The lizard men cometh from the Earth's core! But can they handle life on the surface? Creator William Tallman discuses his webcomic Reptilis Rex!
1. For the poor souls not already reading, please give a brief synopsis of your comic.
The legends are true: the Earth is hollow and inhabited by a race of advanced lizard people. But what happens when their civilization collapses, forcing them to reveal themselves and live on the surface with human beings? How will we co-exist? And what are they hiding?
2. What materials and/or software do you use?
I use Photoshop for most everything, except for dialog balloons, which I create in Adobe Illustrator and import into Photoshop. I draw on a Cintiq 12x, so the strip is 100% digital. Wow! Truly this is a glittering future we live in.
3. Are there any books, movies, toys, artists, or authors that have inspired or continue to inspire your comic?
So many! I’d say The Simpsons probably had the most profound effect on me, but Ren & Stimpy, All in the Family, Garfield, Calvin & Hobbes, Star Trek, King of the Hill, Futurama and Chris Ware are all in there somewhere. The idea for Reptilis Rex in particular was inspired by shows like Ancient Aliens, Alien Nation and movies like District 9 and the original Men in Black.
4. Are any of your characters based on real people in your life?
None of them are directly represented in the comic, but most characters are amalgamations of either my own traits or the traits of people I know. I think that’s the case with most comics, TV shows, etc. People and experiences just seep in, whether you like it or not.
5. Are there any actors you know you would want to play or voice certain characters in a movie of your comic?
I’ve always loved Paul Giamatti’s voice. I think he’d make a great Krel.
6. What songs would you like in a soundtrack of your comic?
“Lord of this World” by Black Sabbath, “Iron Hand” by Grand Magus, “Demon Cleaner” by Kyuss.
7. What is your overall goal for your comic?
To tell an original, honest story. Everything else is secondary.
8. How has managing a comic impacted your life?
It gives me a creative outlet, which makes me easier to be around. There have been times in my life where I have NOT been drawing a daily comic, and I can tell you that person is not a fun guy. It’s a time suck, to be sure, but so worth it.
9. What do you do to advertise your work?
Next to nothing, so far. There’s a Reptilis Rex twitter account where I tweet out the daily strip links, but right now it’s very much reliant on word of mouth.
10. Web comics can be very time consuming and sometimes expensive to keep up. Often there is little reward in regards to money and sometimes public attention. Why do you do it?
It’s something I’ve always done, so to me it’s like breathing or eating. If I don’t do it, I will die! I’m married with two young children and a 9-5 day job, but I make time because I have to. See above :)
11. Got any other projects we should know about?
Not currently! One is all I can handle!
12. What advice would you give to aspiring creators?
Just to keep drawing and writing! Do it because you have a story to tell, not because you’re desperate for a career. Good drawing and thoughtful writing comes first, money second. And sometimes not at all. If you’re okay with that, you don’t need advice from me!
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Thanks for taking the time William! Sometimes when I read Krel's dialogue I hear it as Stewie's voice from Family guy!
If you dig Reptilis Rex you can show your love by up-voting the submission for this interview at Reddit Webcomics. Up-voting keeps Reptilis Rex on the front page of the webcomic category longer which means more people get to see it!
Thanks as always for reading. Let us know how you feel about the interview in the comments section below. Then head to Reptilis Rex as Emperor Krel tries to keep his day job!
-Mat
next week: Deep Dive Daredevils!
If you would like to be interviewed about your web-comic send an email to evanyeti@yahoo.com titled "interview" with a link to your comic.
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