We here at Multiversity are fascinated by everything comics, and that includes finding out all about the people that make the books that we love. With that in mind, welcome to WorkSpace! This is where creators let us into their homes and, by getting a glimpse into their surroundings, we uncover a little about their process and their inspirations.
This week: Tess Fowler
Tess is the co-creator and artist of “Kid Lobotomy” from IDW’s Black Crown imprint. Previous credits include “Rat Queens,” “Wonder Woman ’77” and “The Rascals.”
What can you tell us about your workspace? Are you very particular about your environment?
Tess Fowler: My studio is in the main part of the apartment I share with my husband and our tuxedo cat Sam. It’s always in a perpetual state of chaos as I move from project to project and trade-off between working at the drawing table or on the couch. Sam has adopted one of the storage boxes near the couch as his own and frequently showers the space with catnip (he literally picks it up with his paws and chucks it into the air so he can dance in it). My workspace is his favorite space. Even and especially when I am constantly making and moving stacks of items for him to knock over.
Do you have anything around you that inspires you and your work?
TF: Books never live in my bookshelves for long because I’m always pulling them out for inspiration and education. Same with CDs. I’ve taken to collecting them from Amoeba Music in Hollywood. I like to be able to put my hands on the album art. Lots of Tom Waits and Gordon Lightfoot anchoring my collection. That’s usually what’s playing when I’m working. I also collect Pop Vinyl figures which you’ll see everywhere in our place. They’re my tiny happy inspiration nuggets.
What’s a usual ‘Day in the Life’ like for you, do you have a set routine?
TF: If I’m on a project I’m usually up until 6 or 7 am every night. So I wake about 11 or 12 in the afternoon. Chris and I go grab brunch somewhere. I answer work emails over food. Often avocado toast or granola, yogurt, and fruit. We run errands if needed. Then I’m usually home and working by 2 pm. Sometimes I’ll throw on headphones. I have a portable CD player. Which is comforting as it reminds me of high school days when comics and I were just getting to know each other.
We eat dinner out a lot when I’m on deadline. Ramen noodles or fish and chips with whiskey are favorites. I work in the car on the way to Hollywood from the valley. If it’s a long night I’ll work in the parking lot and Chris will run in to grab food while I just keep drawing.
The board with all the stickers is my travel board. It holds a bunch of admittance stickers from the local ER. Sometimes deadlines try to kill you. I prefer to work at night when it’s quieter and cooler. Chris is also freelance so I work to the sound of him drilling and sanding in his studio or my headphones, or occasionally he’ll work out here with me and we’ll watch Netflix while we work on opposite ends of the big L shaped couch. We go until we drop or the sun comes up. Whichever comes first.
I’m curious about the artwork you’ve got around the room, could you describe some of your favorites?
TF: I have a couple prints from artist Rory Phillips. The one pictured by my desk is Bowie vs. a Kaiju. Which I had to have. It lives over my table because I need art coolness goals to shoot for. There’s also a Brienne of Tarth he did that is usually on the same wall. She’s being relocated to the front of my desk as we speak. (Art and Scotland maps have been framed, hence the rearranging and empty wall) That’s my favorite he’s ever done. That Brienne piece reminds me to be true to myself and my code.
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The original art of Colin Kaepernick is by Chris Visions. I have spent so much time on the internet haunting Chris’s live art feeds. He’s just magic to watch. I always wanted a piece but he’s done so many I couldn’t ever pick. The Colin piece was truly special. I’m honored it hangs on my wall.
I found the Juanjo Guarnido print (the band in lava) in art nerd heaven: Stuart Ng’s shop in Torrance, a year or two back. If you haven’t seen his Freak Kitchen “Freak of the Week” video you’re missing out. Google it immediately. You’re welcome. I also have a Blacksad print up there. I look at it daily, dreaming of travel and being an art god like Juanjo.
Thanks, Tess!
Tess Fowler can be found on her website tessfowler.com and on Twitter here.
