Creator Spotlight: Holly Laing and Drew Dailey

Hey all!  Today’s interview is with artist Holly Laing and writer Drew Dailey, the creative team behind the sci-fi comic/graphic novel, Terra.  I actually read this one too, so there might be a “Why I Read” about it at some point 🙂

Dan: Tell us a bit about yourselves. Who you are, where you’re from. All the non-webcomic stuff 😉

H: I’m Holly, from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Currently I’m working as a freelance illustrator and webcomic creator. I live with my husband Drew and my two pets. My main hobbies are video games, reading, annihilating Drew with my golgari deck in magic, the usual geeky stuff. Right now I’m playing Dragon Age Inquisition, which has impressed me due to the fact that it actually made me stop playing Skyrim for once.

D: I am also from Manitoba and share similar interests as Holly. I work for a telephone company giving people precious internet! I also served in the Canadian Armed Forces for about 7 years or so. I am a fan of Dark Souls and I love retro gaming.

Dan: “Oh, Canada!” You know, there are lots of cool webcomics creators I know from Canada. Something in the air? How is Winnipeg?

H: There very well may be something in the air, Winnipeg is great, there are a ton of really talented people here that I’ve met over the years and I continue to be impressed at the sheer number of artists in this city. It really is great to have such a thriving art community.

Dan: What type of pets? Do they appreciate your comic? 😉

H: Raiden is a 3 year old golden retriever named after the character from Metal Gear Solid. Rogue is a 7 year old domestic long hair cat (tuxedo color with a mustache). They are usually supportive lol, sometimes the cat will sit on my cintiq while I’m working, probably in protest.

Dan: Drew, is your telephone company the Canadian Comcast equivalent of evil? What do you do there?

D: Haha, No not at all. They are a local company. They are great to work for, I install and repair TV, internet and phone service for them. It’s an interesting job as I meat so many people everyday from all walks of life. I also get some interesting troubles that leave with with a sense of satisfaction when you figure it out.

Dan: What did you do in the armed forces? Maybe I can pick your brain for ideas for my comic 😀

D: I was a Line Technician, basically what I do for the phone company but with weapons. I was fortunate enough to be able to train with various firearms and everything I learned in the military I was able to take to my civilian job. It was a great experience and I made a lot of great friends.

H: I was a Signal Operator, which means that I was responsible for establishing and maintaining communications (the old term for the trade was “Radio Operator”). Drew and I met on basic training at the base hospital after our field exercise. It was an invaluable experience, I learned a lot about myself and met some interesting people during my time in.

Dan: Tell us a bit about your creative projects.

H: Currently it’s mostly just Terra for me. It’s a science fiction webcomic (or space opera more specifically) that involves a galaxy being torn apart by an interplanetary war. Corruption has overtaken the two warring factions (the United Earth Coalition and the Asurian Empire) causing much distress among the many different species being affected by the war. The only organization trying to stop it is known simply as the Resistance, freedom fighters working toward rebuilding a better galaxy, where all sentient alien life would be equally represented and valued.

D: Holly said it perfectly, however I am starting a Youtube channel that will feature Terra lore videos as well as video games, mostly retro games as well as a sort of Husband and Wife let’s play series.

Dan: I think that Youtube lore videos and extra-comic content is a great idea. Are any of those up yet?

D: Not yet, I am still in the planning stages. I want to make sure I have a good handle on all the programs like audio and editing the videos. I plan on having Holly do artwork to accompany the video. We’re hoping to launch the videos and our channel in the next year.

Dan: How is working together as a couple? Good, bad, both?

H: I find it’s great! Since we’ve been working on Terra for over five years now, we’re really in sync with the overall plot, characters and lore of the comic. Often if I’m struggling with ideas, Drew will suggest something to pull me out of my writer’s block. He also writes segments that I incorporate into the comic, it definitely helps to have a fresh perspective to help prevent the comic from getting too repetitive or stale.

D: It’s really good and I find it a great way to bond together. Some nights we have a few drinks and talk about Terra for hours. We talk about things we are incorporating into the comic as well as general goofy stuff that no one will ever really see, like how Agrippa loves to eat human foods and loves to drink with Grey.

Dan: I also work as part of an artist/writer team. Any strategies that work well for you? Are you willing to run through your method with us?

H: We have the luxury of living together, so that helps give us time to talk about the comic. We usually will have one person write something, while the other takes a second pass at it, doing any kind of revisions they deem necessary. For instance, if something is out of character, or if there are any inconsistencies in the plot. When we’re both satisfied with the result, we move on to something else.

D: The biggest thing is being able to bounce ideas back and forth, we both know the comic so well that even if we have a hard time explaining something the other person will know exactly what they are trying to say. It helps keep the characters in check as well as hopefully fill any plot holes. The main thing is taking a pass at each others writing we end up taking the comic into a direction that we are both satisfied with.

Dan: What has been you experience with the “webcomics community”? Good, bad, meh? Any good groups or resources?

H: We’re a part of a webcomic collective, Spider Forest, which has a so many amazing webcomics to jump into, I highly recommend checking them out. My overall experience with the webcomic community online has been very positive, everyone is extremely encouraging and helpful with all kinds of great advice whether you’re a beginner or a long time creator. I think it’s so awesome that the internet has provided us with an outlet to share our stories with the world.

Dan: Would you tell us about one of your best experiences in producing Terra? Fans, conventions, etc?

H: We attended our first convention this past October and had a blast! It’s difficult to sell original works at artist’s alley (as many creators can attest to) but when you do make a connection it is that much more rewarding. Seeing someone’s eyes light up when they pick up the comic or hearing their enthusiasm for the story were the best experiences for me. Also, meeting some of our readers in person was really cool!

Dan: Any advice for webcomic creators of readers?

H: My biggest piece of advice would be to plan ahead. I didn’t start out with a buffer of pages and had a hard time in the beginning because of it. A consistent update schedule is important (though not always possible) as well as engaging with your readers as much as you can. Having a dedicated audience helps creators stay on track and focused on the story.

And that’s it for our interview with Holly and Drew!  Have any questions for them?  Ask them in the comments below 😀