First Comics News: How did you create “Sto Lat”?
Martina Rossi: “Sto lat” had been on my mind for many years. I usually work on commission as a colorist, but I felt that there was this story that needed to be told and that for once I wanted to be able to communicate something of my own. I wanted to create a project in which all the choices and responsibilities were mine.
1st: What is “Sto Lat” about?
Martina: “Sto lat” is a metaphor for what it means to try to have a normal life when you have psychiatric pathologies. Living with anxiety, depression or other disorders is not easy, but it seems that the rest of the world does not understand this difficulty and how much it can affect a person’s daily life. The protagonist’s journey starts with a move to the city of Krakow, where he works to achieve his goals and leaves his family and a turbulent past behind. Today we are used to constantly moving, for work, or study, but when our mind is unstable, continually facing new situations can be destabilizing.
1st: Have you walked through the streets in Krakow or would you like to?
Martina: I love that city, I had the chance to study in an artistic high school in Czestochowa and of course, I also visited Krakow. Poland is a fascinating cultural center full of creativity.
1st: What does watercolor mean in art?
Martina: Watercolor is one of the techniques that require the most courage. Water evaporates quickly, so if you make a mistake, there is no way to correct it. For example, using digital techniques like oil painting, you don’t feel the same pressure, there is always a way to fix it. Watercolor is training to learn to trust your sensitivity.
1st: Who is Kamil and how will the readers identify with him?
Martina: As I said above, Kamil is a boy who tries to take control of his life, starting from a transfer. He is a person who is faced with a new beginning, without understanding that we are people, not computers. We can’t reset our minds and we should spend more time analyzing our past to understand what raised us and how we can improve ourselves.
Honestly, I think no one can identify with Kamil: his character, he’s a human being in motion, not yet well defined, he has no idea who he is.
1st: How did you find using Indigo to get this comic made?
Martina: I liked using Indiegogo, it’s not that different from Kickstarter but it’s simpler and more intuitive to use, especially if it’s the first time you’ve created a crowdfunding and you don’t have a huge fan base yet.
1st: You colored “Spontania” and the coloring did turn out well, did you put a lot of work into it?
Martina: Thank you! Hahaha, of course, that’s what I do every day. I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to do this work, and “Spontania” is one of my favorite projects. Carl Paolino (editor and writer) and Adalor Alvarez (line artist) are exceptional people to work with, we are all giving our best to create quality work and teamwork is very important.
1st: How does one go about coloring a comic book?
Martina: I don’t want to sound rude, but I think it’s impossible to explain. Each colorist has their method and this can change from project to project. Every time I work with a new team, it’s like starting from scratch and adapting to a new way of working. I don’t think there is a single answer.
It’s like being a teacher, you never know what kids you’ll be dealing with, and the best thing you can do is remember to be flexible.
1st: What is your next project that you will be working on?
Martina: I’m working on several projects at the moment: first of all I’m continuing to work on “Spontania” and “The Profane” (created by Tristan Vick and beautifully designed by EV Canada) which are the two projects I’ve been working on the longest.
I’m also working on “Rock-a-girl” (written by Louis Wire), an almost vintage comic that winks at the 50s, it’s something that hasn’t been seen in the comics world for a while. I also started working on the second volume of “Charon 13” (written and created by Judah Radd and illustrated by Nico Queme) about a month ago. We’re having a lot of fun working on its sci-fi setting. For me, it’s something new and I’m happy with the enthusiasm we’re putting into the work, I can’t wait to be able to show something.
1st: Do you prefer digital or watercolor to use?
Martina: I love them both, I can’t compare them. Watercolor is what allows me to express my stories and sensations, I have a more intimate relationship with this technique. Digital is a technique linked more to the idea of fun because it allows me to experiment without wasting material and I can be more creative. Sometimes I used digital to create sketches of what I would later like to do in watercolor and it was very useful.
1st: How do you spend any free time you have?
Martina: I don’t remember what free time is =)
But those rare times I get some, I love reading, modeling (it’s something I recently started), and trying to get away from the desk any way I can hahaha.
1st: Any words for the people who love your art?
Martina: I can only express gratitude. This is a very solitary job, we spend many hours in front of a computer without seeing other people and we are constantly judged. Anyone can see our works and criticize them, this happens every day and sometimes it’s stressful. In these moments, the people who encourage you, who tell you that you’re doing a good job, who understand what you do, remind you why it’s worth continuing to do.
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