I first met Ryan Claytor at APE last month and was impressed with his self-published autobiographical comics. Particularly when he showed me a proof for the next issue of his comic, And Then One Day, which he’ll have available this week. So I hit him up for an interview to find out more about him and his book …
JK: You’ve been self-publishing your comic And Then One Day since 2004. What’s it about?
Ryan Claytor: And Then One Day is my autobiographical comic book series. It documents various events in my life that range from humorous to heartbreaking to contemplative. It runs the gamut of emotions, as does life. It’s an examination of the human experience that’s not quite so riddled with angst and defeatism as comic book autobiographies have come to be known for.
JK: How did you get started on it?
RC: When I got back into comics after a decade of not giving them a second thought, I found myself gravitating to the more thoughtful, often true-to-life stories, and thought I’d try my hand at it.
JK: Why did you go the self-publishing route, as opposed to working with a publisher?
RC: Well, for a couple reasons, really. The first and obvious one is control. As a self-publisher you are the final word in all creative decision making, including storytelling choices, book design, and everything in between. That’s not to say I don’t solicit opinions from trusted artists, colleagues, and friends, but at the end of the day I’m the one who decides what stays, goes, or changes. It’s exhilarating to be able to succeed or fail based solely on the work that you created. The other reason is that I really wanted to get my work out there. I didn’t feel like waiting around for a potential publisher to be impressed or not. I had something to share and wanted to put it out into the world. It’s exciting when people pick up my books and even more exciting when they’re moved enough to send me their reactions. I love it. That’s part of what keeps me producing, the interaction between artist and reader.
JK: You’re working on your master’s in a related area, correct?
RC: Yeah, I’m getting my Masters of Fine Art with an emphasis in Multimedia. Usually that’s computer related artwork, but the program is really accepting to other mediums as well. Printmaking, bookbinding, comics, computers, and a bunch of other stuff have all found their way into the Multimedia emphasis at San Diego State University.
JK: So you’re using your comic work in your academic work?
RC: Yes, I have. At first I was apprehensive about presenting comics to faculty and students, but I’ve come to be proud of what I do. They know me as the comic guy and after they see how it’s presented, my work has generally been received with respect.
JK: When do you graduate? What are your plans after that?
RC: If all goes well, I should be done at the tail end of 2007. I’d like to become a full-time community college teacher after that. I’ve been teaching several multimedia classes for the past few years and I’ve managed to continue to do that in grad school as well.
JK: The sixth issue of And Then One Day is a little different than previous ones, in terms of how you tell the story. Walk us through the process of how it was created.
RC: Well, as part of my graduate studies I was researching autobiography. I ran across this theory which states that autobiography is no more truthful or valid than fiction. This got me thinking, “What would make it any more truthful or valid than it already is?” because essentially autobio is just one person’s subjective opinion of him or herself. So I started gathering many different people in my life and interviewing them. However, these interviews were not conducted face-to-face. I created a series of questions about me that took form as a box of flashcards. I put each subject in an isolated room with only the box of questions and a tape recorder. I was not present so that I would not influence their responses. I listened to these taped interviews, transcribed them, turned them into comic book form, and this project will be the sixth book in my And Then One Day autobiographical comic book series.
JK: Were you surprised by anything you heard on the tapes when you reviewed them?
RC: Yeah, I really was. I think there was an element of “reality show syndrome.” You know how after a while people forget they’re on camera and just start acting normal? I got some pretty candid responses that I’m sure I wouldn’t have received if I was in the room while the interview was being conducted.
JK: When can we expect to see issue 6?
RC: I’m picking it up in 3 days! Ha-ha! You’ll probably be able to order it from my website by the time this interview is published. I can’t wait to get it. This project has been in the works for about a year now, so needless to say I’m anxious to pick them up.
JK: Considering your work is basically a journal created for the entire world to see, do you ever edit anything out either because someone asks you to or because you feel it isn’t appropriate to feature?
RC: Well, you can’t tell every detail and minutia that goes into your day, so yes, there is certainly editing that goes on. I’m also pretty adamant about making my books all-ages material. I wouldn’t say they are created FOR kids, but I certainly don’t want to have a problem handing my stuff to kids. There’s just so much non-kid-friendly material in the market today. I don’t have kids, but if I did I’d have a tough time turning them loose in a comic book store unsupervised. I’m interested in creating artwork that anyone can pick up.
JK: Have any of your family or friends ever looked at your work and said, “Geez, I wish you hadn’t put that in there?”
RC: Ha-ha! Not so far, but this interview book has definitely pushed comfort levels further than before. One example is a friend of mine from grad school who is in the new book. Her name is Jackie, and we didn’t know each other all that well at the time of the interview. Nevertheless, she was pretty frank in answering the questions, which is exactly what I wanted. I was looking for different perspectives, both from people I’ve known for decades and others I’ve just become acquainted with, because the reasoning behind this new project was to contribute a greater degree of objectivity to the autobiographical genre. Anyhow, Jackie has since seen the pages I’ve illustrated from her interview and she apologizes every time she sees them. Ha-ha! I assure her that is precisely what I was looking for and comments like hers are what make this a well-rounded project. So there’s been some apprehension, but I’ve never had anyone tell me not to print what they said.
I also make sure people see the pages they’re on before I publish it, just so I don’t overstep boundaries. Another example was in And Then One Day #5 – The Sketchbook Edition where I wrote a page about the mailman at my local post office. I had no idea who he was, but he was
always SUPER efficient in his work. Absolutely inspiring to watch … like, freak-of-nature expediency. I don’t know how he keeps up the pace he does, but god bless him for it. Anyway, before I published the book I introduced myself to him and showed him the page to get his permission to print it. He was thrilled to be featured, I gave him a book after it was printed, and now we’re, like, best mailing-buddies whenever I step foot in the post office.
JK: You’re touring about half the country this summer in support of your work. What are you hoping to accomplish on the tour?
RC: I think every comic artist dreams at one time or another of going on tour. It’s an exciting prospect to expose my work to a wider audience, meet new people, and a fun way to promote my art. Not to mention, this tour is doubling as a big excuse to go visit family and friends all around the country. I’m staying with people I know in almost every stop along the way. I also saw this limited opportunity to do a tour this large. I have a three-month window of summer vacation from grad school, I don’t have a wife, I have no kids, and I’m not tied down in any way. This could possibly be the last chance I’ll have to make this happen, and I didn’t want to let that chance slip away. So for the past year or so I’ve been organizing this tour and as I’m typing this I’ve complete the first five stops of a 50 stop, 18 state, two Canadian province, comic book-signing tour.
(Editor’s note: For more information on Ryan’s tour visit: http://www.elephanteater.com/news_pages/2007/031707.html)
JK: What are some of the places you’re looking forward to seeing?
RC: I’ve always been pretty curious about New Mexico. From what I’ve seen and heard it looks beautiful, although I’ve never been before. I’m also excited to drive up through some of the Midwestern states that I haven’t visited either. I might be projecting my own expectations on the Midwest, but it seems like a simpler life. I’m from a small town, so I always long for that down-home way of living that seems almost impossible to recapture now-a-days.
JK: Are you traveling alone?
RC: Yes. Honestly, I don’t know of anyone who would want to do this with me. If you look at the schedule, it’s really jam-packed. Essentially I sign at a location, hop back in my car, drive, sleep, and sign the following day. Repeat that for three months straight, and you have my summer vacation. So there’s not a lot of time to just relax and enjoy the places I’m going … like a vacation any normal person would take.
JK: Will your travels cut into your drawing time?
RC: Uhm…that’s a funny question. I think I subscribe more to the Dave Sim methodology of self-publishing, where you create for, I dunno, three quarters of the year, and then promote for another quarter of the year. I kinda look at summer as a time for promotion. I’ve tried to wear both hats before, where I’ll promote and produce at the same time, but it seems like each activity suffers when I do that. So in an answer to your question, I don’t think it will cut into my drawing time because I see it as promotion time.
JK: Where can people buy your books?
RC: I’ve got a list of retailers on my site who carry my books or there’s online ordering on the comics page on my website, www.ElephantEater.com.
And before I leave on a shameless self-promotional plug, I really wanted to say thanks to John for his interest in my books. It’s been a pleasure doing this interview. Thanks, John.
JK: No problem … and I have no problem ending on a shameless self-promotional plug.
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Ryan is the greatest comic guy I know. I have never met someone so focused and driven. His comics will take him far. They’re really great. (he is also a great fly boy!)