Creative to Creative Q and A: Reynard City

Where did you grow up? Did your childhood have any impact on your writing and art?- “I grew up in a town called Beccles (fun facts- birthplace of Nixon interviewer Sir David Frost and home to the only UK church with a separate tower), about 17 miles from the city of Norwich (where I currently live). My Dad ran his business opposite our house so Mum and Dad were often about. In terms of my childhood they were (and still are) very encouraging and supportive.“

2. What were some of the first piece you did growing up?- “I remember writing my own game manuals and asking my Dad to review them. I was looking to promote my work even then!”

3. What are you currently working on, series wise?- “I am working with BlueIke on the final issue of Reynard City Chronicles.”

4. Who is your favorite character you have ever made and why?– “While it’s hard to pick a fave, I do love the little/big sister dynamic between Vibes (AK Girl) and Sally (Wondervixen.)”

5. What tools do you use for your drawings?- “I don’t do the art. For scripts I use Word, for promotional graphics I use Canva, for the videos I use Clipchamp for video editing and Audacity if I need to edit audio. I also have an old-fashioned pad and pen when I have ideas or doodling in between writing sessions.”

6. What was your path like until you found this series?- “It’s an idea I’ve had since about middle school so to be honest it’s hard to imagine my path going in a different way. I did dabble in amateur theatre, sketch comedy and improv but at heart writing is the thing I love most.”

7. Tell us about your team. What is the key to a good rapport with them?- “The project doesn’t exist without them. It takes time but one thing I’ve learned is to be open with people, keep up to date with them, and try to adapt to their process as much as they adapt to you.”

8. What is your favorite piece of art you guys have worked on and why?– “Working on Reynard City Chronicles has been fantastic as it has allowed us to complete the story while building on the original stories.”

9. How do you come up with your story ideas? What is your process?- “I’ve worked on the comic for a long time, so the process has been refining the overall arc and the scripts as much as we can. In terms of inspiration it can vary- I once had an idea for a story based on the contents of a vending machine at an office I worked in! But what I find helps day to day is a consistent schedule- I usually go out for coffee to start the day, work on it, break for lunch, work some more, and then if I need to some more over dinner.”

10. How do you get reviews?- “This is one of the tricky bits. A good start is #indiecomics on Twitter (never calling it X) which can get you in touch with creators, review channels, etc. Also, encourage folks who buy them to post reviews!”

11. What is hardest: creating or marketing?– “I think both have their challenges. For me creating something is the most fun, especially in the first draft phase. That being said, there are plenty of ways you can make marketing fun. Going out to places with promo material, conventions, making videos, and launch parties; don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit!”

12. What type of style of art or writing do you dream of doing that you have not yet?- “I would love to do a Reynard City animated series. Outside of the project, it would be fun to do a wacky Silver Age Justice League story.”

13. Tell us about your experiences collaborating with other artists and writers.

“It’s been great- Blueike has been working with us for a while now with issue 7 being his first full issue and 9 will be our last. He has worked so hard and he’s so passionate. I’ve been very fortunate to work with the likes of Susie Gander, Dan Butcher, Nicholas Webb, Strider Syd, Joe Draco Petterson, Jed Soriano, Emily Bandicoot as well as our fabulous voice cast (Hayley Evenett, AJ Deane, Helen Fullerton et al). On top of that folks like Visualise who did our website and Minuteman Press Norwich who print our comics are fabulous, while Canary Comics and our new salesperson Dennis have been great selling the comic and getting it out there.“

14. What do you do to relax?– “I am not a great cook but I enjoy it. Like I said before I like to doodle. Going out for coffee at the start of the day helps too, sometimes I’ll take pictures of my food. Oh and I love going to the cinema, probably the best thing for allowing me to properly switch off.”

15. If you could tell your 14-year-old self one thing, what would it be?

“Calm down a bit! To be honest this could be advice going into when I was 21. Having energy is great but focus, plan, and budget for what you’re doing! “

16. What advice would you have for this upcoming generation?- “I want to pass on a couple. When my Dad started in business he was told “Never cry ‘Stinking fish’”. What does that mean? It means you don’t broadcast negativity. Too often I see creatives call themselves “aspiring”. If you are creating work you are not aspiring, you are doing. Also self-deprecation works if you’re Kevin Smith. It saddens me when I see talented artists do down their own work. Be your own cheerleader!

“Another comes from the creators of the Fast Show Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson. They were doing a retrospective to celebrate 25 years of the show at the University of East Anglia (fun fact- where they partially shot Avengers: Age of Ultron and where future Doctor Who star Matt Smith studied drama. Had a cup of tea with him once in my friend Daniel Taylor’s dorm room. He was nice)

“As part of the event, they did a workshop with the UEA Headlights Comedy Society. They pointed out that people weren’t collaborating. I think this is crucial- while the internet is amazing and allows people to get their work out on a scale that would have been impossible when I was growing up it also means competition is massive.

Therefore find people to collaborate with, ideally ones that complement your skills and likewise you can help them.”

17. Have you ever watched a movie that changed your outlook on life?- “I watch It’s A Wonderful Life every Christmas with my Mum, always inspires me. Fighting With My Family was another one as it shows someone from my local area can make it (now we just need a biopic of The Darkness and we can complete the hat trick!)”

18. Do you have a classic piece of art or a classic artist or book/author you are fond of?- “Seeing The Sistine Chapel in Rome was incredible. It’s almost 3D how it justs out at you. In terms of authors I just finished re-reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While Roald Dahl was undoubtedly a complex and problematic person it was one of the books I grew up with. My all-time fave films I love and keep coming back to (and I swear this is not a joke) are Citizen Kane and the original Robocop.”

19. Any type of music that gets your creative juices flowing?- “I have character playlists! MissaZane recently did an Insect Girl cosplay for us so it was fun to pick out music for her. I’ll list them all here so you can give them a look:”

Insect Girl- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvIet0RrR76j7EekHSAIMTlZvks-O8o5I&si=2FhedZ4yZDFYcH6E

Sal- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvIet0RrR76gh8iH38d_1tEjS07qw6RO9&si=-NVqZmrtt5rOxJFZ

Unofficial soundtrack- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvIet0RrR76jWyEs0DHtmb14CB_pXsoLH&si=xsr6uCa05wmFB2i7

Vibes-

20. If you could pick three people who are your heroes or role models, who would they be and why?

“Ooh, that’s a tough one. My family I’m counted as one (Mum, Dad, older and younger brother, older sister). In terms of advice, support, and inspiration they are all those things and I love them. Orson Welles for me is endlessly fascinating. Simon Callow wrote two books on him- the way he revolutionized theatre, radio, and film is incredible when you think about it. Oh, and former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke- met him once, as stylish and charming as I hoped.”

21. Dog or cat person?- “Until my brother got one I would have said neither. But his golden retriever Neo is an adorable bundle of energy.”

22. What do you want to eat right now?- “It’s breakfast time right now- if I had the budget I’d be getting the Kentucky pancakes from Harry’s Soul Station ( chicken tenders, pancakes, and syrup) or something nice from Pip’s Dining (that being said they change their menu week to week. They did a fab sausage schnitzel the other day).”

23. If you could be in any movie that has already been made, which one would it be?– “Oh that is so hard. I would love to have been in Inception and see the process behind that.”

24. What is your favorite holiday or time of year?- “Christmas/winter time. I’d rather be too cold than too hot and also January is my birthday!”

25. Anything else you would like to add?- “I would just like to say that without our creative team and the supporters who back them, this would not exist, which is why we have our special thanks playlist (https://youtu.be/8TYrPstI4kI?si=Q4Ukq9H-hkWMqONO)

“Also, people have been asking us about a Reynard City animated series, video game etc. The simple answer is if you keep supporting us we can make it happen-“ https://ko-fi.com/reynardcity/goal?g=6

BIO:

Rob Turner (aka Will Turner) is the writer/producer of Reynard City Chronicles, a surreal series about superhero foxes inspired by 90s cartoons like Ninja Turtles, X-Men, and Sonic Sat-Am.