Creator Spotlight: Rulo Potamo

Happy Wednesday all!

Today, I am happy to share an interview I had with Rulo Potamo, writer and creator of the bilingual super-heroine webcomic M9 Girls, friend and fellow Underdog.

D: I know that you, like many webcomic creators, have a day job that supports your hobby. What do you do?

R: In Real Life ™ I have a graduate degree in Computer Science, I just don’t acknowledge it in Comics Life (also ™ ). I am a research professor for a major private University in Mexico. I love teaching, I have done it for a long time now and I still find it a very satisfying job. I am a computer wiz and know more programming languages than any normal people should. The irony of it is that I didn’t originally major in Math because I didn’t want to end up in academia.

D: How did you start getting involved in comics and webcomics?

R: I learn how to read with comics: Donald Duck, Superman, Spidey. I was a serious Spider-man collector for some time and quit around the infamous Clone Saga. Then I followed the works of Michael Turner. I’ve been writing stories since I was a teenager; some of those have evolved into more mature stories, some are thankfully lost in the seas of time. I used to do gag strips featuring my original characters when I was a kid, but mostly I am a writer, since my drawing skills are sub-par. Well, a least I thought they were sub-par until I discovered the Oatmeal and xkcd!

When I wrote the M9 Girls story I immediately realized that a super-hero tale works better in a visual media, so I converted my story into a movie script. Since doing a movie was out of the question, I decided a comic book would be the viable option. And what better way to show it off to the world than a webcomic? I still want to make that movie, though…

D: How did you and Danie start working together?

R: I was always certain of the style I wanted for the comic, and knew I would need serious help to get it done. I started a talent search among my social networks (which happens to be very rich when you are a teacher) and found Danie through the proverbial six degrees of separation. She was a senior Design student at the time, itching to try her creative streak, and she got curious about the project. I cannot describe the feeling of elation I got when I saw my characters come to life on her first drafts. We set up a meeting to discuss the details of the collaboration and the rest is history. Interestingly, Danie lives out of town so we almost never see each other face to face. The first time we attended a comics convention we had to document the historic moment with tons of pictures.

D: You run M9 Girls in both English and Spanish, right? How is that going? Is it more popular in one language or the other?

R: For better or for worse, English is the de-facto universal language. It is not surprising then that the comic gets more hits on the English section; although, if my webstats are correct, there is also a big readership in Spanish, accounting for about 30% of the traffic. Still, there is more engagement from English speaking people, be it in the form of comments, or discussions in forums like the Webcomic Underdogs, and this very interview!

There is a certain charm entailed on creating the Spanish version. Spanish is a very rich and beautiful language, and it usually provides a better medium for nuances and quirks that are lost on the English version. Then again, I prefer English when I’m writing techno-babble and super-hero names.

D: All around the web where I see you, you’re always going by the Hippo. What’s the story behind that?

R: I have been fascinated by hippopotamus for a long time now. I like the animal for some unfathomed reason and I started collecting them at a young age. As it happened, I now belong to a hippos fan group (hippos.com) and own about 500 of the critters.

D: You really have 500 pet hippos? Wha… how?

R: Before the eBay era, it was really hard to come up with hippo collectibles so naturally I set up myself to look for them everywhere I went. I believe I did a very good search: I own toys, plushies, pottery, jewerly and very fine pieces of art from around the world.  But no live hippos 🙂

D: How do you feel that creating a comic has changed or improved your life?

R: Creating the comic has been a blast and an emotional roller coaster. I have had the opportunity to talk in peer terms with people I admired in the medium. I have realized my own shortcomings in my writing abilities, and I have actually learn how to produce a proper webcomic. I believe I have moved from hobbyist to amateur creator. I have learn a lot: about storytelling, about composition, about collaboration and negotiation. It is a humbling experience, and one that I deeply appreciate.

Thanks again Rulo!  And if anyone would like to be interviewed, or knows someone who might make a good interview, let me know by email at dan@demonarchives.com