Interview time!

I have returned from the abyss of watching some old western movie starring Elvis(where he got the pomade to keep his hair that shiny and slicked back is beyond me)with a brand baby spankin' new interview, this time with Hatpire creator Becky Turpin. Arise from your coffins, put on your monacles, and prepare to be educated!

1. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy Hatpire creating life, Becky. So has creating and maintaining a webcomic been all you could have imagined?

It’s a really rewarding experience, and it really is everything I imagined. When I got the comic started, I never thought it’d even be as big as it is now—which is, I admit, a speck in the grand scheme of things. But hey, it’s a speck I’m PROUD of, and that’s what matters most to me.

2. How do you think Hatpire fits in with the traditional view of vampires, if at all?

If it weren’t for the fangs, his grandpa, and his occasional habit of turning into a bat, he wouldn’t really be much of a vampire at all. I don’t want to dwell much on the fact that he as a character is a vampirebecause, in all honesty, I don’t consider Hatpire to be a vampire comic. When I think of a vampire-related creative work, I think of things like Buffy, Anne Rice novels, Nosferatu, or Dracula. Take out the vampires in those and replace them with an ordinary person, and the whole nature of the work would change. Replace Hatpire with an ordinary person, and much of it would stay the same (although he’d be less fun to draw!).

3. About how much time do you spend per comic?

Hmm. I’d say maybe anywhere from 4-6 hours, from sketches to finishedcomic. This is just a rough estimate—I do a lot of sketches during my breaks at work, so when I come home it’s all set to be inked and colored on the computer.

4. How long do you see this comic staying around?

I can definitely see myself keeping this going for around two years. As much as I’d like it to keep going forever, I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep it going. Having no dialogue is definitely a restriction (but a fun one). When I feel I’m not creating comics up to my standards, then Hatpire will come to a close. That’s definitely not in the near future, though. :)

5. Do you have any other ideas floating around upstairs?

With all the floating going on up there, you’d think my brain was infested with ghosts. I do have a lot of different projects I’d like to work on. They’re not all comic ideas, though. I’d like to get a book published someday, but I have a long ways to go yet as far as my writing skills are concerned.

6. Do you ever see the webcomic community becoming more mainstream?

Oh, definitely. Printed newspapers are already starting to become a relic, and from what I can gather, that’s where the majority of the public get their comic fix. As newspapers go online, so will more of the public, and there’s that door open for them. At that point, it’s just a matter of finding a comic they enjoy, really.

I already see a lot of overlap with people who read printed graphic novels and people who read webcomics. There’s at least a few print artists I know of that have started publishing online as well, and vice versa. The webcomic community is already huge if you compare it to where it was just five, six years ago. As more and more comics start getting more mainstream.

7. If you were to do a crossover with any webcomic out there, which would it be, and
why?

You know, I’m not sure what comics I’d do a crossover with. I’ve never really thought about it, though to be honest I’ve never been a fan of outright crossovers where each side is interacting with one another. Cameos, however, are awesome. I love playing “Spot the Comic” whenever the creators include other comics’ characters in the background. Something like that, I’d really love to do.

8. What other hobbies do you have?

Give me a pencil and some paper, and one way or another, you’ll keep me busy. I write, I draw, I play a few different musical instruments (the latter very, very badly). Anything creative and I’ll give it a chance and then most likely get hooked.

9. What webcomics do you have bookmarked?

There’s Three Panel Soul, Girl Genius, Awkward Zombie, White Noise, The
Abominable Charles Christopher, and VG Cats, to name a few of the ones I check most often. I’m probably missing at least a couple in the list.

10.Any last thoughts? Oh, and feel free to tell the readers why they should check out Hatpire.

To be honest, I’m surprised Hatpire has even gotten big enough to warrant people interviewing me. That in and of itself is awesome and is a huge ego boost every day for me. :)

And why SHOULDN’T you check out Hatpire? If it’s something you haven’t checked out yet, what’s the harm in it? It just takes a minute. And if you don’t like it, then show it to that one friend of yours that always likes the thing you don’t. You know you have one of those. Heck, if you have a lot of them, show it to everyone. :D

Thanks again for the interview, Becky! And to all of you reading this, be sure
and give Hatpire a once-over. For the Asylum, this is Jack, over and out!