Hi! Welcome back to The Terrible Anvil! Tom Hart and Jess Ruliffson love to talk about making comic-making EASIER, and in this episode, we’re asking What Kind of Creator are You?
In this episode, Tom had a list of archetypes he wanted to run by Jess. Are you a Pantser or a Planner? Are you a Strong Finisher? Are you a Never Edit-er?
Jess shared a sketchbook project that took her 4 years or 20 minutes depending on how you look at it. And we talk about how to not feel like a failure when your routines suddenly feel boring.
What kind of creator are you?
Here’s a partial list! Comic creator archetypes
“Panster” - fly by the seat of your pants, making it up as you go
“Planner” - laying down strong plans makes you act and be confident later
“Scriptor” - SCRIPTS help me stay focused.
“Resistor” - too many plans make you resist
“Strong Starter” - you’ll start off strong and then lose interest, momentum or... something !
“Slow and Steady” - I can pace myself comfortably.
“Strong Finisher” - deadlines make you hustle and you wrap it all up when you’re needed!
“Constant Editor” - slowly editing as you go... but how far along do you get?
“Never Editing” - maybe similar to “Pantser”, you just keep going, thinking I’ll edit this when I’m in the ground!
“Affirm Me!” - constant positive feedback keeps you going
“Loner” - I need to just tunnel away and I’ll share when I’m ready but trust me, I’m working!
“Own Enemy” - If I’m honest, I see I tend to discount my own ideas and abilities I don’t ever really work
“Flounderer” - I need help!
“Checkboxer” - Show me the x’s I’ve finished in the to-do spreadsheet. That gets me energized!
“Surround Me” - I forget what I’ve done unless I see the pages on the wall around me!
No Idea!
Also Q: What cycle of gratification do you need? How often to you need a reward? Or can you go to work without something like that?
Here at The Anvil, we ask the tough questions…
Thanks for being here!
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Recorded at SAW on Zoom
The Terrible Anvil
How do you make comics without all the frustration? Without feeling lousy and inadequate all the time?
With the Terrible Anvil of daily deadlines! And a community, and mindset shift about what it means to make comics and art. Jess Ruliffson and Tom Hart are working through the whole process, one piece at a time, turning frustration into fun and glee.
We hope you’ll join us in the 2026 Graphic Novel Intensive (GNI)! See you there!
Thanks for being here!
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Recorded at SAW on Zoom
