Gnarly Science: Special Interview with Michael Ferraro

5/5 - (5 votes)

Michael Ferraro is the dude. He is a whole part of his work. In a sens, he is one of his characters in the flesh. We definitively enjoy that!

Hi Michael, welcome on Art Of Webcomics!
– Where do you come from?
New Jersey, USA
– How old are you? ( tell it or not!)
Too old
– Influences?
Akira Toriyama, Berkeley Breathed, Quentin Tarantino, Joan Didion, Kevin Smith, my parents, my friends, and all the girlfriends I was clearly unworthy of.

– Art school or not?
Nope. My parents took me to flicks and comic shops in NYC. Those were more than enough tools to start with.
– Favorite digital art software?
Clip Studio Paint, but I?ll shift to Photoshop occasionally.
– Your working method?
I?ll have some coffee, reflect on past mistakes, awkward social interactions or general life stuff (often gaming related) and then struggle to render those ideas into comic form. Have some coffee. Feel good when the comic starts coming together and I finish it. Feel bummed that I could have done better. Feel good again when someone enjoys the comic. Repeat.
– What your webcomic is about, in a symbolic way, the hidden sense?
The uncertainty of life, particularly as a young adult. The struggle to find peace in a chaotic world. And how video games and jokes aid in this pathos. They?ve certainly helped me.

– Tell us more about your main character, the hero(s)!
I?d say the two main characters are the twins Zoey and Mikey, they sort of function as a dual-main character, which makes sense because they are essentially two sides of me – or rather who I?d LIKE to be – I could use more of Zoey?s smarts and strengths, and more of Mikey?s confidence and carefree attitude. But their flaws – Zoe?s insecurities and awkwardness and Mikey?s general idiocy, are reflective of my own flaws. But we all strive to be better, ya know? We all need to be better than Mikey, that?s for sure.
– How do you see your future?
Hmm, whatever happens, I?m sure I?ll be making Gnarly Science comics, even if it?s only for me, because through all the good and bad, it?s been a constant. My characters are like friends and family to me. So having them be a part of my life has helped me through a lot, I can?t imagine ever letting them go.

– Your next goal?
My main goal is to finish this Gnarly Science graphic novel I?ve been working on. I started the story on social media, in installments, but at some point I wrote an ending that I was super proud of, so I felt the story would be better served as a stand-alone book. I?m super stoked to share it with people, hopefully sooner than later.
– Advices for beginners?
Don?t fear lots of trial and error, it?s a great way to learn, but DO fear over ambition. I spent WAY too long on a previous comic project, partly because it was exciting and fun and I was driven, but also because I was stubborn, and thought that if I worked hard enough, I could pull it off. But sometimes we need to recognize our limitations. At some point during that project I did some simple comic strips just to have social media content, and soon realized that those comics were more in my wheelhouse, and that?s how Gnarly Science was born. More important than anything, it felt RIGHT. So if you feel that way about a project, see it through, go all in.

?Failure is nothing but success fuel.?

– Your technical secret trick?
I steal from the best.
– Favorite quote?
I?ve heard Kevin Smith say it, not sure if it originated with him, and I can?t remember it verbatim, but it?s something along the lines of ?Failure is nothing but success fuel.? I like that, and I?m not big on quotes. I fail at quotes.
– Your social links and website?
Twitter.com/Mofoart Instagram.com/gnarly_science

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