Q&A With Nathan Onias, Illustrator and Comic Artist

Nathan Onias

Written by Jayse Smith

Nathan Onais, founder of Australia’s Indie Comic Con, is at last launching his own comic. The hilarious, quirky, and colourful Commander Canine has been placed on the fan-backed website ‘Kickstarter’ where members of the public can back the project. Nathan is aiming to raise $4000 to fund his latest venture. The Kickstarter campaign will be open until September 21st.

Our writer Jayse had the opportunity to sit down with Nathan and get the inside scoop about Commander Canine and how Nathan came to be in the comic industry he is so passionate for.

Hey Nathan, lovely to meet you! I’ve heard so much about Aus Indie Comic Con – can you tell us some more about that? How did it come to be, how did you get involved, and what’s coming up?

Indie Comic Con

Thanks for having me! Indie Comic Con is a Melbourne festival celebrating local and independent comic books. It’s all about educating the public about indie comics while providing a platform for creators to connect with an audience. I started ICC when I recognised that opportunities to exhibit for local, indie creators were limited.

A friend and I actually got knocked back from Oz Comic Con, even though we had awesome comics, and it was from that rejection that I decided to create my own event. The big conventions like those are focused on celebrity, cosplay and pop culture, not really comics! So I wanted to put a spotlight on creators like myself, doing it tough in their studios. We kickstarted the inaugural event and it was a great success. This year we’re doing it again on Saturday December 8th with plans to host workshops and panels in addition to the market. Please check it out at www.indiecomiccon.com.au

You obviously have a passion and talent for creating comics…where did the passion come from?

You know I’ve always been drawn to them. I was an only child and spent most of my youth drawing and reading comics so I think it was a natural progression to begin creating my own. Commander Canine is a project I undertook to learn more about how to a produce a comic in the traditional way, starting with an idea that became a script, illustrating the artwork by hand, also lettering by hand etc.

What do you use to create your drawings/comics?

I like traditional tools. My background is in fine arts so I’m comfortable there. I illustrate my pages on A3 Bristol board. My studio is my garage and I have a little drawing table. I grab my 2B mechanical pencil and away I go! For the inking, I love working with a brush and do most of it with a Windsor & Newton #4, but also will use fine liners for very small details or inorganic objects. All the colouring is done digitally in Photoshop.

With physical print under increasing threat from the digital market, where do you see the comic book industry heading in the future?

Well, I do hear from comic shop owners that business has been in a slump in recent years, but I’m hopeful for the future. Reading and creating comics is becoming more mainstream with the fandom growing every year. There’s a tactile quality to a printed book that you just can’t get digitally and I think people appreciate that. If creators are producing good work, something unique that people want to keep, print will live on. I think it’s never been a better time than now to be a creator with the current popularity of comics culture, and platforms like Kickstarter and Patreon available to creators.

You’re using Kickstarter to launch Commander Canine, how did that come to be and how can people get involved?

I used Kickstarter to help fund Indie Comic Con and it’s a great platform to rally support in a risk-free way because you only get the funds if you hit the goal. I think it’s fantastic. Most indie creators are self-published and putting out a comic book is expensive. You want to keep the unit cost low and that means you need a big print run which is a lot of expense up front. That’s why I’ve chosen to kickstart Commander Canine for help in that respect and also it’s reaching a new audience outside of Australia, which is great. People can support me by making a pledge of any amount and sharing the campaign with their friends via email and social media.

Nathan Onias DrawingWhere did the idea behind Commander Canine come from? Those Speedos are amazing!

When I was in middle school, I used to draw a comic about my dog as a superhero and it was super juvenile and a total rip-off of X-Men comics. He started out as Captain Canine and used to have red gloves and boots in addition to the Speedo. When I decided that I wanted to have a crack at making my own full issue comic, this character sprang to mind as fun idea that I could revisit and transform.

Do you attend any comic conventions such as Supanova or Pax? If yes, anything coming up we’ll will be seeing you at?

I do love going to both of those…but as a fan. I’m not yet established well enough to table at one of these big events. I think you have more success at those shows with a several titles under your belt. But I do like the smaller events as the tone is right and they’re intimate. This year I exhibited at Homecooked, also at the Northcote Town Hall, as well as Comicstreet. That was a great little show in the middle of downtown Brisbane. Coming up I’ll be exhibiting at ComiXpo 6.0 on Cup Day where I’ll be doing Marvel Sketch Cards and commissions. And of course, capping off the year with Indie Comic Con!

How important is it that people support indie comic creators, such as yourself?

It’s why we do it! To share our stories with others and to connect with people in a unique way. You really put yourself out there on the page when it’s your own work you’re exhibiting. Smaller projects need the support of fans to succeed as they face more obstacles than mainstream comics. You are supporting the arts when you pick up a creator-produced comic and helping it reach new readers who will be inspired to pick up a pencil and make their own.

Which comics are your inspirations?

I grew up on Fantastic Four and especially love the Lee/Kirby era. Chris Claremont’s run on X-Men, Excalibur by Alan Davis. Vertigo’s Fables is one of my favourites. More recently, I’m into Maestros by Steve Skroce and Savage Dragon by Erik Larsen. In the indie scene, Excitement City by Pierre Lloga, Cute by Jess Kitty Parker, and Zombolette by Scarlette Baccini.

If someone where looking to get into the industry – how should they go about it? What will they need to do?

Look in your desk and find a pencil and a piece of paper! Really though, the great thing about comics is that anyone can do it. But aside from that, find a local creator meet up and get involved. Attend conventions and bring your ideas/portfolio with you— most artists are happy to talk craft with you. Read a variety of comics and seek out comics courses and resources. Practice, practice, practice! Great art is not produced by inspiration alone, you need to master your craft and do the work consistently. I always recommend finding at least 15 minutes, every day, which is your comic work time. Get into the habit and your skills will improve.

What are your interests outside of comics?

I like to be active and regularly swim, lift and contort through yoga. Hiking is a favourite pastime and I try to plan a big adventure every year—last year’s was the Routeburn trail in New Zealand with friends. I love video games and table top games, especially Dungeons & Dragons. Cocktails? Did I say cocktails yet?

How much time have you devoted to Commander Canine so far?

It feels like an eternity. Hundreds of hours for sure. The script was written in 2015 and I began illustrating it around that time as well. I’m a slow illustrator (which is an aspect I’d like to improve) and of course boring stuff like work and sleep get in the way. Each page takes about a full day’s work times three: 8 hours for pencils, inks, and colours respectively. I did a soft release of Commander Canine in black and white at last year’s Indie Comic Con.

Where do you see the storyline going? Do you have any idea what’s in store for the Commander?

I have a major arc sketched out across twelve issues (let’s hope I can get faster at producing them!). There’s essentially two main characters: Commander Canine and his partner Rosa Espinoza. The journey we’ll see Commander Canine embark on is towards becoming a fully fledged superhero. He is pretty green, naïve, and has a lot to learn—not only about heroics but also fitting in with the human world. Rosa is in frustrating place right now as she is a brilliant police officer but isn’t getting anywhere in her career because she’s a woman and faces strong discrimination. So her journey will be one of empowerment, during which she will take the initiative to change the world around her, and ultimately transform into a new person. Their relationship will also be a main focus as it changes and evolves while a sinister villain, yet to be revealed, is plotting a major event in the shadows.

Tell us a little about Crispy Cola Studio, including your tutoring!

Crispy Cola Studio is the banner under which I produce my comic art. I dabble in a variety of stuff and you can find my illustration blog where I do a lot of fan art using Copic markers. I’ve been working on a webcomic on and off called R&D which features some spin-off characters from Commander Canine. I also am a comic educator and tutor cartooning and comic art as well as working as an instructor at the Box Hill Community Arts Centre.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I have a lot of projects in mind that I’d like to see to fruition so that’s a goal on the horizon. I’d hope to still be active in the comics community as a creator and educator and hopefully have opportunities to collaborate with others. I’d like to see Indie Comic Con continue to grow as an event, becoming self-sustainable. Working full-time as an illustrator would be a dream and who knows, maybe you’ll find me at one of the big shows one day.

Where can people find you on social media?

Find me at www.crispycola.com with links to all the socials. My Kickstarter for Commander Canine is live right now until the 21st of September and I’d be stoked if you would make a pledge and help bring Commander Canine to print!

Will you be checking out Commander Canine or Nathan’s work? Tell us in the comments below!

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