Answer: It all has to do with my life situation. In 2003, when the comic started, I updated on a semi-weekly schedule because I had the time and energy to work on the comics. Since starting, I've been overwhelmed with college work (maintaining a 4.0 is no easy business), volunteer work at the cemetery here and there, frequent visits to the hospital, and helping to keep my mother sane on weekends. Art is not my job. I don't get paid for it. It's something I can only do when my schoolwork and research is done. Lately, I've been getting back into the swing of things, and hopefully that urge to make comics will stick around for a while.
2. Why do your characters look like Sonic characters?
Answer: If you think I'm not frustrated by hearing this over and over again, ask me a few more times and I'll personally let you know exactly my opinion on the matter. For now, I'll try to be simple about this. I'm am not a professional artist. I've never taken art classes in my life, and yes, I know it shows. Yes, some of my characters look Sonic-ish, because Sonic was my childhood hero, and I learned to draw Sonic characters with some decency while the rest of my art remained sucky. Many artists have their own unique style. Mine is applied to my fantasy creatures, especially my gryphons. When it comes to a comic, I need characters that I can draw somewhat quickly. If I drew my comics like I draw my gryphons, I would update maybe once every six months. The Sonic style fits my characters, and I'm acqauinted well enough with the designs to actually be able to make the comic in the first place. (As a side note, the people accusing me of copy-catting all have art that looks like the same goddamn anime characters or they run, *ahem*, sprite comics. At least I DRAW MY OWN DAMN COMICS!)
3. Do You Draw Any "Yiff"?
Answer: No. I could come up with a myriad of excuses why not, but my primary one is this: I just don't want to. It's not something I've ever been interested in doing. Another good reason is that my ability to draw is already shakey. I don't need the added challenge of trying to draw furry porn that looks at least somewhat decent. And, of course, usually when I draw something, including my comics, I want to be able to show it to family and friends. Listen, I don't get a rise from furry porn. Whether you do or not is your own business, and there are plenty of other sites that can help you out.
4. I don't get the humor in your comics...
Okay, so that's not really a question, but it does come up here and there. Answer: I've been told that I have a dry sense of humor, and that works for me. I grew up watching Monty Python and British sitcoms like The Young Ones. It's the kind of humor that is likely to fly over the heads of people that are used to slapstick and simple crude shock-humor. My brain doesn't work that way. And sometimes, my comic pages don't have the primary intention of making the reader laugh. Sometimes, I draw them for the sake of character development, or *gasp* plot. Don't expect to get a laugh out of every comic. For me, it's all about character.
5. Some comics on the web are starting to make people pay to read them. Are you going to do that as well?
Answer: Absolutely not. I'm not a professional artist, and I don't see my art as ever being worthy of forcing readers to pay for it. Freak-Lynx is something I do on my spare time for entertainment, and I never really do anything on this site for the sake of gaining money. I have mugs and such on CafePress, but I don't mark up the prices of them, so I make so little money from those items that after three years on the web, I think I've made maybe $11.00 total. I use CafePress so that my family and friends and I can have mugs and shirts my my critters on them. That someone owns something with my characters on it is enough payment for me. Some comic directories are giving contributors the option of charging for access to thier comics. Rest assured, I have no desire make people pay for my art. The only art I took any sort of payment from was an acrylic painting of a parrot for my former boss at an imports store. I gave her the painting, and she gave me a spiffy backpack. That is the extent of my art business.
6. Do you do art on request?
Answer: I do if you ask me at the right time. Again, I've got a busy schedule, and I can only fit art in when everything else is wrapped up (which is rare for me). Also, it has to be something within my means to draw. I draw gryphons, dragons, and Sonic-style furries with decency. I don't do Yiff pics. If I agree to take a request of someone's character, they have to be patient. Some requests take months to finish. I'll usually post it on my main web page that I'll be taking requests.
7. What media do you use to make and color your comics and other art?
Answer: Once every few months or so, I head to the nearest office supply warehouse and buy a large package of 8x10 bristol board/ card stock. I hate having to draw on anything else. For sketching, I have about five different-sized mechanical pencils, though I favor the .6 and the 1.2. I use Microns for inking, usually the .005, the .03, and the .08. I scan the inked comic page and color and letter it using Paint Shop Pro 8.1. And that's all there is to it.
8. Can I use your artwork for my website/forum/project?
Answer: If you plan on using my art for anything, Internet-related or otherwise, just drop me a line at Tallon@freak-lynx.com. I'm interested in knowing what people are doing with my art. I usually have no qualms with the requests, but let me know regardless, because I'll have a heart attack if I see my work somewhere that I don't expect to se it.. And, as with any artists' work, be sure to give proper credit. In my case, just use (c) T.A. Roe or Mason T.A. Roe and everything will be fine. Also, it's perfectly okay to save my art to your hard drive and use it for personal means. Whatever suits you.