So I have decided as a way to be better about keeping a blog, I am going to start recording my process of coming up with Growtree.
During my adolescence, I enjoyed reading (and still do) mainstream super hero comics, mostly the Image/Wildstorm titles. Eventually, after reading some Vertigo stuff, Sin City, etc. I started just picking up whatever looked interesting and delved into the wide selection of indie comics. After that, inspired by cartoonists like Jeff Smith, Seth, and Adrian Tomine, I knew I wanted to make my own comic, and not just illustrate other peoples stories.
In 2003, I was attending my second year of art college. I was finally starting to overcome my initial cynicism in regards to art college. Most of the basic intro classes were beginning to stick, some were definitely paying off (like figure drawing), and I was looking forward to beginning my concentration courses in illustration. I was also wanting to finally explore why I really wanted to make comics, and what I wanted to make them about. Unfortunately, while I spent plenty of time honing my drawing skills and developing a personal style, I was not as focussed on writing. I started examining what it was that I enjoyed in particular comics/movies/books/tv shows and directing those aesthetics into my own story.
It was around this time that they began releasing Hayao Miyazaki’s earlier films on DVD in the US. I was always a big movie buff, ever since I was a kid. I remember being profoundly inspired by Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen, and I experienced that same level of inspiration when I watched Kiki’s Delivery Service and Castle in the Sky for the first time. What really resonated with me was Miyazaki’s knack for making a compelling story while not having the main focus of the narrative be a strict conflict between good and evil.
As I developed my skill, earned my BFA, and gained experience in freelance illustration, I simultaneously began assembling the tone and style of the comic I wanted to make.