Interview with Alexis Fajardo

Alexis Fajardo is the author of the graphic novel Kid Beowulf, published by Bowler Hat Comics. He currently lives in Santa Rosa, where he also works for the Charles M. Schulz Studio. The Kid Beowulf book launch will be held on September 20th from 5-8 at the Ink and Paper Group mead hall. Alexis' novel can be purchased from his website, as well as on Amazon.




Can you tell us a little bit about your writing and illustrating career? Is Kid Beowulf your first book?

I’ve been cartooning for the past ten years or so. About half of that time was spent trying to get my comic strip “Plato’s Republic” syndicated. It was a strip I had done in various forms throughout my high-school and college days. Once I graduated, I did it as a daily strip online for about 5 years. That’s really where I cut my teeth cartooning.

During the run of the comic strip a friend, who was doing his own comic book at the time, asked if I wanted to contribute a funny adventure comic to the mix. That’s where Kid Beowulf started; as an 8-page, gag-oriented mini-comic. I really had no expectations for it beyond that and was still very focused on my strip, determined to get it syndicated.

The more I worked on Kid B. though, the more the story wanted to expand beyond the zine format. By the time I had the first issue done (at that time I was doing it as a serialized comic book), I had already mapped out the stories I wanted to do. I published the first graphic novel through my Lexpress imprint in 2004.

You have set an impressive and ambitious story arc for your books. How many books are planned to be in the series and how are they coming along?

It will take 12 books to tell the entire Kid Beowulf story as Beowulf and Grendel travel across Europe and Asia. The epic tradition that inhabits each country becomes the springboard for that particular book. In each book I’m introducing new characters and stories and throwing Beowulf and Grendel into the mix.

Each book focuses on a theme from epic poetry and how that affects Beowulf and Grendel’s relationship. For instance, book one Kid Beowulf and the Blood-Bound Oath is an origins story, and the theme is “family.” Book 2: Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland is very much an adventure story and focuses on the “ego” of the epic hero. The theme for book 3, Kid Beowulf vs. El Cid, is the “naming” of the epic hero. And on and on…

It’s essentially a road-trip through mythology, pointing readers back to the original epics and culminating with the finale, which is the epic poem BEOWULF.

You have taught cartooning at the Cartoon Art Museum and for The Charles M. Schulz museum. How have those experiences been and do you plan to continue teaching?

I really enjoyed my time teaching and indoctrinating young impressionable minds into the world of comics, cartoons and Kid B! Between doing the books on a regular basis and my day job at the Charles M. Schulz Studio, my time for classes is pretty limited. I’ve occasionally done workshops and have done presentations on my work at schools and libraries.

Are you very regimented about your writing and illustrating? Do you have any writing quirks that you would like to share?

In order to meet deadlines and produce a book a year, one has to be regimented to a certain degree. Even though I have a day job, I still try and carve out time to work on some aspect of Kid B. every day. I basically have to compartmentalize the production of the books for me to have any hope of completing them all.

It always starts by reading the epic poem a few times and doing as much research on related stories that I can. Once I get a good sense of the world the characters inhabit, I try and breakdown the story and come up with character designs and an overall look for the book. Then the hard part of writing begins. The production line is pretty much:

1: script
2: thumbnails
3:pencils
4: inks
5:scan
6:halftones
7: word balloons and sound FX

I rinse and repeat this for each chapter. Doing it this way keeps me under deadline and motivated to finish the book! As far as quirks go, I’m always listening to podcasts and documentaries as I draw (I’m working through the Ken Burns library now).

Kid Beowulf is published by Portland based Bowler Hat Comics. How has the publishing process been?

Prior to Bowler Hat, all the work I ever did with Kid Beowulf had been self-published. Self-publishing was never my intent, but it was a way to get the book out there and I thoroughly enjoyed the production aspect of putting out a book. Publishing is a tough business though and self-publishing is even tougher, I have great respect for cartoonists who are able to wear both the creator and publisher hats successfully. But like I said, that was never my ultimate goal.

When Bowler Hat Comics approached me about Kid Beowulf I was interested and skeptical at the same time. It was a brand new company after all, without a proven track record. But I liked that they didn’t view graphic novels separately from books and that their goal was to first penetrate the general book market and then niche markets like comic shops. They applied the same principles of traditional book publishing to a comic book and I think it’s worked out pretty well so far.

More importantly though is their commitment to Kid Beowulf, not just as a commodity but as a story. Bowler Hat has let me tell the story I want to and has not placed restrictions on me the way a larger publishing house might. It’s a rare instance when someone other than the creator is as determined to see a project succeed. Everyone I’ve worked with at Bowler Hat and the Ink & Paper Group has gone above and beyond for Kid B. and that’s really gratifying.

It seems that most publishing companies, no matter whether they are a small press or large trade publisher, are expecting authors to already have some kind of following before signing them. Do you engage in a lot of self promotion?

I make a habit of attending as many comic conventions as I can and been going to them for several years now. I can’t say I brought a huge fan base with me to Bowler Hat, but the ones I’ve got are devoted and have waited patiently for each book. Now that I’ve got a publisher, I can reward those fans with consistent output and get a whole new crop of fans at the same time.

No one is going to sell a book better than the person who created it, especially in the comics community. Readers want to meet the artist behind the work and connect with them, and as a creator I want to hear what my audience has to say. I enjoy pitching Kid B. to new readers and I love seeing that glint in their eyes as the story unfolds in front of them—that’s when I know I’ve got a new fan, ready to take the journey with Beowulf and Grendel.


Indie Author wants to thank Alexis for his time, as well as Bowler Hat Comics and Ink and Paper Group. Click here to learn more about Alexis' upcoming events.