Creator Spotlight: Jonas McCluggage
Guest interviewer Stephen Leotti is on fire with doing lots of awesome interviews. This one originally appeared here.
Today, I am very excited to bring you my interview with one of my all time favorite comic artists. I’ve been following him since about January of 2013, and was instantly hooked on his style. His first comic was called The Adventures of Jonas, about his real life adventures as he hitchhikes across America. There’s pathos, humor, drama, and wonderful artwork to boot. He is now bringing it into print, and I highly recommend getting it. His current project is called Follow the Leader, which is a film noir style mafia story with a twist. I recommend that one as well.
You can follow him on Twitter, Deviant Art and Patreon, and can sign up for his book here.
So with no further ado, I present to you my interview with Jonas McCluggage:
S: Okay, well let me say I’m really excited about this because I’ve been a fan for a long time. Back when I first started my comic making, you were one of the first people I discovered. So, thanks for being awesome.
J: How did you happen upon my comics anyhow?
S: Comicfury. Just looking around. And I was like, “hey, something that doesn’t suck!”
J: Hahaha neato.
S: Yeah. It’s a crazy world.
J: You got that right. I didn’t know you lived in Virginia. I mighta been able to high five you on my way through.
S: I would’ve been thrilled to do that. Next time, for sure. Anyway, so why don’t we start with a little background. Where you grew up, How you got into art etc. All that good stuff.
J: My folks used to be missionaries and we moved around a lot. I got accustomed to constant hellos and goodbyes.They settled down in Colorado when I went to High School. Then I reckon I missed moving around all the time so I started hitching. I return to Colorado every year or so
S: Oh, cool. It’s good to keep some ties.
J: Yeah, it’s a comfort to have a place to hang your hat.
S: So I’m guessing art was something you got into pretty early on?
J: Yeah, my folks were always supportive of it. Just a thing I always did. Kinda how I would make friends and whatever.
S: Right. You find your identity in it. Like ‘that kid who draws stuff’. I was that kid too.
J: Yeah! Though now I’m more known for being a travel kid. At least to the people I’ve been introduced to. The stories kinda built that.
S: That’s how I always picture you. This kind of rugged adventurer. Like Earnest Hemingway.
Okay, so for the audience out there, basically run down what Adventures of Jonas is, for someone who has never heard of it before.
J: It’s about me being a doofy highschooler that decides to go hitchhiking instead of college – sorta sets me on a different path. I live inna warehouse, climb buildings with a little gang of urban explorers, and I get my heart broken and I kiss some girls. Life and stuff.
S: So it’s all 100% true?
J: Yup.
S: That’s why I love it so much. I think reality is more interesting than anything you can invent.
J: Haha, well that’s a good perspective. I get stuck wishing I was in a different world too much.
S: Me too. So yeah, your webcomic was the first one that made actually feel stuff. Legitimate sadness and happiness. You’ve got a talent for making the audience care.
J: Aw snap, rilly?
S: Yeah dude.
J: Dude, thanks.
S: No problem.
J: Any other comics get you?
S: Uhm, Blue is the Warmest Color is a good one. It’s a lesbian love story.
J: That’s a comic?
S: Yeah, and an NC17 movie. I recommend it.
J: Its on netflix right?
S: Yeah. Anyway, back to questions. What comics and or other kinds of media inspire you?
J: Tekkonkinkreet (or Black/White) was a phenomenal inspiration. I’m also really into everything Sam Alden has ever done. Sam can do s*** with sequential art that I’ve never seen before.
S: Your artwork has always reminded me of Jamie Hewlett of Gorillaz. Is that a coincidence?
J: Not at all coincidence. Jamie has likewise been an influence. Although I’m not as well acquainted with his work.
S: I actually haven’t read any of Tank Girl. It looks interesting though.
J: Sames. I tried watching the movie. I only lasted the first half.
S: No, not that piece of crap. But yeah, I’ve always though you were one of the most brilliant designers. Does that just come naturally? Or did you sit down and try to develop your style on purpose?
J: I tried to fashion myself this really heavy street style when I was in high school and that kinda held me back a little bit. not the street style, but just limiting myself. So I just keep tweaking and adapting with every new artist I admire. And whenever I pick up a new medium it has an influence over the way I draw and color. So both of those things.
The whole blank white circle eyes I sorta stole from Annie and Tin Tin, I was gonna make that a big part of my style. It really ended up f****** me over because the direction of the eyes really communicates a lot. So in the comic, I’m always pointing at s***.
S: Yeah. I have that problem with characters who just have dots. The Calvin and Hobbes thing where you give them big eyes for certain expressions doesn’t work well for realistic characters.
J: I find you can’t let realism hold you back either.
S: True. Have you tried incorporating traditional media into comics?
J: I drafted the majority of the AOJ comics on scraps of paper and composition books I’d keep with me on the road. Aside from that bit it’s all been digital. Id like to do more ink work with comics. Digital is becoming kind of a pain in the ***. I feel like I’ve got too much control.
S: Digital ink is sucky in PS. Is that what you use?
J: I use Corel 4 for the ‘scratchboard tool’ to line most of my stuff.,and then I color it in with PS using the basic brush. Because I’m hella basic.
S: I think that’s an ***et to you though. It’s not about the technology in the end.
J: Unless it holds you back. I almost never got into painting because I didn’t wanna complicate s*** with color mixing and junk.
S: No undo either.
J: Haha, yeah. Though acrylic is pretty forgiving in it’s own way once you get the hang of it.
S: Good to know. So, let’s talk about your current project Follow the Leader. This one is NOT based on true events, correct?
J: Hahaha, no. Absolutely not.
S: Phew! So, spoiler free (because I want to be surprised too), what it’s about?
J: It’s about some American mob that gets locked into an escalating urban war with a group of local feral nocturnal cannibals in the 80’s. The perspective shifts between the cannibals, the mob, and the townies.
S: If you’re not intrigued after that, I don’t know what to say. How did you come up with that? Just walking along, all of a sudden, BAM! Feral children v. the Mob?
J: I’ve been super fascinated in feral children for a while. and I also think mafia guys are neat. so I figured they’d make neat rivals. the story took me 2 years though. So the initial idea was sudden, but the logistics are the hard part.
S: So you were hatching it by the time I even started following you?
J: Yeah. I actually started drafting it when I went to Paris with Griff.
S: So drafting is basically what you do for writing? Rather than like, a script?
J: Yeah. I just did the pictures along with the script. Just scribbled it out and then spent a long time rearranging and tweaking and junk.
S: Back in the old days, when they would make animated films, there were no scripts. Just storyboards. That’s basically what you do. Now they have scripts because, Hollywood.
J: Essentially.
S: It’s interesting to me because my process is the reverse. I write EVERYTHING. Different strokes I guess.
J: Yeah man. I’m probably doing it wrong, haha. I’m not much of a writer or a reader. AOJ kinda wrote itself so that was easy.
S: Eh, I always figure everything I do is wrong. Yeah, AOJ is such a unique thing. I don’t know anything QUITE like it. Craig Thompson’s Blankets is kind of similar. It’s autobiographical.
J: Blankets is good. I also was really into Johnny Wander after a couple of AOJ: It’s influence shows up a little here and there. It’s like AOJ except without sad parts. And it’s generally better because there’s no immature Jonas BS.
S: I think it makes it very special. Nobody else could have made it. Everything is so formulaic now. It’s great to just see someone say “f*** all that” and just do what they want to. And do it WELL.
J: Haha, thanks dude. I wish parts of it were a little more graceful. Points in my life where I’m ageist or cl***ist are kinda… unflattering. But uhmm… that’s character development.
S: Hey, you know who else did a story about their own life? Howard Stern. So you’re now in same league as him.
J: Rock on.
S: So, what’s next on the horizon? Are you already hatching the next one?
J: I’ve got a swashbuckling piratey sorta adventure tale. And maybe one about three traveler kids that cross paths with these fashionable astronomers.
S: I getcha.
Oh, wow, this has been so much fun. I’m trying really HARD to think of any more questions…
J: S’all good dog. Yeah this has been neat. Buenos noches, friendo.
S: Good night!