It’s about time I do a Creator Highlights on a true indie comics creator. Meet Jeff Martin, a cartoonist who makes weeklies that emphasize relatability in weird situations. With a Kickstarter for his webcomic series, Hell Inc. in effect; now’s a good time to go over his creative journey. Who could ever think something so absurd can be so relatable?
Jeff Martin: A Fresh Start
Living in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, Jeff Martin does comics from a very young age. Most writers and artists start off by doing tributes to their favorite games. For Jeff, playing Pokémon starts the idea of Wrestlemon. Now people really like to complain on how fictional animals naturally want to fight each other. But by combining that concept with Pro Wrestling, disbelief gets a piledriver.
World Wide Webcomics
As he gets older and faces with a myriad of choices and ideas, Jeff decides to publish on the internet. I mention in another post how Canada doesn’t have a premiere publisher for a while. Well it turns out to work rather well for Jeff. With no traditional publishers to turn towards, WordPress (plus Comicpress) gives him a platform. Starting with his first webcomic, Rent-a-Thug; Jeff builds up a fanbase. It’s there that Jeff also constructs his style of visual narratives.
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The Excitingly Mundane
Now it goes without saying that flash and no substance is a terrible thing for storytellers. But what if you make the flashy stuff more down-to-earth? Jeff’s first public comic, Rent-A-Thug, is about how some crooks make crime a genuine business. Like most temp agencies though, they come with the problem of finding a job to stick with. From bosses that drive you crazy to dealing with paperwork. It even makes fun of the profession with all the tropes. However, it’s mostly just a background element now due to Jeff losing the personal investment in it. Gangster life’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Years later, a more cohesive story plays out with Hell Inc. Originally a black and white short strip, it develops as Jeff gets more life experience. The Inferno seems like living in a heavy metal album. Jeff’s did that in Where is Zog? though. Instead we follow Doug, a lowly office devil who can’t emotionally invest in his job. However he like everyone else has to learn to live through it. In effect, if anyone other than Sara goes to this company, maybe they could relate to the guy. Everyone there actually deals with their day like anyone else including the boss Devil himself. Toxically optimistic co-workers, office crushes, and bureaucracy at its worst; it’s a classic office comedy. As for Jeff, he finds a more relatable outlet to truly express himself.
The Support
The industry-standard tool for comics and manga. Clip Studio Paint – Start your comic creation nowThese stories and the use of the internet really bring out Jeff’s knowledge of comics as a business. In the interview I had with him, he explains how the internet takes a load off his shoulders. A traditional publisher comes with a lot of issues that plague their industry to this day. Webcomics don’t have as many headaches like strict deadlines. The wider reach also helps in marketing. Thanks to a fanbase that grows alongside Jeff’s progress, it feels less invasive. In practice it’s more like helping a friend you get to know.
Jeff Martin: Culture Reaches Out
If the web is the only place Jeff applies his work though, it limits himself to a rather small audience. So to interact more closely with his audience, Jeff creates the Hockeypocalypse. Come on, his most direct audience is in Canada; what better way to reach out and communicate than through its national sport. Rather than all of the doom and gloom of Mad Max, people rebuild society around hockey. Sports actually are a form of tribalism; in its own weird way this society helps rebuild the world.
The characters in the Edmonton Atomics revel in the absurdity of their situation. Some of them even adjust very well to their mutations to enhance the hockey games. One team actually uses a bear. The characters themselves have this lovable ensemble of personal developments. Skully wants to be a competent leader, but struggles to plan ahead. Lizzy makes up for that, but is still trying to get back in as a player post-mutation. Then there comes the world building; the hockey system allows teams to gather resources via gambling. However there are still some kinks to work out in some arcs. Despite all of this though, the Atomics inch ever closer to rebuilding society.
Kickstarting The Story
With Hockeypocalypse having a decent amount of fans, Jeff uses this to his advantage. By appearing at cons, Jeff gets the support he really needs to develop his stories and himself. Hockeypocalypse’s cult following provides the funding when advertising on Kickstarter. Kind of ironic considering the next arc focuses on a cult. More importantly though, Jeff learns to market and provide modest rewards. It’s one thing to create good stories but you have to be fair to your audience. For newcomers, you have to be open and find a place they can jump in. For the loyal followers, you have to put your best self forward.
From the interview, Jeff explains that Hell Inc. takes what Jeff learns from previous series to expand on the original idea. Webcomics continue to be a force for creativity and marketing due to their wide reach. The simple storytelling allows for any reader to jump in and follow along. More importantly, it’s about how the characters make up the world’s they live in. The next time you hear about Jeff Martin, take some time to learn about him. I can tell you he’s a pro-wrestling fan from some of his stuff.
Thanks for coming and as always, remember to look between the panels.