((PKG)) COMIC CREATOR
((Banner: Conscience Comics))
((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martinez))
((Map: Chattanooga, Tennessee))
((MUSIC))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
I can't imagine not working on comics. Storytelling is a huge
part of the way my brain works and it's all I do, is just obsess
over ARRO especially or whatever comic I'm working on at
the time.
((MUSIC))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
My name is Tara Hamilton. I make comics, do a lot of
illustration, mini comics. I work on an ongoing series called
ARRO, a lot of post-apocalyptic stuff and self-deprecating
humor. That's what I'm into.
((MUSIC))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
I started drawing comics in middle school. So, I wanted to
keep making comics in high school, but I wanted to find a
writer. Finally, at the end of university, I found someone.
Her name is Alison Burke and she is the writer for ARRO
and I do all of the illustration paneling and everything.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
Hey, it's you.
((Alison Burke, Comic Writer))
Hey.
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
Go to the last, like, three pages. So, we haven't talked about
those at all.
((END NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
So, she used to live in Chattanooga, but she moved to
Boston and we've been working through a program called
Slack.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Alison Burke, Comic Writer))
I owe you the next chapters of ARRO.
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
Yeah.
((END NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
We've been working on ARRO for 10 years now. ARRO is a
multinational organization going into North America after a
collapse of civilization from a disease through the waterway.
They are a humanitarian group coming in to make it livable
for all of the American refugees that no one wants. It's like
Greenpeace meets Walking Dead. This is the map of all the
refugee areas. So, there's a lot of socio-political overtones,
but it's a really quiet story because it's mainly focusing on
eight people.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Alison Burke, Comic Writer))
The best science fiction is always a reaction to, like, what's
happening currently. The tone of what's happening in our
country and in our world right now and, like, bring those
elements in.
((END NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
So, the environmental approach is something that we were
both really passionate about to begin with. So, we did a ton
of research about waterborne illnesses, and Chattanooga is
a water way kind of city. So, it makes sense that's
something we were drawn to when we first started
researching. The Chattanooga Creek was, like, back in the
1990s, one of the most polluted waterways in North America.
This is the 10 years ago thing. A lot of the research is, kind
of, like, scary and that it's coming true, but the story is
hopeful and heartfelt enough to motivate someone to want to
see change in the world.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
This is part of the comic. This is the location of the big battle
scene. Drove about 45 minutes from Chattanooga to take
reference photos of a gas station. So, Ali and I, both like to
go out to the actual locations in the comic. We're taking
vacations just to get photos of the location. That sign was
really important, because the entire book is just a road trip
from Chattanooga to Nashville. So, I wanted to have that in
at least one of the last couple of pages.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
Oh, there it is. Right over there. We gotta cross the street.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
This was one of my designs. There was a call for art to go
on these electrical boxes. Chattanooga is known for hiking
and doing all these, like, outdoorsy things. I got paid just to
draw it, which was fantastic.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
There's the other one. It's just a bunch of cats. This is the
only one that people actually, like, walk up to me and talk to
me about it, like, Oh my god, I saw your cats on a box. I
think it works against graffiti enough, but somebody has
already keyed it, like scratch the crap out of it.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
As a comics creator, you definitely have to keep a social
media presence, but you have to do conventions or else
you're just screaming into the void of the internet.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
We try to do at least five conventions a year. Going on the
convention scene, I felt really isolated as soon as I got
home. I was so used to these creative communities that as
soon as I got back, I was, like, Oh, this is it. So, I founded
this group, the Chatt Comix Co-Op, and its become this
huge creative group that is a huge well of joy for me.
((END NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
12 to 24 people come every first and third Monday to the
meetings and we make anthologies.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
I have a day job at a print shop where I just so happened to
also print everything I sell, not for free of course, but it is
super easy.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
This is my day job. I kind of screwed myself with the whole
student debt thing. I need to have a job. Comics don't pay
the bills.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
But I like having a stable income. I don't want to only
produce stuff just to make a profit. Otherwise I'd be making
comics about cats all the time because that's all that sells.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
I like where I'm at, as long as I'm able to make stuff when I
can. That's what really matters, but it'd be nice to be able to
focus wholeheartedly on my creative work, one of those
distant dreams.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
My husband, he's very supportive of what I do, but it isn't
something he's super into, but it's nice to have the
separation from my wonderful home life and this very intense
relationship with comics.
((END NATS))
((Banner: Conscience Comics))
((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martinez))
((Map: Chattanooga, Tennessee))
((MUSIC))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
I can't imagine not working on comics. Storytelling is a huge
part of the way my brain works and it's all I do, is just obsess
over ARRO especially or whatever comic I'm working on at
the time.
((MUSIC))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
My name is Tara Hamilton. I make comics, do a lot of
illustration, mini comics. I work on an ongoing series called
ARRO, a lot of post-apocalyptic stuff and self-deprecating
humor. That's what I'm into.
((MUSIC))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
I started drawing comics in middle school. So, I wanted to
keep making comics in high school, but I wanted to find a
writer. Finally, at the end of university, I found someone.
Her name is Alison Burke and she is the writer for ARRO
and I do all of the illustration paneling and everything.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
Hey, it's you.
((Alison Burke, Comic Writer))
Hey.
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
Go to the last, like, three pages. So, we haven't talked about
those at all.
((END NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
So, she used to live in Chattanooga, but she moved to
Boston and we've been working through a program called
Slack.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Alison Burke, Comic Writer))
I owe you the next chapters of ARRO.
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
Yeah.
((END NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
We've been working on ARRO for 10 years now. ARRO is a
multinational organization going into North America after a
collapse of civilization from a disease through the waterway.
They are a humanitarian group coming in to make it livable
for all of the American refugees that no one wants. It's like
Greenpeace meets Walking Dead. This is the map of all the
refugee areas. So, there's a lot of socio-political overtones,
but it's a really quiet story because it's mainly focusing on
eight people.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Alison Burke, Comic Writer))
The best science fiction is always a reaction to, like, what's
happening currently. The tone of what's happening in our
country and in our world right now and, like, bring those
elements in.
((END NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
So, the environmental approach is something that we were
both really passionate about to begin with. So, we did a ton
of research about waterborne illnesses, and Chattanooga is
a water way kind of city. So, it makes sense that's
something we were drawn to when we first started
researching. The Chattanooga Creek was, like, back in the
1990s, one of the most polluted waterways in North America.
This is the 10 years ago thing. A lot of the research is, kind
of, like, scary and that it's coming true, but the story is
hopeful and heartfelt enough to motivate someone to want to
see change in the world.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
This is part of the comic. This is the location of the big battle
scene. Drove about 45 minutes from Chattanooga to take
reference photos of a gas station. So, Ali and I, both like to
go out to the actual locations in the comic. We're taking
vacations just to get photos of the location. That sign was
really important, because the entire book is just a road trip
from Chattanooga to Nashville. So, I wanted to have that in
at least one of the last couple of pages.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
Oh, there it is. Right over there. We gotta cross the street.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
This was one of my designs. There was a call for art to go
on these electrical boxes. Chattanooga is known for hiking
and doing all these, like, outdoorsy things. I got paid just to
draw it, which was fantastic.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
There's the other one. It's just a bunch of cats. This is the
only one that people actually, like, walk up to me and talk to
me about it, like, Oh my god, I saw your cats on a box. I
think it works against graffiti enough, but somebody has
already keyed it, like scratch the crap out of it.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
As a comics creator, you definitely have to keep a social
media presence, but you have to do conventions or else
you're just screaming into the void of the internet.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
We try to do at least five conventions a year. Going on the
convention scene, I felt really isolated as soon as I got
home. I was so used to these creative communities that as
soon as I got back, I was, like, Oh, this is it. So, I founded
this group, the Chatt Comix Co-Op, and its become this
huge creative group that is a huge well of joy for me.
((END NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
12 to 24 people come every first and third Monday to the
meetings and we make anthologies.
((BEGIN NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
I have a day job at a print shop where I just so happened to
also print everything I sell, not for free of course, but it is
super easy.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
This is my day job. I kind of screwed myself with the whole
student debt thing. I need to have a job. Comics don't pay
the bills.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
But I like having a stable income. I don't want to only
produce stuff just to make a profit. Otherwise I'd be making
comics about cats all the time because that's all that sells.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
I like where I'm at, as long as I'm able to make stuff when I
can. That's what really matters, but it'd be nice to be able to
focus wholeheartedly on my creative work, one of those
distant dreams.
((NATS))
((Tara Hamilton, Comic Creator))
My husband, he's very supportive of what I do, but it isn't
something he's super into, but it's nice to have the
separation from my wonderful home life and this very intense
relationship with comics.
((END NATS))
