The Doctor Will See You Now
An interview with the creator behind The Return of Doctor Dragonwagon
Conducted by Kel Nuttall
Marilyn Scott-Waters is many things. She's a wife, a mother, a graphic
designer for such diverse clients as Nike, Porsche, Mercedes and Cindy
Crawford, the holder of a degree in Comparative Literature from the
University of California at Irvine, and a devotee of Ralph Waldo Emerson
among other things. And although, to some, she may not fit the profile...she's
a comic creator. Marilyn is the writer/artist of the new online comic
The Return of Doctor Dragonwagon that recently debuted
at the Girlamatic site.
It was a great pleasure to be asked to interview her and I hope our
discussion gives you at least a little insight into the comic and it's
creator.
Kel Nuttall - Straight off I'd like to address what
it was that inspired you to work on your own comic. I'd known you for
a while as a skilled designer/artist and, of course, as a friend, but
when you started working on Doctor Dragonwagon and
I was honestly a little surprised. Comics and Marilyn just didn't seem
an obvious combination at first. What drove you to add a comic to your
plate on top of tee shirt and product design, print and web design and
everything else you already do?
Marilyn Scott-Waters
- Now there is a question! I guess it is because I love to draw as well
as write so putting the two together was a natural progression. I wanted
to see if I could tell an ongoing story using sequentials. One of my
favorite sayings is, “Don’t be afraid to try something
new. Remember, it was amateurs that built the Ark and professionals
that built the Titanic.” So I got some paper and started
drawing… I grew up reading all the comics that I could get my
hands on, everything from Conan and Weird Tales to
Richie Rich and all the Classic Comics. Nowadays I’m
most interested in small press titles and mini comics. As to finding
time to do it… I drink a lot of caffeine.
Kel - One of the things I enjoy about the Doctor
Dragonwagon tale is that it has an old-fashioned storybook
feel. Where did this story come from? Any particular inspiration to
which you can point?
Marilyn - For this story I was
really influenced by the Anglo-Saxon folk tales of fairies, trolls,
and elves that kidnap human children, leaving their own offspring in
their place. I read a lot of Welsh, Scottish and German folk tales before
I wrote this. There is also an underlying theme about outward appearance
and how society expects people to behave in certain ways based on how
they look.
Kel - The art has a wonderful "classic" children's
illustration look to it too. Was the storybook feel, something a little
different for comics, a conscious decision or was it just a natural
fit to the story you wanted to tell?
Marilyn - Well... I couldn't
draw Spiderman to save my soul. What you see is pretty much how I draw.
My big influences are Arthur Rackham, Beatrix Potter, and Aubrey Beardsley.
I also shook Maurice Sendack's hand once. The Return of Doctor
Dragonwagon is an old-fashioned morality tale of sorts so I’m
trying to draw it with the flatness of a Russian icon with a little
dream imagery thrown in for good measure.
Kel - Being a mom, how important was it to you to try
and create a comic you could read with your son...and that other parents
could sit down at the computer and read with their kids? This is not
to say Doctor Dragonwagon is a children's story, just
that it's accessible and appropriate to all age groups.
Marilyn –
I’m not sure how interesting Doctor Dragonwagon
would be to very young children. My seven year old son is much more
interested in Tintin and the Bionicle comics right now so if I were
to write a comic for him it would be full of robots and monster trucks.
Comics are a very effective tool for getting kids to read. They help
with the word tracking of emergent readers and often use humor and action
to move the story along.
Doctor Dragonwagon is an all-age
fantasy that will hopefully appeal to older kids and adults. Most of
the webcomics on Girlamatic are definitely not for kids and deal with
adult themes. Spike’s wonderfully multilayered webcomic “Lucas
and Odessa” for example explores the journey of a gifted,
disenfranchised teenage girl in a way that will never be seen on “the
Kid’s WB.” We all know that comics doesn’t automatically
mean “for children” or “juvenile” or even “superhero.”
Sequentials are merely a tool for storytelling. It’s up to the
writer to decide what the content is.
Kel - How did your comic end up at Girlamatic.com?
Was there special draw to working with a site that "features webcomics
(mostly) by women, (mostly) for women?" What has it been like working
with the folks there?
Marilyn – It’s like a very cool Mensa party.
Everyone is incredibly nice and clever. I’d been reading Girlamatic
for months and had emailed Jason Thompson, who writes an amazing strip
called “The Stiff”; to tell him how creepy right
on it was in summing up high school dating angst. He read Doctor
Dragonwagon and recommended me to Lea Hernandez the publisher.
She asked me if I wanted to join and (after I finished hyperventilating)
of course I said “yes!” The draw for me wasn’t so
much that it was “for women” because I honestly think that
the strips have a wider appeal then “just to girls.” The
attraction was more that I’m thoroughly addicted to reading Girlamatic
and felt honored to be asked to show my work alongside such innovative
artists.
Kel - In addition to the design work that pays the
bills and Doctor Dragonwagon, another of your pet projects
has recently started gathering some impressive momentum. I'd like to
talk about TheToymaker.com for few moments. Paper toys started as something
you posted on your website along with sketches and other work, but they've
kind of taken on a life of their own, haven't they? Enough to warrant
their own website! What got you started creating paper toys?
Marilyn –
As a product designer I spend a good part of my day designing for a
specific consumer with layers of constraints and limitations. I started
creating paper toys as a way of cutting loose, as a chance to be completely
creative. I thought of them as “silly, fluffy things” and
literally stuffed the toys in a bag in the closet. Then last year my
husband asked me what I would like for an anniversary present. I thought,
“I already have a really nice toaster…. a webpage of free
paper toys would pretty nifty.” So there you go!
Kel - Your Toymaker site has been featured on several
other sites in recent months, driving a lot of internet traffic your
way. What has it been like to suddenly get attention from all these
people who clearly enjoy what you do?
Marilyn –
The response has been overwhelming. There were 187 emails in my inbox
one morning. I thought I had a virus. It turned out to be people subscribing
to my mailing list. I’ve received emails from all over the world…
parents, grandparents, teachers, and kids. My goal is to help people
and kids spend time together making things. Be creative! Make toys!
Play more! Make a little something and give it to another human being.
Kel - Does it surprise you at all that in a day and
age when it seems like the majority are up to their eyeballs in their
instantaneous electronic lifestyle...IMing 13 people simultaneously,
watching a DVD, playing the Gameboy and text messaging on their cellphone
while waiting for the instant gratification of their microwave dinner...something
so old-fashioned is finding a following? (Please note that in this context
"old-fashioned" is meant as HIGH praise.)
Marilyn –
That is an interesting observation. I think that people are hungry for
ways to be more “engaged”, not just consumers but creators.
When you are watching a video it’s like being spoon-fed. When
you take the time to read to a child or to do “cut and paste”
or to write a story there is something very wonderful that happens.
You are not just passive, you are active. I think that anyone who writes
or draws or creates something is doing something strangely subversive.
We do not live in a society that is particularly kind to amateurs, that
is, artists who do something for the love of it. It’s an act of
bravery just putting a pencil on paper. That’s why I have such
respect for anyone that writes or illustrates comics.
Kel - Are there any plans to do more with your paper
toys? Currently, visitors to the website download a PDF of the design
they want, print it out and put it together. Have you given any thought
to putting some of the designs, or perhaps some all new designs, into
a workbook of some kind for sale online or through bookstores and craft
shops?
Marilyn –
My toys are a gift. They are free to anyone that wants to make one.
I am however working on getting a book of paper toys printed on nice
cardstock because I know a lot of people don’t have great printers.
Keep your fingers crossed! It should be lots of fun!
Kel - Will there be any opportunities for fans of either
Doctor Dragonwagon or your work as The Toymaker to
meet you in person? Any craft shows or comic conventions in your near
future?
Marilyn –
I am counting the days until the San Diego ComicCon in July 2004 and
will be at the Girlamatic booth on Friday and Saturday.
Kel - In closing, are there any final thoughts you'd
like to leave us with?
Marilyn
- People need more imagination in their lives. Stories tell us how the
world works and how we should live in society. And I think that comics
have a special ability, by creating imaginary worlds, to show us what
it means to be human.
Marilyn's paper toys can be found at www.thetoymaker.com and the rest
of her work rests in the little corner of the web at www.scottwatersdesign.com
Kel Nuttall is a freelance writer and letterer, his
work appears in DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS and TRAILER PARK OF TERROR.
His original graphic novel, NOTHINGFACE, will be released in the fall
of 2004. More information on Kel's work can be found at www.morpheusforge.com
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