New year, new work setup
The end of 2024 has been a whirlwind of changes. Some things came to an end while new ones began. Change is exciting, but it brings a period of adjustment—chaos seems to run rampant for a while before things settle.
The biggest change I’ve been dealing with is the closure of Big Kickers, the studio I shared with a few other comic book friends, namely Francis Manapul and Allison O’Toole. We called the studio Big Kickers because the company that used to reside there was called Little Kickers (I think they taught kids soccer). Francis and I dabbled with the idea of actually starting a business together, but outside of one project we did for Microsoft to promote the Series X, Big Kickers was mostly just an inside joke for us.
The studio has been a wonderful place to work and hang out over the last five years. During the pandemic, when everything was shut down and we had to social distance, the routine of walking to the studio and seeing some friendly faces (from six feet away) gave me a sense of normalcy.
The space was massive—way bigger than what we needed. Francis and I used to skateboard across the studio, past our private bathrooms and through the kitchen to get into each other’s spaces to chat. We definitely had room to stretch our legs and took full advantage of that by setting up giant work areas with multiple computers and drawing desks.
However, all things must come to an end, including our lease. When it was time to renew, we concluded that five years in one place was probably long enough and that a change was necessary (and even exciting).
Looking back at these pictures, I have a lot of fond memories of the place and the people. Here’s to you, Big Kickers! Hopefully, you’ll be a great home for your next tenant, whatever their endeavor may be.
Simplifying
Without the ample space that the studio provided, I’ve been on a quest to simplify and organize my work setup. I used to have two giant Cintiqs (one for home and one for the studio) that I used to create most of my work. But there’s something really “serious” about working on a giant tablet, and lately, I’ve been wanting to have more fun when it comes to making comics—that’s the whole point, after all.
Currently, I’m doing the majority of my work on the iPad Pro. In the past, I resisted making it my primary device because its ergonomics weren’t great for drawing for hours on end. However, this summer, I purchased the Astropad Darkboard, and it’s been a real game changer.
Having that extra surface area allows me to switch my grip to match my posture, so I’m not constantly craning my neck downward. I can also comfortably move around the house, work on the couch, or bring it to a coffee shop. Sometimes you just get tired of sitting in the same place all day, and a change of scenery is what’s needed to get back in the mood to draw.
Traditional art
Traditional Art
Speaking of the iPad, I broke my Apple Pencil during the holidays and couldn’t get a replacement because everything was closed. Ordering one online was also difficult because Canada’s Postal Service was in the middle of a strike.
This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I could reconnect my Cintiq to continue working, but after experiencing the freedom of a lighter tablet, I decided to try the opposite and draw comic pages traditionally instead.
It was a bit of an adjustment, but there’s a satisfaction with working traditionally that no amount of technology can match. At the end of the day, there’s something gratifying about holding the physical artwork you created, rather than just looking at a bunch of files on a computer. I also found the simplicity of traditional art to be wonderful for my mental health. My attention was completely focused on drawing instead of fiddling with brush settings, layers, undoing every little mistake, or surfing the internet when I got bored.
When I finally got a new Apple Pencil, I returned to drawing on the iPad. For now, I’m still not convinced I can work completely traditionally when it comes to making comics due to the extra work required—scanning, cleaning the artwork, and correcting mistakes (of which there are many).
I used to draw a clear distinction between being a digital artist and a traditional artist, but now I want to find a way to blur that line in my workflow. Perhaps I’ll do the rough work traditionally and then finish it digitally—or vice versa. I’m not really sure yet.
Anyhow, that’s enough of my rambling for this week. Hope you’re all having a great start to 2025!
– Tri