How People Create: Liz Climo
Or How to Make a Webcomic That Makes The Whole World Feel Good Inside
It’s not really a hot take that the world these days is a colossal dumpster fire, burning out of control, with seemingly no end in sight. Things suck. When it comes to the daily smorgasbord of emotions available to us, usually panic, dread, and sadness are the ones that seem to be most on offer. It can feel like the master chef of the restaurant otherwise known as our collective mental health ran out of the ingredients for joy ages ago. (his signature dish: fear, with a side of existential doom, is a personal fave.)
So, when I see someone’s work and it manages to give me a warm fuzzy feeling despite climate change and wars and political upheaval and and and… it’s special.
Enter: Liz Climo and her webcomics.
I’m sure a lot of you are already familiar with Liz maybe without realizing it. Her funny and touching (without being corny!) webcomics are all over the internet and they are extremely popular.
She is a cartoonist, international bestselling author and illustrator, whose books have been translated into more than 15 languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Her new book out now, called Life in the Present, is a “collection of 100 comics that celebrate the joy of life’s littlest moments.”
I was so excited to get the chance to ask Liz about her creative process. Check out what she had to say below:
Could you give a brief history of your creative journey up to this point? (For example: How did you find your way to comics? Was it something you played around with as a kid or did you discover it as an adult? Did animation lead you there or were you already doing them on your own?)
I’ve always loved to draw, basically from the moment I was old enough to hold a pencil. And comics were always my first passion - I’ve always loved to make people laugh. I took a lot of art classes growing up, and studied art in college with the hopes of getting into my school’s animation & illustration program. I didn’t get in, but got a job working as a layout artist on The Simpsons shortly after that, so I moved from the Bay Area to LA to work there. I spent the next several years really concentrating on my work on The Simpsons, and ended up putting my own work aside to do that. But after l’d been there a while, I decided I wanted to do more of my own stuff (writing especially) and so I got back into drawing comics, because it was always my favorite thing to do, and started posting them online.
When creating a new comic, where do you draw inspiration from? (Life events? People you know?) What sparks ideas for you?
I get all of my ideas from day to day life, which may seem like sort of an obvious answer, but it’s true! I think the thing I like to do best is try to find scenarios that people can relate to, and what better way than to draw inspiration from my own life.
Walk me through the process of writing/drawing one of your comics. (Do you write first? Draw first? Do you brainstorm? Or start with an idea? What are the different stages of making it: i.e. sketch, writing, fine tuning, coloring, etc)
I love to take morning walks to brainstorm, and keep notes in my phone whenever an idea comes to me. I always write the idea out first before I start drawing, though sometimes I work the exact wording out during the drawing stage. The writing part is the most challenging for me, the drawing part is the most fun and relaxing.
Do you have a revision process? If you do, how do you approach making changes? Do you ever get notes or suggestions from publishers or peers? If so, how do you decide what to consider?
When I do my comics there’s no revision process, I just write, draw them and post them online. But those are essentially just for fun at this point, and my real job is writing and illustrating books, in which case there is definitely a revision process. I always work with an editor or two on a project, and they are really instrumental in getting a story or project where it needs to be. I almost always follow their guidance, but I do sometimes take liberties with punctuation when it comes to my comic compilations. I have developed sort of a language style with my comics, and while it may not be grammatically correct I like to try and keep it consistent.
You have specific, repeating (and incredibly endearing) characters throughout your comics. How are they created? Do you come up with who they are from the beginning or do their looks/personality evolve over time? Is there pressure from your audience to maintain fidelity to a character or a point of view?
Many of the characters were developed simply because I felt like drawing that particular animal that day! But they’ve since sort of taken on a life of their own, and I now consider which character might be best for a particular comic based on how they’ve behaved in previous comics. Their look has definitely evolved a bit since the very beginning and are a bit more refined now. I don’t really feel pressure from the audience, I have to say my comments section may be the most polite on the internet - I have some very sweet, considerate followers online!
Talk about your approach to animals - and how you decide what personalities/traits fit each.
I think only a handful of the characters have really developed their own persona (while the rest sort of just represent a relatable point of view or reaction in everyday situations. For instance, the bear is sort of clumsy & well-meaning, the rabbit is sarcastic and straightforward. I find the characters develop more personality each time I draw them.
There are deeper meanings to your comics beyond just a punchline - has that always been the case? Do you have a goal in mind of what you’d like to communicate to others through your work?
I used to want to insert positivity into each comic, sort of a “Everything is gonna be okay!” attitude. I’ve moved away from that sentiment as I’ve gotten older, and now I really just hope to create a sense or comfort and joy with every comic, even when things aren’t okay.
How is your creative process different when creating a children’s book vs. a web comic? Do you have a preference between the two?
I think Web Comics will always be my first love, in part because I love the satisfaction that comes with finishing a project, and it doesn’t take very long to make one! Children’s books take a lot more time and patience, and understanding my first idea, or second idea… or sixth… might not be quite right, and that’s fine. Learning to understand that it’s all a necessary part of the process has been a great learning experience for me.
Do you have any rituals before/after/during work that helps you do your best? (i.e. Time of day, music, etc)? Is there anything you do differently when writing as opposed to drawing? (i.e. morning light for drawing, being in a coffee shop for writing, etc)
I love a routine, and there are a couple things I need to do before I can work. I always go on a walk first thing in the morning. I walk my daughter to school, then my dog & I will just continue on for a few miles. I find it helps me to leave the house then come back to my office so it’s like I’m “going to work” (I have been working from home for many years, before Covid brought us all home). I also have to tidy the house before I can start work, because it helps me think & clear my head. I prefer to work in the morning & early afternoon, in part because my eyes are so bad now it’s harder for me to see later in the day.
Do you ever get blocked for ideas? Is there anything you do that can help you get unstuck?
Yes, ALL the time. Sometimes I go weeks or months without inspiration. I like to do a combination of two things: first, I rest. I allow myself to be blocked and just take that time. The nice thing about writing & illustrating is that the illustrating part can sort of happen on cruise control. It’s still challenging, but most of the ideas were already worked out months ago so if I’m in a creative rut it’s not too bad. The second thing I’ll do is just power through and keep writing. Sometimes I’ll hit a dry spell and wont post any comics because I don’t love any of my ideas, but I’ll just make them anyway. I find that I just have to sort of move through those periods and have faith that there’s good stuff on the other side.
Anything else that I should have asked but didn’t know to because I don’t know that much about creating comics? (i.e. all cartoonists prefer Hall to Oates)
My husband and I actually dressed as Hall and Oates for Halloween many years ago (I was Oates). Fortunately, our union has remained solid.