Broken Frontier

In this concluding installment of our Oddly Normal interview, Otis Frampton fills you in on his art technique and his secret "abnormal" past.

The Oddly Normal Storyteller - Part I

BF: There are some very interesting and fantastical characters in Oddly Normal, but you've managed to keep it grounded in reality while keeping it imaginative and fun. That has universal appeal. 

OF: “Oddly Normal” is her name, and also a quality I want for the series. The events that take place — Oddly enrolls in a new school, gets bullied — are relatively normal, things most kids deal with. But the way they play out is slightly odd or fantastic.

BF: Was there one character in Fignation, the mythical place Oddly ends up in during the series, that you particularly enjoyed writing or drawing?

OF: Can I say "all of them for different reasons" and not sound corny? [Laughs] Well, it's true. In issue one, it was her Great Aunt that I loved writing dialogue for. In issue two, it was Bram. In issue three, there is a sequence that has been the most fun visually. And in issue four, there is a character that is my favorite character to write in anything I've ever written. Overall, Fignation is a place I created that I could go wild with visually and have anything happen. No matter how whimsical, I could squeeze it in and make it work, since it's essentially the world of fiction. It’s like the collective imagination of humanity, so it's all up in the air. It's pretty liberating as a writer and artist. And, of course, a lot of fun.

BF: Correct me if I'm wrong, but you do all of your art on the computer, right?

OF: More and more, I do it all on the computer using Photoshop and a Wacom drawing tablet. When I do draw on paper, I use everyday printer paper and a Bic pen, and then I scan it in and arrange it on the page. But over the years I've gotten used to the pen and tablet, and I can mimic my inking linework right in Photoshop, which is great, because I really hate drawing on paper. It frustrates me, knowing that any part of the drawing that I don't like will be fixed in Photoshop eventually anyway.

BF: That could be considered blasphemy to many art purists out there.

OF: So be it. It's a romanticism I have no need or use for. Why should I kill myself to make a line on paper when I can do so much more with the digital one? I love my tablet. The computer is a tool that has made producing this series a possibility. Someday, I'll ditch paper for good, most likely. These days, I don't even do the linework first sometimes. I'll paint the basic color shapes, to get form and composition correct, then do the linework on a layer over it.

As for the art purist part, I don't view myself as an artist first. I'm a storyteller first. The artwork has always been one way I get my stories out there in a form that's closest to what I see in my head. I've never been interested in pure art. I love great imagery, but it's usually associated with a storytelling medium of one kind or another.

Sorry, had to get that out. I feel much better now. [Laughs]

BF: That's okay. I feel the same way. The art combined with storytelling to create something magical... it's what makes this medium so great.

OF: Exactly: words and pictures. It's the combination that really sets comics apart. Whenever I read Frank Miller's work, I'm amazed at what someone can do when the two are used in the right proportion in interesting ways.

BF: Okay, now I have a question that's only slightly off-topic. Your website states that you were an imagery analyst for the U.S. Air Force. So, tell me, what exactly is an imagery analyst?

OF: Technically, I still am an imagery analyst. My six-year enlistment ends on January 19th. As for what it is, an imagery analyst basically looks at pictures and video images and, well, analyzes them. I look at stuff and tell Uncle Sam what I see. Analyzing imagery seems to be a recurring element in my life.

BF: Are you sworn to secrecy, or can you tell us what kinds of imagery you analyze?

OF: Yes and no. Sorry, can't talk about this stuff.

BF: So if Jessie Garza at Viper asks why you're late with the next issue, you can say, "That's classified"?

OF: Please, don't give him any ideas! [Laughs] I will say this about my time in the Air Force: it hasn't been easy balancing that job with the job of creating a comic book mini-series. I don't recommend it to anyone.

BF: Oddly Normal is solicited in the January issue of Previews. You've managed to not only be a "Spotlight On" feature, but the series also garnered a "Certified Cool" tag. How did you pull that off?

OF: Absolutely no idea. I was very surprised to see that myself, to be honest. I'm guessing the magicians at Viper had something to do with it. Nevertheless, it's great having my first published work be spotlighted like that.

BF: For those who were lucky enough to enjoy Oddly Normal as a web comic, how much of that series will show up in this printed version?

OF: The entire run of the web comic is actually the first half of issue one. So, even if you've already read the web comic, you'll get just as much new material in the first issue of the print version.

BF: And for those who haven't experienced Oddly Normal, what would you say to them?

OF: Give the first issue a try. If I've done my job as a storyteller, I think you'll want to read more. That answer sucks, but it's all I've got. It’s sad, really. [Laughs]  But if those unfamiliar with Oddly Normal want a preview of what the series has in store, they can pick up a copy of Josh Howard's Dead@17: Revolution #2 (in stores now). There’s a 6-page preview of issue one of Oddly in the back.

- James W. Powell