Some stories just are meant to be told. Tom Beland’s story, utterly and completely honest as it is, has been unfolding for years. And he’s overcome the odds to tell it. Even more recently when a major health problem got in his way, he fought through it and emerged triumphant with his newest issue of his Eisner nominated and fan thrilling series: TRUE STORY, SWEAR TO GOD. Issue #12 drops on March 3rd, 2010, and its been one long road to get there. It is an honor to get Tom Beland to sit still for a moment and pick his brain over all things comics, pop culture, artistic motivations and some things that go way beyond personal. Its his story, and its true. Swear to God.

Q: Lets start basic. Who are you and what do you do?

A: My name is Tom Beland and I’m a comic book writer/artist/creator. My main series is “TRUE STORY, SWEAR TO GOD” from Image Comics.

Q: When did you realize you wanted to be an artist?

A: It was back in Mrs. Mack’s class in 4th grade at Westwood Elementary School in Napa Valley, California. Mrs. Mack would read stories to us and I would hear what she’d say and then illustrate it. I’ve always been a very visual person. Tell me how to do something and it could take me forever to figure it out… show me, however, and I do very well.

Q: How did you develop your style and how would you define your style?

A: I’m a little Hannah Barbera mixed with a cup or two of Al Hirschfeld. My father was also a very talented cartoonist and I picked it up from him too. All the boys in my family (five) draw. My sister, the only girl, doesn’t. I’ve often had my work described as “simplistic”… but then people say they can’t figure out how to draw my characters, lol. Simplistic never means simple to do.

Q: Do you ever feel that artist’s curse, in feeling insecure in your work and want to change it? If you do feel that insecurity, how do you change it to create the best possible headspace for you to do what you do?

A: I never feel that, really. I mean, I know when there’s a page I want to do… and it might involve something that’s very tough for me to draw, like cars or anything in perspective, but I mean, that’s part of the fun. Taking something you don’t think you can do and actually pulling it off. It’s such a great feeling. You really remember those pages.

I remember doing an issue that had Lily and her friends in her apartment during Hurricane Georges. I needed the apartment to be dark, like a cave, so I decided to shade all the panels in a Carla Speed McNeil crosshatching style. I did one panel and it took forever to shade and I was like “F–k. This.” lol. But I was able to do all the pages and it really resulted in some great stuff. There’s really a sense of pride when you get a page right… or an expression. I’m very into expressions, so I love getting those things right.

Q: What comics did you read when you were young? And what do you read now?

A: Oh, Spider-Man… hands down. John Romita’s Spidey, ASM #110 “Birth of the Gibbon.” I’m hugely fond of Martin Blank… the one in that book. I’ve felt they did an injustice to that character. They just dumbed him down and tried to make him into a Sasqatch type of character. I loved the fact that Martin was a loner and outcast. I also got into Roy Thomas’ Fantastic Four. I was a huge Marvel fan, although I also loved Gold Key Comics too, because they had Road Runner books and characters I knew from television.
Nowadays, I’m still a Marvel Zombie, but I also love the other stuff too. Fables, Finder, Bone, Criminal, Wednesday Comics has been a lot of fun.

Q: Besides comics, what influences you? Who are your artistic/creative heroes?

A: John Romita Sr. was my idol growing up. I remember when they switched to Ross Andru and I was so freaked-out by it, I actually wrote Marvel a letter. lol. But then they’d have Romita do a cover and I’d think “HE’S BACK!!!” and I’d be thrilled, only to find the interiors by Andru. It was hell, lol. It’s nothing against Andru… I was just a kid who loved Romita’s work. It was gorgeous.

I’ve always been a fan of penciller/inker combos. John Buscema/Joe Sinnott… John Byrne/Terry Austin… Frank Miller/Klaus Janson and I loved Mike Wieringo/Karl Kesel on their Fantastic Four run. Oh man… I miss Mike’s work.
As far as individual styles, George Perez, Jeff Smith, Darwyn Cooke, Marcos Martin, Michael Golden and Colleen Coover are the ones I currenly follow. Colleen Coover stuff is just f–king gorgeous to look at. That’s some beautiful stuff.

Q: Help me with the timeline for those that might be out of the loop: You self published TRUE STORY, SWEAR TO GOD and then the good folks at IMAGE took the book on, is that correct? How many issues of each have been done?

A: There’s the big book by Image that collects all 17 issues of my self-published run. Consider that Book One. Then there’s a smaller trade that followed, which carried the first six Image comics. Consider THAT one Book Two. And then there’ve been five comics out since… with the sixth issue being the wedding issue (TSSTG #12) and that comes out in a few weeks.

Q: Your run on TRUE STORY at Image was interrupted by an unexpected turn of events. Can you go into this past year and what it took to overcome these obstacles now that the book is coming back?

A: I’m still working on them, actually. But about two years ago, I developed a hand tremor in my drawing hand. They’re not sure what caused it and we saw a bunch of doctors about it. Losing my ability to draw… on my own terms… was a huge loss to me. And I’m someone who’s been dealing with loss his entire life, so everything from my past came flooding back and I just fell apart emotionally. Huge depression. After a year of it, I decided on seeing a therapist and that’s done wonders for me. In fact, the therapist who handles my anti-depression meds thinks he knows what’s causing my tremors and says it could be my thyroids. So, we’ve been having tests done on that.

I have good days and bad days with the drawing hand. The key, for me, has been in how I react to it. I’m a big believer in taking a step back and breathing. I notice myself doing that so much nowadays and I’ve noticed I can handle my emotions much better than before. I also have to go slow with it. What took me an hour to draw now takes about three days or so, but it does get done.

Emotional issues are the hardest to deal with. It really is. I’m not someone to hold it in.. I used to just feel something and explode. Now I sort of stop and analyze those feelings and it really has done wonders.

Q: I’ve been following the progress of your injury over the last year and I’ve seen all the fans of your work have been rooting for you. How does that feel to have such a group of dedicated followers like that?

A: It makes me cry. It really does.

I mean… strangers we’ve never met, in the U.S… Canada… Germany… Portugal… and here in Puerto Rico… send me emails that simply say “Hang in there” or “When it comes out, I’ll get it. Just get better.” I mean… how do you react to messages of hope from people you hardly know..? It’s very moving. It keeps you in the game for that much longer.

What we do in this business… it’s a very solitary life. It’s a room with a drawing table and you put your thoughts and visuals on the page and it goes out to whomever reads it and you hope your audience enjoys it. So when something happens to you, those emails of support are a very endearing thing to experience. But I’ve also always had a very deep connection with the readers of my book. It’s the sort of book you enjoy because you relate to it in some way.

Q: Living out of the US as you do now, how are comics perceived there as opposed to here?

A: Well, there’s no embarrassment associated with comics as there is in the states. For the longest time, comics were something you just grew out of. That hasn’t been the case here on the island and over the years, I’ve seen it change in the states as well. But go to Europe and you’ll see what comics really are about. They’re cherished there. It’s quite a thing to see.

Q: Its been said that true art comes from honesty. And I’ve seen in your work and stories that you are often blatantly honest. Is it hard for you to open yourself up that way and are you ever concerned that you are exposing yourself too much?

A: No. Here’s the thing. If I write something that could be embarrassing to me… there’ll be talk on Wednesday… perhaps Thursday… or maybe even Friday at best. But by Saturday, everyone’s already talking about next week’s shipping list and the spotlight moves to THOSE books and life is normal again. So, realistically… you’re only looking at three days, max. And I’ve been embarrassed for much longer than that, so I can deal with it. lol.

Q: In my opinion, the best bits of TRUE STORY is when the panels are simple stories and told over an insightful narrative that tugs at the heartstrings. Is that something that flows out of you naturally when you write? Or is it stream of consciousness in that you just say what you really think of that moment you are depicting?

A: I do a lot of sketching the pages out in a little black sketchbook. I’ll sort of listen to how I’d tell the story if someone was there next to me listening. It’s just he way I talk. I don’t put on my romance hat and light incense and go “NOW shall I speak of love..” lol. All I know is… if I’m feeling an emotion writing it… be it laughing or crying… then I’m pretty sure the audience will feel the same way.

And some of those pages and scenes take days for me to do because it’s also me revisiting something in my life. The issue where I leave Napa was a heartbreaking story to tell. So, while you read that once… I’ve had to relive over and over, through the writing, pencilling, inking and lettering stages. Over and over with each page. So, yeah… it can be totally emotional.

Q: What TV/Movies are you into currently?

A: Archer… Men of a Certain Age… House… Modern Family… Bill Maher… Psych are the ones I’m into currently. But whenever Band of Brothers is shown, I’ll watch the entire marathon.

Q: Can you tell me your top 5 CDs of all time?

A: Hmmm… according to my iPod:

• Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
• Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
• Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
• Herbie Hancock: The Joni Letters
• Prince: Dirty Mind

Q: I know you are a huge sports fan. What teams do you still follow religiously?

A: I’m all about the San Francisco teams. I lived through the Joe Montana glory days of the 49ers. Unfortunately, that means I’ve also lived through the Don Nelson Warriors… and the Frank Robinson SF GIants. And yet, I’d do it all again for those Montana years.

Q: Outside of TRUE STORY, what else are you currently working on?

A: I’m writing a new Fantastic Four book for Marvel. It’s our third book where they come to Puerto Rico and it features Reed and Sue in Ponce. M.O.D.O.K. is the villain! These are great fun to write. I also wrote a Wolverine story for the Marvel online books. Hey CBR… why aren’t you reviewing the downloadable content??

Q: What do you think of the industry right now?

A: I’m glad to see the crossover madness coming to an end. As a comics buyer, I’ve just never been able to go out and support these endeavors, purely from an economic basis. They cost too much to ask your average fan to buy 50 books to tell a story.

Q: The comics industry is mostly known for the superhero genre. In an evolving economy and technology, where do you think independent creators fit in? Is it getting better or worse for them?

A: I think it’s about being able to play with these toys that you have a distinct connection with emotionally. For me, it was Spidey. I love making True Story… but when they asked me to do some Spidey stories, it’s a no-brainer. You have very few chances to have a character you’ve read since a child say words that came out of your head. When it happens, you go for it. Bendis, Brubaker, Faction… they all came out of the indie market.

I think it’s up to the audience to become more sophisticated in trying the indie work. They’re getting better at it, over the years.

Q: Any horrific convention stories?

A: Horrific..? naw. I’m not big enough to have a HORRIFIC moment. I’ve had too many awesome ones to make up for anything bad. I mean.. I got to sit at the Eisner table and have a ten minute discussion with Will Eisner himself. Sergio Aragones telling me he likes my book. Watching my friend’s daughter’s light up when I got Jeff Smith to sign her “Art of Bone” book.

I prefer to focus on the cool moments.

Q: What was your oddest commission request?

A: Any. lol. I always think commissions are things that the big names do. I always feel a bit surprised when someone asks me for one. In the beginning, there’d always be some dude walking past my table at a con and he’d say “you charge for sketches…?” and when I said yes, the dude would roll his eyes and keep walking.

Now they know who I am and I have a line forming at my table. It’s sort of a cool/wtf type of feeling. You never think your own work is appreciated on that level.

Q: Are you a collector? If so, of what?

A: I’m sort of into those metallic Marvel Classic figurines. I have a few of them and they’re very well done. I also have some Marvel Muggs in our kitchen. Those are a lot of fun too! And kitchen gadgets as well.

Q: What makes your job the best on the planet?

A: It’s something I love to do. That’s all you have to say about a best job. If you can wake up and enjoy doing what you do, that’s a best job.

Q: What day jobs did you have before doing artwork full time?

A: You can basically open the Yellow Pages, close your eyes and point to whatever page opens and I’ve done that job. I was a waiter, front desk clerk, singing telegram person, shoe salesman, dishwasher, florist, page designer and newspaper writer. My career never started until I was 36 or so.

Q: One of my favorite stories in TRUE STORY is when you kept hounding the people who stiffed you on paying for artwork you’ve done for them. Any other horror stories like that you care to share, or advice for artists to not get into the same situation themselves?

A: People who hire you want you to do the work right now. Then, when they get what they need, they forget you existed. It’s just par for the course. At the time, I was going through so much change in my life and all I wanted was to be able to contribute to the household. It’s something you eventually figure out in time. It’ll happen… but you can’t let it consume you the way I let it.

Q: What keeps you motivated?

A: I don’t know about motivation. I think you should be into whatever you’re doing that you love doing. Does that make sense..? Motivation comes from knowing you’re creating something that someone else is going to enjoy. I don’t want to be motivated. I want to enjoy the end result.

Q: What would you like to be known for?

A: As someone who had a lot of struggles, but kept a sense of humor about it. And someone who genuinely loved the person he was with. I’ve been with LIly for 12 years now. It’s the longest relationship I’ve had by… well… eleven years…? lol. I’m not someone who’s going to change the landscape of comics, or be known for writing a flagship title. But I was able to plant my own flag in that landscape and say “here’s my section.”

And I did it in romance, which, to me, is the toughest genre to work in. You say “romance comic” and 80% of the comic fans tune out. They want action and epic battles… and yet I’ve been able to get those readers interested in a comic that’s quiet, humorous and emotional. I’m happy with that.

Q: Lastly, and the big one you get a million times: Any advice for anyone starting out?

A: Don’t try to be the next whomever. And don’t sit there and say “this has been done a billion times.” It may have… but not in your voice. If you’re starting out, you’re not going to instantly be writing for Marvel or DC. And you shouldn’t want to.

Make books that completely have your essence on them. Your thoughts… your views and your vision. You have to know that whatever you’re doing now is a step towards something bigger and better. And that might mean you never work for the big companies and that’s no problem. Make books that you would personally buy.

For more about Tom and his work, visit his website: http://www.tombeland.com

For more from the Author of this article, please visit his website at: http://www.idiothead.com

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