Comedy of the Carrion Angels : Interview with “Sheep” !
Don’t ask to know her name, she ‘ll answer you “Call me Sheep” !
The creator of The Comedy of the Carrion Angels is an enigma, that’s maybe why this webcomic is so special.
No heroes there, but unmoral characters who live by their own rules in the hidden world of symbols. But make no mistake : you’re about to read one of the most ambitious yarn around. Ready to change of paradigm ?
Hi… Sheep ! Welcome on Art of Webcomics !
– Where do you come from ?
I dwell in a dark cave deep in a forest somewhere in a remote part of the Pacific Northwest in the USA.
– How old are you ? ( tell it or not !)
I’m 40,000 years old! No, I’m really in my early 20s.
– Influences ?
I’m heavily influenced by the horror genre in general, and pretty much live and breathe for it. Unfortunately, I don’t think my art really shows who it’s influenced by, mainly because the quality of my work fluctuates and isn’t really consistent. But I’m heavily influenced by 1970s Italian giallo, Hammer Horror films, body horror and Czech surrealism. Specific film and tv media are Jan Svankmajer’s Faust, Jiri Barta’s Labyrinth of Darkness, The Devil’s Bride/The Devil Rides Out, John Carpenter’s The Thing, Jacob’s Ladder, Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Tales From the Crypt, Monsters (a 1980s horror anthology tv show, but monsters in general are also a big influence!), Tales From the Darkside, and plenty of others. For comics, my main influences are the obvious go-to horror cult classics such as Tales From the Crypt.
But my largest influence in terms of comic art is from Shigeru Mizuki’s works, Akuma-kun, Ge Ge Ge No Kitaro and his yokai books and art, as they were a very important part of my childhood.
I’m half-Japanese, and his work was one of the first things I was exposed to as a child. Akuma-kun has a pretty large influence on me personally and my comic: Akuma-kun is about a young boy who uses Solomonic magic to control the demon Mephistopheles to fight monsters and do good. Not entirely related to my comic work, but I’m also very heavily influenced by the works of Harry Clarke and many classical painters. Music is another very large influence and I often use certain songs to get into certain mindsets to draw or attempt to create certain atmospheres in my art and comics.
– Art school or not ? 
I went to art school, but not for traditional art. I went for a video game art and design degree, which is unfortunately useless because I’m terrible at making 3d art. I’m mostly self-taught in 2d art.
– Favorite digital art software ?
I love a combination of Paint Tool Sai and Adobe Photoshop CS5 (none of that CC garbage, sorry but Adobe really messed up on CC.) I also really like Adobe Illustrator, but that’s less for comic use.
– Your working method ?
I write an outline, then a more detailed script and chapter, then draw thumbnails. I draw and ink my pages traditionally (most of the time; sometimes I will draw pages digitally if I’m too nervous about messing the images up), scan them in and then edit digitally and tone/shade or color the pages in sai. I use photoshop for text.
– What your webcomic is about, in a symbolic way, the hidden sense ?
Accepting a bad roll of the dice of fate and accepting misery. It’s also about trying to avoid becoming something you hate, even though you know you’re doomed and have few options. A lot of it’s about being really overpowered and dumb.
– Tell us more about your main character, the hero !
None of my characters are heroes! They’re all pretty terrible, morally corrupt and unlikable bastards, which is intentional. Lionel is the protagonist, and he’s depressed, grumpy and likes to get drunk, eat junk food and beat up monsters until they die. He’s not a good guy and he’s aware his moral alignment doesn’t really benefit anyone (or himself), but he doesn’t currently care. He’s also very insecure about himself and his sexuality, and is harshly critical and cold. He’s also got a big nose and likes his goatee!
– How do you see your future ?
In terms of webcomics? Honestly, not getting my hopes up too high. I do like to fantasize about having a popular webcomic and doing well, but the reality of it is, it’s not an easy feat to achieve. I don’t think my current skill set is all that great and is preventing me from moving forward with a lot of things. Only thing I can really do is try to improve as I go along and work on other side projects as well.
– Your next goal ?
Improve art quality and become a more efficient worker. There’s also the prospect of creating a print copy of the comic, which is something I REALLY want to do but currently cannot, due to financial reasons and quality concerns. Maybe in the future! Otherwise, I work on other art projects that aren’t related to comic work, like print making and merch/shirt designs and commission work. My goal is to screen print my own merch by hand on shirts, sell cool prints, pins and other art stuff.
– Advices for beginners ? 
Learn basic art fundamentals, PLEASE resize your pages so they’re legible/easy to read, don’t use comic sans (there are plenty of free professional comic fonts out there to use! Check out Blambot’s font work!) if you can help it, strive for improvement and don’t treat your readers like they’re dirt. If you need to take a break from comic work or want to quit, please tell your readers, they’ll generally understand. There’s an almost endless supply of great comics that just stopped and died and their creator disappeared without any word. It’s VERY frustrating if you’re interested in their work.
Take breaks now and then with other projects you enjoy. Don’t become a sleep-deprived zombie.
– Your technical secret trick ?
I don’t have one.
– Favorite quote ?
“My allegiance is to those who are alive, those who wear it on their sleeve, who do not run and do not hide.” from the NoMeansNo song Land of the Living.
– Your social links and website ?
cotcacomic.webcomic.ws 18+ readers
Twitter: twitter.com/cotcacomic
Artist twitter: twitter.com/NoseyJerk
Patreon: patreon.com/cotca
Etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/smokingsheep
…
Thanks a lot to Cotca “Sheep” for the great interview !
Comedy of the Carrion Angels |
Lionel is an annoyed old man with cloven-hooved feet. An immortal warlock, he retires from his long-standing law career to enjoy the finer things in life. However, his father (possible vampire?), a scheming, Jewish funeral baron with mob and occult connections, wants grandchildren and is determined to get his way.
