Canadian Web Comic Interviews

Stephen Notley Author of "Bob the Angry Flower"

I was born in 1970 in Edmonton, moved six hours north to Fairview, AB when I was 1, then lived my life there until I was 18, after which I came back to Edmonton. I went to Fairview High School and then to the University of Alberta, and I've got a brother and a sister and no parents.

What was the first online comic you ever read?
Hell, I don't know. Probably the first one I noticed was "The K Chronicles" by Keith Knight over at Salon.com.

What were your favorite comics growing up?
Gosh, lots. I was an early Spider-Man booster, and we read lots of Tintin and Asterix when we were young, and I got turned onto Cerebus and Phil Foglio and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a couple of years before the end of high school...

What other writing or comics have you worked on?
Not too much, pretty much just Bob the Angry Flower,though I did do a weekly cuperhero strip at the University newspaper before I started Bob.

For readers not familiar with Bob, can you tell us something about this web comic?
Well, basically it's about an angry flower who probes pretty much every element of human experience, from the nameless fear of death to apostrophe misusage to girls whose shoes are too tall. It's just a wacky crazy funfest of nuttiness, ain't it?

Tell us how you acquired your artistic skills.
I copied a lot of cartoons as a kid. That's about it, really; I never took any serious art classes, and basically I just ripped off various techniques from different artists on a case-by-case basis.

Where do you get your ideas for story archs or comedic relief in your comic?
Usually from watching CNN, or reflecting on some painful and recent development in my own life, or both.

Your art has a distinct appearance that sets it apart from the Manga[Anime]-like looks of most web comics. Do you believe that popular cultures preoccupation with the Anime-style of art has diluted the overall quality of web comics, or improved it?
As I say, I don't really read enough webcomics to have noticed a preponderance of Anime-style art in them. As with all styles, it's what you do with it that counts. Even if "everybody" was drawing in an anime style that should still be the style you work in if it's the style you like. As for me, I don't have a particular yen for manga-style art, coming more from the Phil Foglio/TMNT/Asterix schools of cartooning, but it can be a source for good ideas just like anything else. And besides, the primary determinant of quality in a cartoon is the writing rather than the art, I would say.

Your thoughts on the online comic community?
To be perfectly honest, I don't pay much attention to it. I read a few online comics like Penny Arcade and the ones at Salon, but I'm not involved or interested in any of the message-board stuff. Probably to my disadvantage.

Being non-american, do you feel somewhat removed from many of the more mainstream web comics?
I don't even know what would be an example of a "mainstream web comic", so no. I feel a fair distance from America as a thing, which is what helps give my comic its unique perspective, but I don't feel any more or less cut off from the webcomic world.

Does anything set you apart, being a Canadian comic artist, from other American web comics?
I don't really set out to be "Canadian"; it's just a natural function of the fact that I am. Web comics, from what I know of them, are pretty diverse, and so I don't know if there's anything in particular about the Canadian ones that set them as a group apart from the American ones. There are good ones and bad ones on both sides of the border, and the nature of the web is that where somebody comes from is a lot less important than how good they are.

How, if at all, does being "Canadian" factor into the creative process?
Not at all, except that I am one, so it informs everything I do.

Have you ever attended any Canadian or American Comic Conventions?
I went to a Toronto convention last year, which was terrible, and I've been to a bunch of America ones; San Diego Comic-con, Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco, MoCCA in New York, Small Press Expo in Bethesda...

What movies, cartoons and TV shows are your favorites?
Lord of the Rings, Hong Kong actioners like Hero, Invader Zim and Powerpuff Girls, and up until recently, Buffy and Futurama. Now TV is a bit of a wasteland...

If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring with you and why?
Hell, I don't know. Probably, like, a fire-making kit and a blanket, and maybe another blanket.

What books do you read? Jeez, I dunno. I'm reading Gulliver's Travels at the moment, a gift from my brother, and I don't really know what I'll move onto after that. I'm a pretty lazy reader.

How can somebody contact you?

They can e-mail me at the e-mail address the appears prominently on my web site.
http://www.angryflower.com

-Stephen Notley

Favorite strips:

"I AM LOVEBOT!"
"The Love Thing"
"Yes"
"Uh..."
"Time Looker-Forward Tube"

Posted by B.Scott
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	Canadian Web Comic Interviews Stephen Notley Author of "Bob the Angry Flower" I was born in 1970 in Edmonton, moved six hours north to Fairview, AB when I was 1, then lived my life there until I was 18, after which I came back to Edmonton. I went to Fairview High School and then to the University of Alberta, and I've got a brother and a sister and no parents. What was the first online comic you ever read? Hell, I don't know. Probably the first one I noticed was "The K Chronicles" by Keith Knight over at Salon.com. What were your favorite comics growing up? Gosh, lots. I was an early Spider-Man booster, and we read lots of Tintin and Asterix when we were young, and I got turned onto Cerebus and Phil Foglio and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a couple of years before the end of high school... What other writing or comics have you worked on? Not too much, pretty much just Bob the Angry Flower,though I did do a weekly cuperhero strip at the University newspaper before I started Bob. For readers not familiar with Bob, can you tell us something about this web comic? Well, basically it's about an angry flower who probes pretty much every element of human experience, from the nameless fear of death to apostrophe misusage to girls whose shoes are too tall. It's just a wacky crazy funfest of nuttiness, ain't it? Tell us how you acquired your artistic skills. I copied a lot of cartoons as a kid. That's about it, really; I never took any serious art classes, and basically I just ripped off various techniques from different artists on a case-by-case basis. Where do you get your ideas for story archs or comedic relief in your comic? Usually from watching CNN, or reflecting on some painful and recent development in my own life, or both. Your art has a distinct appearance that sets it apart from the Manga[Anime]-like looks of most web comics. Do you believe that popular cultures preoccupation with the Anime-style of art has diluted the overall quality of web comics, or improved it? As I say, I don't really read enough webcomics to have noticed a preponderance of Anime-style art in them. As with all styles, it's what you do with it that counts. Even if "everybody" was drawing in an anime style that should still be the style you work in if it's the style you like. As for me, I don't have a particular yen for manga-style art, coming more from the Phil Foglio/TMNT/Asterix schools of cartooning, but it can be a source for good ideas just like anything else. And besides, the primary determinant of quality in a cartoon is the writing rather than the art, I would say. Your thoughts on the online comic community? To be perfectly honest, I don't pay much attention to it. I read a few online comics like Penny Arcade and the ones at Salon, but I'm not involved or interested in any of the message-board stuff. Probably to my disadvantage. Being non-american, do you feel somewhat removed from many of the more mainstream web comics? I don't even know what would be an example of a "mainstream web comic", so no. I feel a fair distance from America as a thing, which is what helps give my comic its unique perspective, but I don't feel any more or less cut off from the webcomic world. Does anything set you apart, being a Canadian comic artist, from other American web comics? I don't really set out to be "Canadian"; it's just a natural function of the fact that I am. Web comics, from what I know of them, are pretty diverse, and so I don't know if there's anything in particular about the Canadian ones that set them as a group apart from the American ones. There are good ones and bad ones on both sides of the border, and the nature of the web is that where somebody comes from is a lot less important than how good they are. How, if at all, does being "Canadian" factor into the creative process? Not at all, except that I am one, so it informs everything I do. Have you ever attended any Canadian or American Comic Conventions? I went to a Toronto convention last year, which was terrible, and I've been to a bunch of America ones; San Diego Comic-con, Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco, MoCCA in New York, Small Press Expo in Bethesda... What movies, cartoons and TV shows are your favorites? Lord of the Rings, Hong Kong actioners like Hero, Invader Zim and Powerpuff Girls, and up until recently, Buffy and Futurama. Now TV is a bit of a wasteland... If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring with you and why? Hell, I don't know. Probably, like, a fire-making kit and a blanket, and maybe another blanket. What books do you read? Jeez, I dunno. I'm reading Gulliver's Travels at the moment, a gift from my brother, and I don't really know what I'll move onto after that. I'm a pretty lazy reader. How can somebody contact you? They can e-mail me at the e-mail address the appears prominently on my web site. http://www.angryflower.com -Stephen Notley Favorite strips: "I AM LOVEBOT!" "The Love Thing" "Yes" "Uh..." "Time Looker-Forward Tube" Posted by B.Scott Return to The Main Page - Canadian Web Comic Ezine