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20th Apr 11
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My wife Roxanne has been publicly doing comics for a little over six months now, her first published project being a webcomic (with print alternatives) called Fuzz Society. I thought it would be fun to interview her here at Canister X and help her spread the word about what she is doing, so show her some love, read on, and visit the links when they appear.
Thanks.
1) For those who don’t know you, why don’t you introduce yourself and tell people a little bit about Fuzz Society?
My name is Roxanne Fuchs, and I grew up wanting to create, whether that meant doodling my own characters, making crafts, learning to knit/crochet, sew (I used to love embroidery as a young adult), web design, listening to and playing music (though I did not get formal training, I’ve always tried to teach myself).
Fuzz Society is really a comic geared towards girls and women, though guys may find it cute too, but I’m really using it as a means of communicating the stuff many females experience in life, and reaching out to those around me. It circles around a group of friends, who’ve met mostly because of Lyra Ladybug, the tie-in character and cutie pie who is very much like myself (minus the wings and antennae. of course)! Its starts out with her grabbing onto a gum wrapper one day and finding herself lost as she explores a place she’s never been to. She’s led a very sheltered life until now, and so almost everything is new to her. But as she meets new animal friends, she also learns about love and friendship, and the differences in the ways males and females think. It’s a manga/anime inspired adventure, with romance and all the wit you can handle! For more info, I also have a FAQ page on my website at http://www.fuzzsociety.com
2) Anyone particular that has heavily influenced you as an artist?
In terms of Japanese art, I’ve always loved the girly stuff, so I enjoyed the Sailor Moon series a lot, and video games like Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, etc. In general, though, I would say I’ve always just tried to keep drawing and doodling since I was very young, including drawing superheroes and my favourite cartoon characters. I’ve always wanted to be good at what I do so I’d always practice. And after reading the Bone series, Jeff Smith inspired me a lot as I admire his line work and characters. In particular, though, the anime style has stuck with me the longest.
3) Most comic creators have their own way of putting their story to paper. How do you go about creating a page?
I would say, it’s a bit different than most people do it. I start out with my general idea for where I want my comic to go, then I do a mini sketch on note paper, and afterwards, I’ll jump right into sketching the real thing on Bristol board. This process can take a while as since I don’t have a full script written out, I never know for sure what’s going to happen on that page; it’s always an adventure! Then I get my husband, A.P. Fuchs (editor’s note: that’s me), to edit it, I ink it, erase the pencil lines and scan/clean it up before posting online. It’s quite the process if you think about it, and I’m hoping all the TLC is obvious in the final product.
4) Fuzz Society has been running since October. I know you’ve done a few other non-published comics before, but were you always a comic creator or an artist? When did you start making comics in general?
Yes, I would say I’ve always been an artist. I remember I would grab hold of whatever paper I could find and doodle on it. It didn’t matter if it was my school binder or a scrap of paper from a flyer. I started drawing comics in junior high, just for myself. It was partially an escape for me, me always having enjoyed reading fantasy and watching sci-fi stuff. So yeah, at a young age I was trying out comic art. And before that, I was always collecting superhero comic cards (back when they still made them, anyways). I’ve always been a creative type of person, never knew what I wanted to do for a living as a kid, wasn’t even sure as a teenager. I tried to pursue “regular” jobs and schooling, but it didn’t pan out, and after having the opportunity to work from home on comics, I thought I would give it a shot. At first it was quite daunting, and intimidating the thought of putting out an issue, but now I’m really getting into it, and it just flows much better.
5) Why did you suddenly move from just drawing and making comics for fun, to actually releasing the material both online and in print?
My husband (editor’s note: that’s me again 
) really encouraged me to do this, as he saw the potential in me, and I’m glad he’s been so supportive of me. Plus, after going to a lot of conventions, I’ve been inspired to finally do something with my art, and just see where it goes. It’s quite exciting really.
6) Are you a full-time artist?
Yes and no. I would say, yes in the sense that I’m always thinking about what my next page will be about, so my head gets full sometimes, but that’s how it is. And no, in the sense that I’m a full-time mom so most of my day is spent either with my boys, or running the household. There’s not much time for art, so it is usually tricky to find the time to work on it, at least right now.
7) What are you favourite comic books or graphic novels?
I’m a Dazzler fan (old school), the Bone series, Black Cat and Rourouni Kenshin, the old Avengers comics (because it’s been a while since I’ve read them), and Watchmen to name a few. I just found a new webcomic I’m enjoying called Super Siblings as well.
8) Where can people learn more about you and Fuzz Society?
www.fuzzsociety.com or on Facebook, there’s a fan page as well.
9) If you could spend a day with any comic book character, who would it be and why?
I would love to hang out with Dazzler, sing along with her at some different gigs, and really experience the thrill of being a rock star. I’ve always enjoyed singing, so I’m kind of partial to her.
10) Any last comments?
Yes, thanks for doing the interview! You’re super, man! 
