This question comes from Patriot Jose Gonzales:
(What is) the actual motivation that inspiration behind the world of Monstru?
That’s easy: I’m kind of a broken person.
I spent a LOT of time alone as a kid and I had to find my own ways of entertaining myself. This was before cable tv, the interwebs, dvds, vhs tapes, and other forms of really accessible entertainment. I had to find ways to keep myself busy, and the meant imagining monster races, cultures, societies, and stuff like that.
My mom had a series of abusive boyfriends that came along around the age of 6, who liked to beat on me. That pushed me further and further into these worlds of imagination.
I needed escape to survive.
So, I got really good at escapism. (And a little messed up in the process.)
While I’m still struggling with how to tell stories and make comics as good as I’d like, I’m very confident in my world-building and imagining skills. I can smell Monstru’s exhaust. I can taste it. I may not have encyclopedic knowledge about every little thing in Monstru, but I instinctively know what would be right for it. And what won’t fit.
My goal isn’t to have Monstru finished, because that’s simply not possible. (Every answer leads to 2 more questions.) But I do intend to craft a sandbox that’s big enough for me to surprise myself with some of the answers.
I abandoned my last huge world building project Agyris because while it was cutting edge in 1989, gritty, steampunky, fantasy worlds have become rather… common. I love Agyris, but I don’t want to spend much more of my time building something that is much like something else.
I took a hard left turn with Monstru, and made something that is different than anything that I’ve tried to create, and hopefully different from anything else out there. It’s less inspired by others (Tolkien) and more saturated with my own visions, interests, and faults.
It’s a vast thing that I hope to tinker on and build for a long while.
I can’t help it. I’m still broken.
- Daniel
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Well, I hate the fact that you had to deal with such terrible things to get to this place but you have created a marvelous thing with Monster Commute. It is unlike anything I have ever seen – a real original. I hope for you that Monster Commuter goes a long way toward making things better for you. It has certainly enriched my life.
Well, all those experiences are what got me here. Making these stories IS part of the therapy.
Well, I think we are all thankful for being taken on this ride to “watch” your therapy in action. I agree that it is very original and hope that it continues to evolve, and grow into even bigger things.
Creating worlds is what makes me happy. So, when you see me making a lot of stuff you know why I do it.
Fantastic! The present is what counts, and look where we are. Monstru has a life of its own, without a doubt. It’s like you’re channeling? LOL
Thanks for such a great explanation.
I’d love to see some of Agyris. I had no idea of previous works, even if to you its sort of a “clone” of the times, it wouldn’t be lost on me, since my only steampunkish thought influence has been Jules Verne, etc.
- Here’s a follow up question?
Why the choice of style with Monstru’s characters, apart from a personal taste? Is it something that evolved from pencil sketches and roughs (as I would expect) or did you start your creations digitally? Would love to see concept sketches, or old versions of the characters in rough form.
Thanks so much for your answer Daniel!
You CAN see Agyris.
http://www.agyris.net
Dig in.
Note to self: I need to make hyperlinks more visible.
Oh and yeah, I’ll try to address these in upcoming blog posts.
I tend to live by an axiom that seem fitting here…
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stranger”
Boy, is that true.