Recently i had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Otis Frampton. Otis Frampton is a comic book writer and artist who is currently working on a comic called Oddly Normal. He has also worked on the YouTube show, as an artist, How it Should Have Ended (HISHE) which can be viewed here. He has also done other work for many other companies as an artist which can all be found on his website here.
Q: You have been involved in the comic industry for 10 years, how did you get invested in this field?
A: I’ve always written stories and drawn a lot. Telling stories with my art for a living has always been my goal. My first comic job was the original version of “Oddly Normal” that was published by Viper Comics in 2005. My first paying illustration job was for Topps, drawing Star Wars and Lord of the Rings sketch cards the same year. I’ve done work in both fields regularly since then.
Q: To segue into your current comic, “Oddly Normal”, how did you come to forge a relationship with Image Comics and have your work published?
A: Since about 2008 I’ve been working to reboot “Oddly Normal” after Viper stopped publishing it. I worked with a literary agent for a few years, trying to get it picked up by a book publisher like Scholastic. But they all passed. In 2012 I parted ways with that agent and I finally decided to start working on the series and then see if I could pitch it to publishers on my own. While I was working on the new version of “Oddly Normal” I had some preview issues printed up through Ka-Blam and I sent them to Image as my pitch in January of 2014. They contacted me about two months later and said they wanted to publish it. It was as simple as that.
Q: How did you come up with the title “Oddly Normal”?
A: The title is actually the name of the main character, so it was a no-brainer! The story started with a random drawing of a sad little girl in my sketchbook. I wrote the words “oddly normal” next to her and that sparked the idea for the story.
Q: “Oddly Normal” is a fantasy based comic, where does your inspiration come from?
A: Inspiration comes from everything. Books, movies, comics… everything I encounter. Even stuff I don’t like will inspire me to create stories by showing me what I don’t want to do. “Oddly Normal” was mostly inspired by “The Wizard of Oz,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” “Wicked,” and “Akiko.”
Q: Which character, that we have seen so far, are you most closely related to?
A: In many ways I am Oddly Normal. I know her very well. So much so that when readers tell me “I’m Oddly Normal!” I’m surprised. It’s fascinating to me that other people can relate so much to a character I feel so close to.
Q: Do you draw on your own personal life in your scripts?
A: Somewhat. There are many scenes in “Oddly Normal” that were inspired by my own childhood. But ultimately I have to tell a story and that story is fiction. So I have to write the story the way it needs to be written. I’m not a big believer in the “write what you know” philosophy. I believe in “write what you feel passionate about writing and make up what you need to.”
Q: You are both the writer and illustrator for “Oddly Normal”, what do you feel is the biggest challenge when producing this comic?
A: The biggest challenges are always a) time and trying to get the job of creating pages done on a schedule and b) self doubt about my creative output. “A” would be a lot easier to manage if “B” could be eradicated.
Q: Where do you see the story in “Oddly Normal” headed? Do you see it as a continuing series or something that will conclude in the not so distant future?
A: The story of “Oddly Normal” is definitely a finite one. I can see it going 100 issues. I have enough material to last that long. As far as where the story is going… Oddly has a lot of growing up to do in the world of Fignation. The story won’t be over and the search for her parents won’t be over until that happens.
Q: You as an artist have had success with the hit series on you-tube, “How It should Have Ended” (HISHE). How did you meet Daniel Baxter, your collaborator on this project? (NOTE: I’m not an animator for HISHE, just an artist)
A: Daniel is the creator or HISHE and in late 2010 his workload became so great that he needed to bring on another artist to help out. He asked me if I’d like to come on board and I said yes right away. Originally I was just supposed to be the artist on the video game HISHEs, but I’ve stayed on as “the other artist” since then. I’ve worked on 43 HISHE shorts since 2011.
Q: These videos that you are involved in creating are very professional. How much time goes into making each one?
A: It takes about one month for a HISHE short to be completed, from writing and story boards to final animation. On my end of things, it usually takes a couple of weeks if I’m doing all of the art for a short or 2-3 days if I’m just painting the backgrounds.
Q: How do you go about choosing a work that will appear in “How it Should Have Ended”?
A: That’s up to Daniel Baxter and his producer/writing partner Tina Alexander. I just wait for my marching orders and I draw/paint what they need!
Q: What is the work that you are most proud of?
A: I’m especially proud of the first three or four pages of “Oddly Normal.” There’s a balance of story and art that I think gets the series off to a solid start. Otherwise, I’m always looking ahead when it comes to work, that’s where my best work will happen… in the future. Looking back only leads to regret.
Q: What kind of works would you like to provide for your fans in the future?
A: My aim is always to tell a good story, be it in comics, animation or in a still images. I hope that people like the stories I have to tell.
Q: What is currently your favorite comic that is not your own work?
A: The “Amulet” series by Kazu Kibuishi.
Q: Is this your dream job?
A: No. Earning a living as a visual storyteller has always been my goal. But my “dream job” would be to direct a film or television show. I’m still working on that one.
Q: What advice would you give to fans that want to be an artist/writer in the comic industry?
A: Focus on story and character. People remember story and character. No matter how polished your artwork may be, it will never resonate like a good story with interesting characters.
Q: What advice would you give fans who want to be involved in the animation field?
A: Same answer. Story. Character. Tattoo it on the insides of your eyelids!
