Interview with Kevin McShane
Hi, Kevin. Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed for the Literary
Research class in the online Creative Writing MFA program at Full Sail
University.
So, tell us, how did you get your start as a cartoonist?
I've been a compulsive doodler for as long as I can remember, but I
drew my first real "comic" comic in 6th grade art class in an attempt
to impress the girl sitting across from me. The rest, as they say...
My only formal training in comics consists of about 4 years of
mentoring by a woman named Ellen Vartanoff when I was I my
teens. The rest of the time, it's been a "learn by doing" situation. I've
been self-publishing my own comics for almost 15 years now.
Did your interest in writing comics develop at the same time as your
interest to illustrate them? If not, when did you become interested in
writing for comics?
For me, writing and drawing comics have always been inextricably
linked. I've never written a comic I haven't drawn, and vice-versa.
In addition to being a cartoonist, you’re also very prolific in other visual
media. Were you always interested in films, graphic design, and sketch
comedy, or did these evolve as an extension of your interests in comics?
I've always been interested in everything. At the risk of sounding
pretentious, I've always tended to think of the idea first, and the
medium second. When an idea for an image or a story comes to
me, I think about the best way to express it, then try to go that
route. Sometimes it's prose, sometimes it's film, or illustration, or
comics, or photography. It really depends on the idea.
Thanks for giving us this overview of your background.
This month, students in our class are exploring the tools of research, how
utilizing these techniques can improve their writing, and the ways in which
research can impact character, setting and story structure.
For today’s class, we’re reading the online preview of your comic,
Toupydoops. As someone who’s lived in Los Angeles and worked in the
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entertainment field, it’s obvious that you’ve captured an abundance of
details that demonstrate you know your characters’ world exceptionally.
Could you talk to us for a moment about your experience researching
Toupydoops? What sorts of research, if any, did you do prior to writing the
scripts?
I moved to LA.
Seriously - living in LA was perhaps the single biggest thing I've done
in terms of research for Toupydoops. I'm not saying you can't write
about living in Los Angeles without actually living in Los Angeles (or
anywhere else for that matter), but living here has given me an
invaluable, ground-floor, everyday perspective that makes the job
of writing the series many times easier.
If you didn’t do specific research in certain areas (ie: location, vocation,
etc.), what first-hand experiences did you pull from to make the world
your characters inhabit authentic?
In terms of writing - Toupydoops is an interesting project in that it's
quasi-autobiographical. While there's no DIRECT analogy between
the events in the book and my own life, many of the situations,
anecdotes, and what have you are pulled from my life, the lives of
my friends, or stories I've heard around town. I dabble in acting,
and most of my friends work in the film industry - and those
experiences are grist for the mill of my Toupydoops storylines.
In terms of drawing - There actually ARE direct analogies between
Toupy's world and my own. The layout of his apartment is the layout
of my old place. His car is the car I drove in high school. The streets
of Hollywood are drawn from photo references of the
neighborhoods I hang out in. I chose to do that because it does
give the series a certain authentic flavor that's essential for the
premise to work.
Because your characters in Toupydoops are only part human, was their
any specific research you did to in order to establish their behavior
patterns, dialogue, backstory, etc.?
Toupydoops actually began as a comic strip in my college
newspaper, so the characters carry with them nearly 10 years of
history. Toupydoops is loosely based upon myself, and Teetereater
(Toupy's best friend) is loosely based on my best friend from high
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school. Auntie Nathan (their landlord) is based on someone I knew
from college.
So in terms of research - here, observation is really the key. Basing
the characters on real people means that any and all time I spend
with them is essentially research. The better I know them, the easier
it is to write for them since all I have to do is think "okay, what would
Med (Teetereater's basis) do in this situation?"
The fact that they're only partially human doesn't really enter into
my mind most of the time. They just are who they are.
How, if at all, do you feel your research or extensive knowledge of the
entertainment industry, the world of comics and L.A. in general impact
the scenes you choose to include or the way you structure your stories?
In terms of structure - my background as a filmmaker definitely
comes into play. I write every issue of Toupydoops in traditional
screenplay format before sitting down to draw, and try to adhere to
a self-contained, three-act story - akin to a sitcom or half hour TV
show - when I write. A 32 page comic is roughly analogous to a 30
page script, and lifetime of watching movies and TV has ingrained
the 3 act structure into me. So that's how I feel most comfortable
working.
Who are some of your influences in the world of comic books, film,
television, design and various other visual mediums?
I really don't have the time to read comics like I used to. But back
when I did, I couldn't get enough of David Lapham. He's the
writer/artist of a quirky crime series called Stray Bullets. I highly
recommend it to anyone curious about writing for comics as an
example of masterful storytelling, character, and sequencing.
For other media:
Film - Coen Brothers, Howard Hawks, Wes Anderson
TV - 30 Rock, Breaking Bad is AMAZING (like a Coen Brothers TV
series)
Design - Too many to list, but I'm really into old Blue Note record
covers lately
Photography - Glen Friedman, Jill Greenberg, Marla Rutherford
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What level of importance do you think knowing the key players in your
medium and genre is to writing a successful comic? Would you say the
same of the other visual mediums you’re involved in?
I think a certain amount of knowledge of your peers and their work
is important in whatever medium you choose, but I kinda get turned
off by these people who know all the "players," read all the trades,
and are hyper-aware and hyper-competitive about who's doing
what (especially in the movie industry). Maybe it's the reason why
I'm still at the level I'm at, but I've never been much of a networker.
I'd much rather use that time and energy to focus on my own work.
You tend to wear many hats with your various projects – writer, artist,
actor, director… Have you ever worked with another writer? If so, could
you give us a little insight into what traits of a writer or co-writer enable a
successful collaboration?
I've only worked with two co-writers in my life : Margo Lipschultz on
my undergrad thesis film, and CJ Julian on the current Toupydoops
storyline. I choose co-writers very carefully since I'm a bit of a
control freak when it comes to my own stuff. But working with
Margo and CJ were (are) great experiences because we all share
a similar mindset. And I think that's the most important part of
collaboration. You might disagree about the details along the way,
but everyone needs to be heading toward the same goal for it to
work.
I could go on about collaboration forever. I'm fascinated by it.
What advice would you give to aspiring comic book writers about
launching their careers?
I don't know if I'm the right person to ask since I'm still trying to
launch my own career. But if I had to give one piece of advice, it
would be to focus on building your craft first, your audience first,
and your career third. Because the first two will give you the third.
Put your stuff out there - specifically on the internet - and make it
free for everyone to read. Then promote the shit out of it. Be
shameless. Because no one else is going to do it for you.
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