This tweeterview was between:

Tweeter: @agent_x
interviewing
Tweetee: @paulwestover
Woody After Hours
Date: Sep 22, 09
Time: 16:00
Category: Art / Design
More about this Interview.
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The tweeterview as recorded:

Q1:
"Today I am tweeterviewing @paulwestover, the illustrator for Woody after Hours. http://www.woodyafterhours.com Thanks for joining me Paul."

Thanks for having me...I'm actually a bit nervous!

More on Q1...
I will be gentle. And it is just a tweeterview, - so just relax

It's just performance anxiety--I'm trying to picture you naked--but let me tell you thats not helping

More on Q1...
No, that won't help anyone!
Q2:
"So, how long have you been drawing Woody After Hours for?"

Well, we launched in March of this year--but I think I started working on it a couple months prior

something about a mystical "buffer"

Q3:
"What is your background? What was "Paul Westover" doing before Woody After Hours?"

Ummm...slacker.

I have always wanted to pursue art, but let other things get in the way of it until recently

More on Q3...
Good to see you have finally gotten there. I really like your artwork.
Q4:
"Briefly, what is your creative process, from sketch to final art?"

Thanks!

It's really bout self-loathing. From sketch the self-loathing is strong and I gradually try to get it to the point where I feel I don't suck

...oh and Adobe Illustrator and a Wacom board helps that

More on Q4...
So, you prefer to work in Illustrator, rather than Photoshop?

Ya--I grew to love illustrator over a period of time...It seems I try to do everything in it now

Q5:
"You draw the strip, and Ben Carter writes, I understand. How did you and Ben meet and decide to collaborate?"

Ben was seeking out an artist to bring his dream of a webcomic to life (online ad?). Honestly prior to that, webcomics were not on my radar

Q6:
"Then, if Woody After Hours had not come up (which we cool kids will call WAW from now on), what would you be doing, do you think?"
More on Q6...
Sorry - WAH is what we will call it... oops.

LOL

Good question...I have always wanted to either pursue illustration or animation...Up to the time I started working on WAH--

--I was an illustrator for children's standardized tests in the U.S.

More on Q6...
Really?

Haha--ya...I have this burning desire that kids will recognize my art when reading WAH or the recent FMyLife I just did

Q7:
"Let's hope so. I know you are a regular twitter user, but were you a tweep before doing the strip?"

no--I think I signed up for twitter ages ago and never used it...until now that is--for both promotion and to be part of the community

Q8:
"Is twitter the only social network you use to promote your comic? "

We have a Facebook fan page (I believe Ben does that)--but otherwise I'm still learning about ways to promote the strip

Q9:
"Overall, who is a more active audience for you – Facebook or Twitter?"
Q10:
"Do you encourage followers to retweet your posts about the strip, or do you prefer to let nature take it's course?"

Nature--but I do love it when they do...I try to do the same for others as well.

Q11:
"Have you tried using any other promotion tools, such as Reddit, or Digg, to further promote the strip?"

I just started adding a StumbleUpon bar to my links on Twitter...but I haven't really explored anything beyond that yet..

Q12:
"Woody After Hours also reviews late night talk shows such as The Tonight Show & The Late Show. "
More on Q12...
Do you find that referencing real world helps to add relevance to the strip and possibly attract other readers to the site?

If so, it's a marginal amount. I think the biggest draw outside of the strip was when Ben blogged about eating the World's Largest Gummi B..

More on Q12...
Gummi Bears are popular, so that makes sense.

His blog about eating eat over a week was quite entertaining I must say

Q13:
"Is there a plan to take the strip, or story, into any other mediums? I would imagine a natural progression may be online video. Or maybe p.."
More on Q13...
print?

I'm sure Ben wants to see this in print at some point. Beyond that I'm not sure.

Q14:
"Is there a dream, perhaps, to be invited onto an actual late night show one day to discuss the strip?"

Oh ya--I'm sure he'd kill small, helpless animals for that opportunity--I'd do it for the free trip :)

More on Q14...
If so - would you turn up as you, or in a costume?

Ha! Ummm...I do like to play dress up--not sure what would persuade me to do that though--so likely boring old me

Q15:
"As an artist that works in a realistic style, how much do you rely on pictures of places & object, as a drawing reference?"

I do like using reference...even so, I don't start off sketching things with a particular piece of reference on hand--and generally only f..

...for unusual things.

More on Q15...
Do you feel that tracing is a legitimate process in order to get something looking right, or just a lazy way out?

tracing is lazy--and I never have felt that traced items "look" right

More on Q15...
I tend to agree, as it can feel "forced" into an illustration.
More on Q15...
Although, tracing can be a good way to learn how something looks. Would you agree?

well tracing items and putting them in correct perspective--too much work--just start from scratch and make it easier on yourself

I had a middle school art teacher who learned to draw by tracing over all his silver age comics of Kirby, Ditko, etc...

so I would think there are some drawbacks as well :D

oh--he actually traced ON the actual comic--that would be a good point to make

More on Q15...
Ok, well that is a little weird.
Q16:
"Which other comics are you particularly enjoying at the moment - online or offline?"

in pen even..who does that?!

I used to be really big into comics years ago--not so much now. But I am really enjoying discovering all these great webcomics out there

too many--I guess i's easiest to see who I follow on Twitter

Q17:
"Ok, now it is time for the hard questions.... "

dammit

More on Q17...
Who is your favourite late night show host of all time?

Carson.

More on Q17...
What do you think about how Jimmy Fallon is going?

Wellll...I'm not as big a fan of his as I believe Ben is...I'll watch Craig Ferguson or Kimmel before him.

Q18:
"Ok. Next. Stickfigure webcomics - do you feel are they a legitimate artform or not?"

Yes...I absolutely hate it when people say this IS art but that isn't--I believe everything is valid--only degrees of how much it can be a..

Q19:
"Lastly - if you had to be a Pokemon, which character would you be, and why?"

...appreciated.

Is there one called "NotaPokemon"?! But if I had to, I guess Squirtle cause it's fun to say...

More on Q19...
Heh Heh. Squirtle.....
Q20:
"Thanks for your time Paul. For everyone out there Twitter - you can follow him at @paulwestover."

Haha--ya :D

Q21:
"Also, be sure to check out the Woody after Hours site - http://www.woodyafterhours.com"

Thanks so much for interviewing me!