At some point earlier this year Dave and I were talking and he casually mentioned how he’d just spent most of his day going through every back issue of a webcomic, and he started to tell me how great it was. That comic was Erfworld, which I already knew about through some twisting internet / blog connections having talked to the artist of the comic Jami a few times (on the right side of the picture). I’ve been a fan of Jami’s personal blog for a while now (Angry Zen Master), and that’s where I found out he was not only a fellow Marylander but also participating in these things called Super Art Fights in Baltimore, MD. Dave and I decided we would go (it was EXTREMELY fun), but we also took the opportunity to interview Jami via e-mail beforehand. We’d hoped to get it done and up before the event for maximum pimpage, but lots of things got in the way (like setting up a new blog layout). Now, finally ready to post, here is a quick question and answer session with Jami!
CH: Hey Jami, we really appreciate you taking the time to answer our questions! Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Jam i: I am the illustrator/co-creator of Erfworld, co-creator of Super Art Fight, freelance illustrator and blogger.
CH: What did you want to be when you were a kid?
Jami: I guess I always wanted to be an artist of some kind.
CH: Who is your favorite superhero? why?
Jami: I guess Zuko from Avatar. Okay, not really a superhero, but I can really relate to his unbridled rage.
CH: How did you get hooked up with Giant in the Playground and Rich Burlew (and involved in Erfworld)?
Jami: Rob Blader, the writer of Erfworld, actually knows Rich. Around the same time Rob and I were coming up with the initial ideas for Erfworld, Rich posted on his site that he was looking for a story oriented fantasy comic to host on his website. The timing was too coincidental to pass up. Rob called up Rich, pitched him the idea for Erfworld, and the next thing we knew, there we were!
CH: What’s the collaboration process with [Erfwood Author] Rob Balder like? How much back and forth is there?
Jami: We meet twice a week to discuss story ideas and to work. Rob scripts and I draw. Some of the more insane ideas that we’ve thrown in there come from these meetings. Sometimes, they just happen when I’m drawing or when Rob is lettering. He actually letters the comic so sometimes he’ll throw in a bit of new dialog to fit what I’ve drawn.
CH: Any hints about where the storyline is going, and how much there is left?
Jami: We’ve got some HUGE battles coming up and we’re heading in to the home stretch. That’s all I can tell you at this point.
CH: Which artists are your biggest inspirations?
Jami: I love what Sean “Cheeks” Galloway is doing with his character work. Bryan Lee O’Malley’s work with Scott Pilgrim is so inspirational. The energy that Corey “Rey” Lewis captures in his pages is so freaking awesome. I draw a lot of inspiration from those three.
CH: Do you have any upcoming / secret projects you can tell us about?
Jami: I’ve been scripting a sort of semi-bio/office romance comic for a bit. I rarely have time for personal projects these days, but I want to eventually do my own graphic novel. Once I finish scripting it out and showing it to a few folks to tighten it up, I’ll start laying it out. I imagine it’ll be a few years before I even get it drawn. There’s a short piece I’m working on for an anthology featuring webcomic artists. I’m hoping to get that done by mid-October, but we’ll see if I make the deadline. That’s all I can commit to for now with all the other stuff on my plate.
CH: What comics are you digging right now?
Jami: I make sure to keep up with Applegeeks, PVP, Penny Arcade, and Diesel Sweeties, VG Cats, Three Panel Soul, FREAKANGELS, and Dead of Summer on a regular basis. When I get to the stores it’s all about Blade of the Immortal, Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, Astonishing X-Men, and pretty much anything written by Warren Ellis. I’m also going back and collecting the Planetary trades.
CH: What was the inspiration for the Art Fights? Whose idea was it?
Jami: We did this Iron Artist thing at Katsucon last year where Nick Borkowicz and Steve Bennet drew against me and Dave Lister. Nick and I had such a great time that we thought it’d be fun to take it out of the convention arena and see if we could build a show around a live art competition. A few months later, we did our first Art Fight event at the Ottobar on the second floor. That went so well that they invited us back, this time on the main stage.
CH: Do you have a day-job?
Jami: I work as a multimedia developer at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C.
CH: Did you draw throughout your childhood, on / off, or just started recently?
Jami: I’ve been drawing ever since I could hold a crayon. Art 4 Life!
CH: Are you into gaming yourself? Anything you’re playing currently?
Jami: I don’t game as much as I want to, but I’ve been playing the Demigod demo for a while now. Can’t wait until that drops! Also love Gundam Dynasty Warriors. They must release the second one soon!
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We’d just like to thank Jami again for answering our questions, you can see his artwork in Erfworld or read his excellent media and nerdy culture commentary at his blog Angry Zen Master. He has done a few very good art tutorials on his blog Monster Cutie, and he also writes at the geeky magazine website Spwug.
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