Starting in high school, I started to learn as much as I could about the process of making comics. I had drawn many strips since elementary school, and started drawing my own comics in high school, but learning about the actual process was something I actively set out to do. I read Wizard Magazine (back when it was worth reading), read as many interviews as I could get my hands on, and whatever books I had on the subject (unfortunately, I didn’t acquire as many as I should have). With the advent of the Internet, it became much easier to research the process and, of course, keep up with the changing technologies.

One of the things I’d learned about was how creators – artists and writers alike – kept a pull file, a file with pictures and articles from magazines, newspapers, etc. so that when they needed a reference for something they were drawing or writing they’d have a plethora of clippings to choose from. I always thought that this was a good idea and started saving tons of things: magazines, school notes, stuff that ordinarily would’ve been through out or, at the very least, cataloged. My problem was, I didn’t organize anything. Things were kept in boxes and stored away somewhere to be forgotten about.

I started high school in 1991. I am currently 31 years old, soon to be 32. Today, for the first time, I finally put together a pull file, organized in file folders and kept in drawers. This is how long it took me to get my act together and started approaching the process “professionally.”

I guess I’m just a late bloomer.