On the move: PORTLAND COMICS COMMUNITY – PART I

I had the pleasure of taking comics writer Joe Keatinge out to lunch today. Joe is the current writer of Glory and the writer/creator of Hell Yeah. Joe was kind enough to show me around in his studio Tranquility Base and share some of his insights as a working professional in the comics industry. One of his nuggets of wisdom was a quote from Hank Williams; “You’ve got a full time job minding your own business”. Meaning you shouldn’t really spend time thinking about what other people have or what they think. True words, although we both agreed it was very hard to avoid surfing for mentions or reviews of your book, however futile it is. And it’s hard not to get slightly annoyed when people review your book and it’s obvious they haven’t read it! Joe’s take on why Portland attracts so many comics people, is the laid back atmosphere, the low cost of living and the city’s supportive mindset towards artists in general.

Tomorrow, I am going to see people at the larger Periscope Studio down the block. Looking forward to hearing their version of why this city is the place for comics creators. After that it’s Comic Con time!