Tim Baron is a freelance illustrator whose work has appeared in publications by Christianity Today International, Multnomah Publishing, and Warner Press. His philosophy of art is best summarized by Francis Schaeffer, who said, “The Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars.” See a gallery of his illustrations at http://www.timbaron.com.

Stephen McCranie: I reread the story you and Ben Avery collaborated on for Parable, Volume 1 and I must say, it’s one of the most uniquely done wordless comics I’ve ever seen. I’m wondering though, if there are no words in this comic, how did Ben Avery write the piece? What brought you guys together, and what inspired the creation of this story?

Tim Baron: Great questions. A lot of people have asked about the script. Actually, Ben wrote the script similar to any other comic script. Since there wasn’t any dialogue, Ben wrote detailed descriptions of what imagery would fill the word/thought balloons. The absence of dialogue forced me to work even harder at being a better visual story teller. I met Ben through my friend and coworker Gary, who knew him through college. It was funny, he mentioned Ben’s name in an email and briefly mentioned his comic work. I googled Ben that day and sent him an email with a link to my website. It took off from there. The story was actually Ben’s idea. He told me he wanted it to be like a Charlie Chaplin silent film. I’m really into turn-of-the-century Victorian era stuff, so I went with that feel and drew it in a style that was inspired by the art in Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean’s graphic novel, “Mr. Punch.”

S: So are you an illustrator who does comics, or a cartoonist who does illustration? Why did you become an artist in the first place?

T: Hmmm….all of the above I guess. Art has always been a passion, a love, a joy and a language for me. I’ve been drawing as far back as I can remember. My mom still has some super hero drawings I did when I was in preschool. I honestly couldn’t imagine not making art. I’d go loopy.

S: And how did you become a Christian? Has this influenced your artistic philosophy?

T: I was blessed to be introduced to the Gospel of Jesus at a very early age. However, it wasn’t until my second year at college at age 19 that I really came to a better understanding of my own sin, my emptiness, my own mortality, God’s holiness, and what Jesus did for me on the cross. Has my faith influenced my artistic philosophy? Absolutely. Everybody’s world view influences their art. Think of how beautifully themes like good versus evil, chivalry, sacrifice and redemption bleed off the pages of fantasy authors like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Consider how beautifully God’s saga of redemption is narrated in symphonies like Handel’s Messiah, or Bach’s St. Matthew Day’s Passion. Or how the etchings of Rembrandt Van Rijn and the woodcuts of Albrecht Durer place you as a silent observer inside a frozen moment in the Gospel narrative watching the events unfold before your very eyes. Ponder how God chose Bezalel and Oholiab in Exodus 31 and filled them with “skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs” for God’s tabernacle. So too, the Christian artist…and comic book artist should joyfully offer up his best creation as an act of worship to the God who is creator of Heaven and Earth, and to be able to say along with J.S. Bach, “Soli Deo Gloria,” or “To God alone be the glory.” I would challenge any readers interested in tackling this subject to read “Art and the Bible” by Francis Schaeffer, and “Addicted to Mediocrity” by Franky Schaeffer.

S: Are there any exciting projects that you’re working on now that you’d like to plug?

T: Yes! Ben and I have begun work on our story for Parable #2 which is a crazy story about a medieval looking apothecary and his monkey in a post-apocalyptic Earth infected by something called “The Lotus Plague.” The story is called “The Plague Doctor” and I’m pretty stoked on it. Ben is posting teasers and conceptual art regularly at the blog at www.plaguedoctor.blogspot.com. Check it out! Readers can also check out my regularly updated blog at http://www.timbaron.blogspot.com/.

S: Finally, I read on your website that you’ve got some crazy scar on your arm from the wild skateboarding days of old. How’d you get it? Were you a hard core skateboarder?

T: Oh man… seriously, I had two things that kept me sane from fifth grade through college. Art… and skateboarding. I ate slept and breathed both. The scar is on my right arm, and it’s from slamming on the right side of my body over and over again. Can’t tell you how many times I skinned my arm in the exact same location. I better stop talking skateboarding glory days though. I’ll start reminiscing like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite.

S: Ha ha! Thanks a lot for your time.

T: Thank you. : )

In two weeks, tune in for an interview with Caleb Monroe!

Hey all,

I thought I’d take some time today and go through just a few of the comics that Parablers do as their own personal projects.

The Dreamland Chronicles
Read Dreamland Chronicals. It has a great story, wonderful characters and the fully rendered 3D presentation is stunning. Creative props go to Scott Christian Sava. He’s got two books completed and scale figures of a few of his characters as well.

Funnypages Productions
I had to include these guys. I mean, they worked on Big Idea’s “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything”, and that’s no small thing. Their client list is long and impressive: Disney, Wildstorm, Hasbro, Sega… the list continues. It was a joy to have Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley produce a comic for inclusion into Parable

Cow Shell Graphics
Mike Maihack needs no introduction around Parable. Cow and Buffalo is a renowned web comic (it’s even found on lunchboxes! see Lunchbox Funnies) and Seed is also a very entertaining read.

Community Comics
Ben Avery runs Community Comics as his day job. He’s one of those friendly, approachable types who will sit down and critique a comic/script just to help people out. He’s helped a lot of comic creators out over the years.

Webcomics Nation-> Dean Rankine
There’s no style quite like Dean Rankine’s. And there is no denying his hard hitting characters and humor mixed with pure truth. With titles like “Goldfish Frank Kicks the Bucket” and “Grandpa Joe has a Permanent Wedgie” you’d think Dean’s comics were all fun and no message- but no. Within each and every laugh fest is a thick slab of truth that just makes you think.

That’s the highlights for this week kids! See you again in a couple weeks!

-John

Caroline Parkinson works in London as a production assistant on a children’s animation series. If she was four inches shorter, she could be a professional midget. See more of her work at carolineparkinson.co.uk and bluecatclub.comicgenesis.com.

Stephen McCranie: For your story for Parable: Volume 1, entitled “Uncommon,” you collaborated with writer Caleb Monroe. How did you get to know Caleb and what was it like working with him?

Caroline Parkinson: I heard of Parable on the Flight forums, like most people, I guess. I contacted Mike and said I’d like to do some work in Parable. We’d both been involved with a previous anthology that never made it off the ground, so he said yes. But I couldn’t think of a suitable idea, so I asked to work with a writer- which turned out to be Caleb! It was good working with him- he was happy with the work I produced and didn’t make me change it. (Though if I look at the story now, some of the coloring I did is really shoddy, so maybe he should have!) I took Caleb’s script writing skills for granted then— he has a very clear way of putting things.

S: I just interviewed Sally Thompson, another Parable creator and she’s from the UK as well! Any chance that you guys know each other?

C: Not yet! But we have a table at the Bristol Comic Con together this summer and we’ll meet up then.

S: Cool! So, what’s it like living in London?

C: Oh God. Um, pretty much like anywhere, but with extortionate house prices. I think if you’re living in London, you get a completely different experience from visiting as a tourist. There are things I really like about it (people-watching, pubs, museums, really good comic shops) and things I hate.

S: Does anything there inspire your work? What does inspire your work?

C: Reading other artist’s blogs on the Internet… and those big thick Disney art books. And sketching, and listening to podcasts. There’s a science fiction podcast called Escape Pod I listen to a lot, and some music and film review ones.

S: I listen to that podcast too! Are you working on any projects you’re working on right now that you’d like to talk about?

C: I’m currently remodeling my website and drawing a comic project for Futurequake called Lazarus Falls. It’s about pirates, Nazis and zombies: you can see bits of it at carolineparkinson.blogspot.com. I’m also drawing some storyboards for London Film School (I’m going on a storyboarding course in the summer) and working on my own project about the adventures of a mobile library and its gun-wielding staff. This makes me sound really cool and busy, but it’s all shoehorned in around work. I have a full-time job as a production assistant.

S: So you work at an animation studio right now? What series are you guys making?

C: I work on Charlie and Lola, a kid’s cartoon adapted from the books by Lauren Child. It’s finishing production in March, though.

S: Oh, I’ve seen that series here in the states! I thought it was really charming, because of the use of child voice actors. So usually my last question is a silly question that pertains to the cartoonist, but I’ve been wracking my brain and I can’t think of anything to ask. What’s something really interesting and unique about you that I could ask about?

C: I’m a twin. That’s not very unique though, is it?!

S: That’s great! Are you identical twins? Do you have any amusing twin stories? If I had a twin I’d play all sorts of tricks on people.

C: Our mum doesn’t know whether we’re identical or not! We look pretty similar though. Once, when I was working in America, Kate came to visit me. She’d cut all her hair off and dyed it blonde. My boss, who hadn’t met her yet, rushed out of the shop, grabbed her by the shoulders and started screaming “Caroline! Why have you cut your hair!” into her face.

In two weeks, tune in for an interview with Tim Baron!

Hi All,

I’m going to come right out and say it: this post is a hodge-podge. Whats that mean? It means your brain will literally be assaulted by interesting and varying news bits. But don’t be alarmed! Just take it slow, read it through twice and after you’re done, close your eyes a while and just ponder these jewels of data.

Last time I briefly touched on Kameleo.com and their online comic tutorials. Thanks to a link in Caleb Monroe’s blog I found another website for the other half of comic creating: AKA publishing. Indy Comic News is a brand new website designed to help comic creators and indy publishers get their work out into the public eye. Yup, I’m talking about marketing. The site offers pre-sale listings, press release information, publisher listings and a section dedicated to “New this Month” as well as a comic of the month. Its a great idea and strives to get the word out about our trade.

A couple of Parabler’s have stuff that needs voted on as well. Sally Thompson has two sets up on Don’t Panic that, if successful, will be turned into little Momiji dolls. (they’re message dolls) I don’t think I can describe them very well, you’ll have to check them out yourself. Find her sets here and here.

Mike Laughead has a shirt (which I hope needs no explanation) up on Threadless. It’s pretty amazing so anyone who hasn’t voted, should. check it out here and in the preview below.

This is also awesome. I can’t help myself, I have to post a link to it here. Just… well, who doesn’t like Spiderman? And… popsicle sticks? Don’t worry, follow the link, you’ll see. Created by Josh Alves

You can see Bryan’s portfolio at http://www.bryanballinger.com, and be sure to check out his blog at http://www.breadwig.com. Bryan Ballinger is, in his own words, “an unforeseen genius, steeped in structural humility, and devoted to in-depth cogitation on the superficial.” Need I say more?

Stephen McCranie: Your story for Parable: Volume 1, entitled “Captain Clod,” is as ridiculous as it is original. I’m particularly excited to see what readers think of the “goatphone.” Without giving away any spoilers, what would you say inspired this story?

Bryan Ballinger: Hmmmm, let’s see. I grew up in rural Vermont, so the setting and characters definitely draw from that. I also used to work on my Grandfather’s farm in rural Wisconsin in the summers. Whenever I was doing chores I was always daydreaming about things that I’d rather be doing. Especially when I was scraping off the floor of the chicken coup. That is one heinous job, my friend.

S: So you have a rural, agricultural background? Where do you live now?

B: Right now I live in semi-rural northeast Indiana, the smell of rotting mustard greens wafting through the window.

S: One of the reasons I find your work interesting is because it’s really random and original. I remember for one of the Drawergeeks topics you colored a clown picture using scanned images of dried flower petals. Can you give us a glimpse into your creative philosophy? What’s your approach to illustration and comics?

B: I don’t know that I’ve ever been directly asked what my creative philosophy is before. I guess I better come up with one quick. Yikes, I’m really not sure. I know for things like Drawergeeks, I often try to use a technique I’ve never done before, and then push it so you can still tell it was me that did it. I also love creating things that are absurd and different on the surface, but have something almost indefinable and visceral below the surface. The trick for me is that I have to let the below the surface stuff happen almost unconsciously, otherwise it feels forced.

S: How did you become a Christian?

B: Growing up in Christian home was the biggest thing. That and Jesus’ words are the only things that make sense sometimes.

S: What have you been working on lately? Any projects you’d like to talk about?

B: My problem is I have a huge list of projects I’m not working on because I don’t have time. That and I have a horrible propensity for thinking of something and then going whole hog on it, even if it’s not particularly useful. www.suxco.com would be a prime example. I did recently just finish up illustrating a children’s book and did a cover for a math book. I also have an early chapter book that I’m hoping to finish up this summer. It’s sort of a combo chapter book/comic book, similar in format to Captain Underpants.

S: Finally, did you invent Caramel Flassies yourself? Or is that an old recipe passed down in the Ballinger family?

B: Ha! Actually that is a recipe that a good friend of mine, Keith Lango and I came up with. We worked together at an animation studio that had an annual dessert contest. So that’s one of the things we came up with for that year. I love contests like that. In the past I also submitted Frosted Product with Sprinkles, Pasta Bean Suspension, and Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Jell-O Mold with Peppercorns.

S: And how do you make a Pasta Bean Suspension? I can’t even imagine.

B: Well, it involves ravioli, jellybeans and lime gelatin (as most good things in life should). Once I register pastabeansuspension.com I’ll post the recipe.

S: If we ever manage to get the Parable staff together in one place we’ll have to make some of those. I’m sure they’d love them. Well thanks for talking with me Bryan!

In two weeks, tune in for an interview with Caroline Parkinson!