I think this is the system I plan on sticking with until the end.

How long would you say it takes you to draw a page of Despotize? Do you listen to music, or watch TV while you draw it?

Hm, the average page takes around 7 to 9 solid from rough pencils, to hard pencils, to inks, to tones, to digital editing. I sometimes break it up in steps like do the pencils one day, and the inks on the next.

I think the only thing that keeps me pumped while creating a page is music. Music is a huge part of my life(I even ended up naming the chapters after songs I liked) so every time I draw I listen to music. What I find helps me draw the most is either underground rap or electronica.

Do you have a definite end in mind for Despotize? Or are you just scripting it as you go? Or do you just draw it out as you go?

I do have an end in mind for Despotize. In my head I know the sequence of events really well, like what needs to happen in order to progress the story, but the in between stuff is definitely scripting as I go.

So, aside from drawing your comic, what other hobbies do you enjoy?

Pretty much anything geeky you can think of. I love reading comics and manga, and watching anime and cartoons. Playing video games is a given as well. I've been playing games since I was a kid and I'd say the Super Nintendo is my favorite system.

Where did you come up with the idea for Despotize?

It actually started as a bunch of ideas from middle school and over time it just started to come together. The story and characters have been developing from that point and I finally started seriously making pages a year ago.

What got you into drawing comics?

It's a funny story actually. A kid in preschool challenged me to draw Sonic the Hedgehog, and I gladly accepted it. I knew the drawing I did wasn't any good, but the feeling of creating on the paper like that was so amazing. It just felt right and from then I have been trying hard to improve.

I see you have a brother on here as well, so which one of you would you say got into comics first?

I definitely got into comics first. I'm a year older then him and he soon picked up the same habits as me.

Do you both help each other out when it comes to ideas and concepts for comics?

Yes, we help each other a great deal actually. When it comes to concepts and story, we bounce ideas off each other constantly. I think that's the secret to keeping our stories interesting(or at least more interesting then they would be if we didn't).

Do you enjoy reading comic books in your daily life? Or would you rather sit down and read a nice manga? If not one of those, how about webcomics? Any ones you'd like to share with us?

Yes! I love American comics as well as Japanese manga. I think both have influenced me a great deal in my art and helped me get to where I am today.

My favorites would have to be The Walking Dead written by Robert Kirkman, and Gantz by Hiroya Oku. I think they are the biggest influences on my style of drawing.

I see you've just recently implemented shading into Despotize. I love the results! How long did you have to play around with using markers in order to get the result we see when you post a page?

I actually just winged it from the start. I know it was a sloppy decision, especially looking back at the quality, because I was experimenting with the tones as I was doing the pages. I'd say after 2-3 pages I had the basic idea of what I was doing. There are still many things I want to try and learn.

Every artist has their own workspace where they work best in. Where do you usually go to draw your comic? Do you have a set-up there that you can't get from any other place?

I usually draw on my computer desk. I move the monitor all they way back and put the keyboard up on top of the computer so I have a lot of workspace. I keep the mouse in front of me just in case I need to change the album I'm listening to.

Last question, what do you plan to do after you finish Despotize? Any other comic projects you have in mind?

Actually, depending on the reaction to the ending, I may do a sequel. I have definitely given it some though and have a few ideas just in case…. ;P