With Creator Aaron Diaz

On the 10th of January 2010 LotsofInterviews.com interviewed a creator of the webcomic Dresden Codak, Aaron Diaz, as part of our "Web Comic Spotlight". We talk how the comic started, about its popularity, coming up with new ideas and how the name of the comic was chosen.

What made you want to start a web comic?

It was mainly something to draw while I wasn't paying

attention in Statistics class, and somehow it kind of

snowballed from there.

Are you a big fan of web comics yourself?

When I started DC I didn't even know what they were, but since then I've naturally picked up a few. I think there are a few gems out there that are worth reading, but they're generally not the ones everyone knows. Like most good independent art, you have to work a little to find them. The list of recommended reading on my site are my current favorites.

When you first started Dresden Codak, did you ever think he would become as big as he has done?

Absolutely no idea. It was just a little hobby. Really, I'm still baffled.

Some of the themes in the comic could be described as “deep”, do you enjoy writing about these kind of themes?

I don't really actively choose to write about something deeper than something else. Generally it's just a topic I find interesting, or a concept I haven't seen explored in the medium before. My main philosophy is to never do anything that someone's done before, and if someone has done it before, I need to approach it in a new way.

Where did the name of the strip come from?

It's just a play on the "Dresden Codex," the largest of the known Mayan codices. I've always had a lot of interest in Mesoamerican history, which has also had direct influence on the art style.

Who do you think has influenced your style of art?

Early on, it was artists like Miyazaki and Moebius. More recently, especially this past year, it's been European artists like Enrique Fernandez, Pierre Alary and Barbara Canepa.

When was it you realised your comic would be able to support you financially?

Around the end of 2007 I talked to some other cartoonists and came to the conclusion that my site was at the proper "critical mass" to sustain me through merchandise sales. I took a gamble and started offering shirts, and it paid off.

You only update the strip every few weeks, why is it you do not update more oftern?

That's just how long the comics take. I never take breaks, and they're often in styles and formats that are very time consuming.