Artist depicts challenging emotions and thoughts in his latest series of 30 comics

It’s time to delve into the brooding world of Yaplaws’ “moody comics,” which background it with mental health struggles such as self-doubt and isolation, all tinged with melancholy. Some of them make one even laugh at just how the feelings of sadness and happiness are close in this life—an idea the author of the art conveys himself.

I use comics to articulate feelings and questions that elude conventional expression,” explains Yaplaws. “My aim isn’t just raising a smile; I work deep emotional connections and relatable experiences for others.”

More info: Instagram | yaplaws.substack.com | youtube.com | patreon.com

Enjay yaplaws Comics

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I’ve been a serious comic reader and collector for as long as I can remember. My tastes seem to always run toward independent artists like Robert Crumb and Chris Ware. What really embraced me with their work was the depth of message given beyond simple humor or quick gags. I’ve also always been impressed by Edward Gorey’s art. His intricate drawing style, much like the Victorians, with very dark humor, made a lasting impression upon me.

I find in them artistic giants today, whose reflections have reached as far as my style. That’s just it—the genius guides me, even as I really try to make something that is uniquely my own.

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His artist admits that in the good times, he was doing up to 10 comics a day, but he’s since cut back.

“At first, I did nonstop comics-every day. I spent less time with each comic than I do now. Through time, I got a better feel for my characters and how I want to portray the world that I’m coming up with. In the very beginning, the shading lines were inconsistent. Now, I take more care to really have an idea of what my visual is. Other than doing comics, I also have been into doing these live drawings. It’s a really spontaneous, not-planned thing where the drawing kind of takes over. Despite not having a real plan for the drawing, the fine-lined shading technique just becomes part of it. Drawing like this doesn’t only improve your abilities but it also teaches you to see things different,” he said.

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Still, on the influence of formal education in the Fine Art and commercial art world, Yaplaws comic artist shared how it affected his artwork.
“I went to school for fine art and found my way into doing graphics for TV networks. I worked in that business for many years but did not create comics till only the last five. One thing I learned at school that has really helped me from then onwards is being critical. Indeed, I now know how to look at any kind of art and dissect it based on positive and negative attributes. On the other hand, having taken a critical view upon my work also helped me in actually improving. Education in art could easily be defined as inspiration; therefore, because of that, I have a huge collection of comic books and illustrated books. They are my teachers.

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He reflected on his work, how it echoed with so many others—a whole audience—and the effect this had on him as an artist:

“Knowing my comic art held meaning for one reader was enough motivation for me to keep at it—to keep exploring the tough, relatable questions. It was finding a community that gets what’s inside of my art—pinging on that frequency where it is safe to become unsafe.”.

I’m into openness, and with my work, I look to create that sense of balance. Balancing different ways in which ideas can be shared—using humor, using darkness, using twists one wouldn’t usually go for. While indeed dynamic media is taking the front seat on most social platforms these days, I still believe that there is room for printed books. And in the long term, an entire story told through a graphic novel would be something I like to finish.

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