Interview with cartoonist/artist Ryan Francis!
As I have mentioned in the past, gaming/fantasy/sci-fi conventions are amazing things - not just for the fantastic cosplayers, the thrilling games, and all the wonderfully creative fans and attendees that you can commiserate, kibitz, and otherwise converse, babble, and banter with, but also for that shared love and passion over the game, comic, movie, cartoon, book or (insert interest here) of your choice.
I always try to pull in a fellow creative table boother to interview/showcase here, and I struck gold again at the recent College of DuPage’s CodCon gaming convention with cartoonist and artist Ryan “Mastafran” Francis!
Hi Ryan - thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Ryan Francis is.
When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
RF: When I was in grade school, the biggest thing that convinced me that I can make my own comics is reading the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey. The Captain Underpants books introduced me to the idea of creating your own comics and animation yourself! His Flip-O-Rama Sequences are the start of my interest in animation!
How did you develop the ideas for your stories?
RF: Many of my ideas began with me drawing a cool character. Others start as one big gag or point that I want to talk about. The rest of the writing is figuring out how to build up to that gag or explain the point I’m trying to make.
Which projects were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?
RF: The Pizza Man is my most challenging project. I needed to write and draw a set of panels in a certain theme every day in June. The comic was an Art Streak challenge called Journey June (https://www.journeyjune.com/).
What are your plans long-term for your writing? Do you have additional/different works in mind?
RF: I want to make a universe of my characters in as many mediums and works as I can learn. Currently, I’m working on a video game and that’s a new challenge art and storywise. If it’s successful, it can spin off to more games or other media. Even if it’s not, I can still go back to comics.
As an author, I share the challenge of getting the word out on my books. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your works?
RF: I spent ten years after college not doing much with my art. I was waiting for affirmation by some publisher or editor to tell me I’m a “real artist.” Going out to conventions, selling or not, helps to get your name and face out to people. I also recommend going to events tangential to your creative work. Events like art festivals, local galleries, college events, town community events, and more! It’s good to see the local things around your neighborhood as a resident!
This question will start off sounding like an old joke – a person walks into a bar (or convention or bookstore) and bumps into Ryan Francis – what would be your elevator pitch to showcase your work?
RF: “Hi Ryan, I’m [Your Name here]!I love/follow your work on [Cool project Ryan worked on or is working on] I’m a [Your career here] and I was wondering if you want to see my artwork and talk if that’s okay with you!” You can replace my name with any other artist you admire, and I guarantee you’ll get a response! Do remember to listen to their answers with intent, and you can’t go wrong with talking to artists in general!
As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your completed works? Where there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?
RF: Shirley’s Day comes to mind as a comic that I realize I can shorten. At first, the story was nine pages and I reduce it to seven pages. I didn’t need to make a comic panel for every movement like an animation storyboard. But the story is still too drawn out for a simple gag, and the middle doesn’t add enough to make things interesting.
I have a 9 year old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to carve out your ideas?
RF: I have a SketchWallet (https://www.sketchwallet.com/) that I use to doodle art ideas. I also use the blank pages to jot down notes for writing and general note-taking. I don't need to have lined paper to write if I'm typing it in the future. Likewise, I also use Google Docs on my phone to write in my drafts, which can save and sync to my desktop to continue.
Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?
RF: My local library has been a great space for me to work on things more than being at home for me. Since I’m in a public quiet space, I'm accountable to be working and not messing around. With all the books around, I can take a break and browse books that might be interesting to check out or flip through.
What are you reading right now?
RF: Currently, I’m reading Tuki by Jeff Smith! I’ve followed Jeff Smith since Bone and I enjoyed RASL as well, so I’m excited to see what he’s working on next!
Where can people go to find out more about Ryan Francis?
RF: You can find me on my website, mastafran.com or follow me on Twitter and Instagram at mastafran!
Thanks Ryan, for sharing some of your time!
I always try to pull in a fellow creative table boother to interview/showcase here, and I struck gold again at the recent College of DuPage’s CodCon gaming convention with cartoonist and artist Ryan “Mastafran” Francis!
Hi Ryan - thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Ryan Francis is.
When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
RF: When I was in grade school, the biggest thing that convinced me that I can make my own comics is reading the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey. The Captain Underpants books introduced me to the idea of creating your own comics and animation yourself! His Flip-O-Rama Sequences are the start of my interest in animation!
How did you develop the ideas for your stories?
RF: Many of my ideas began with me drawing a cool character. Others start as one big gag or point that I want to talk about. The rest of the writing is figuring out how to build up to that gag or explain the point I’m trying to make.
Which projects were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?
RF: The Pizza Man is my most challenging project. I needed to write and draw a set of panels in a certain theme every day in June. The comic was an Art Streak challenge called Journey June (https://www.journeyjune.com/).
What are your plans long-term for your writing? Do you have additional/different works in mind?
RF: I want to make a universe of my characters in as many mediums and works as I can learn. Currently, I’m working on a video game and that’s a new challenge art and storywise. If it’s successful, it can spin off to more games or other media. Even if it’s not, I can still go back to comics.
As an author, I share the challenge of getting the word out on my books. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your works?
RF: I spent ten years after college not doing much with my art. I was waiting for affirmation by some publisher or editor to tell me I’m a “real artist.” Going out to conventions, selling or not, helps to get your name and face out to people. I also recommend going to events tangential to your creative work. Events like art festivals, local galleries, college events, town community events, and more! It’s good to see the local things around your neighborhood as a resident!
This question will start off sounding like an old joke – a person walks into a bar (or convention or bookstore) and bumps into Ryan Francis – what would be your elevator pitch to showcase your work?
RF: “Hi Ryan, I’m [Your Name here]!I love/follow your work on [Cool project Ryan worked on or is working on] I’m a [Your career here] and I was wondering if you want to see my artwork and talk if that’s okay with you!” You can replace my name with any other artist you admire, and I guarantee you’ll get a response! Do remember to listen to their answers with intent, and you can’t go wrong with talking to artists in general!
As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your completed works? Where there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?
RF: Shirley’s Day comes to mind as a comic that I realize I can shorten. At first, the story was nine pages and I reduce it to seven pages. I didn’t need to make a comic panel for every movement like an animation storyboard. But the story is still too drawn out for a simple gag, and the middle doesn’t add enough to make things interesting.
I have a 9 year old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to carve out your ideas?
RF: I have a SketchWallet (https://www.sketchwallet.com/) that I use to doodle art ideas. I also use the blank pages to jot down notes for writing and general note-taking. I don't need to have lined paper to write if I'm typing it in the future. Likewise, I also use Google Docs on my phone to write in my drafts, which can save and sync to my desktop to continue.
Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?
RF: My local library has been a great space for me to work on things more than being at home for me. Since I’m in a public quiet space, I'm accountable to be working and not messing around. With all the books around, I can take a break and browse books that might be interesting to check out or flip through.
What are you reading right now?
RF: Currently, I’m reading Tuki by Jeff Smith! I’ve followed Jeff Smith since Bone and I enjoyed RASL as well, so I’m excited to see what he’s working on next!
Where can people go to find out more about Ryan Francis?
RF: You can find me on my website, mastafran.com or follow me on Twitter and Instagram at mastafran!
Thanks Ryan, for sharing some of your time!
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