COMICS CUBED: WOS Exclusive Interview with Walter Ostlie

By Rob Richardson!

Walter Ostlie is the author Red5 Digital First; Cubicles. Read it and prepare to laugh, cry and smile like you’ve never smiled before. If you like comics, sci-fi and Caesar salad then you’ll love it!

Originally starting out by wanting to shoot movies, Walter had no real art tuition and then went on to college to study Computer Science. After attempting to make some short films he quickly realised that storyboard art he had produced was very similar to comic book art. He bought up books on anatomy and storytelling and began.

Walter is the perfect example of what you should be doing if you want to get into the industry right now – find a story you believe in and see it through to its conclusion. That’s the story that became Cubicles.

In this interview he talks about the pros and cons of digital releases, breaking into the industry, his influences, what his future holds and the origin, and ideas behind, Cubicles!

1)         I’d just like to say thanks for taking time out for this interview. I really enjoyed Cubicles. Where did the idea come from?

It’s my pleasure and thank you as well.   Cubicles has come a long from its meagre beginnings.  It started as just a way for me to practice sequential art.  I make my living working an office job, so I also have plenty of experience to draw on.  I guess it started with this image which was nothing more then commentary about office life.

2)         It reminded me a lot of sci-fi classic Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and cult TV show Spaced! Did Cubicles start out as a humorous piece or did that develop as you wrote it?

I knew I wanted it to be silly and fun, I think the humour is a by-product of that.  Actually what I hadn’t intended on was the sci-fi aspect.  The original incarnation was free form storytelling.  I had no idea where I was going with the story.  Then the last page I drew was a huge squid attacking their office building and space jets were trying to fight it off.  Think King Kong.  I only drew that image because I felt like drawing a squid.  But that is what really solidified the world of Cubicles for me.

3)         How much of yourself is in the characters Wally and Ost? I can see where the inspiration for their names came from…

Wally and Ost are two sides of the same coin…and I’m the coin.  Uh, you know what I mean.  Ost looks like me and behaves how I would like to behave.  Wally behaves how I actually behave and looks like how I feel when I am in the office.  The halogen lights and the politics can really age a person.  I think most people who work an office job have different faces they wear.  Wally and Ost are my two.

4)         You’ve obviously brought Cubicles straight to the digital market. Do you consider this to be the way forward for comic books? What can digital offer that print can’t?

Digital is cheap to publish and because of that you can take a risk on a different idea.  I think there are people that are hungry for new stories and stylish art.  Digital is going to be a breeding ground for that. 

It’s a great delivery system as well.  Not everyone has a comic store or enough bookshelves to house all the comics they want.  But most everyone has a computer.  Just imagine if we didn’t have broadcast TV or cable.  Studios would have to make DVDs of their shows and distribute that to people.   Can you imagine how many more shows would fail if people had to buy a DVD to watch the show?  Digital comics could follow the TV model and give away their product for free and build revenue through advertising and merchandise.  That may be hard initially for starving creators but with sites like Kickstarter it could be more of a reality.

5)         What’s in store for the future in regards to Cubicles? Are we set to see the further adventures of Wally and OST? I certainly hope so!

Yes indeed.  I’ve already roughed an outline for their next adventure.  It will pick up shortly after the end of volume 1.  It will be kind of a Mortal Kombat type story…but with pencils!  I also want to give Ost a love interest, who will be a character from the first story.  It will definitely throw our duo into situations that are way too big for them.  I’m sure they will figure it out though.

6)         What made you want to get into comic books in the first place and how did you break into the industry?

My mind’s always been full of stories attempting to burst out.  So I started writing screenplays and attempted to shoot my own indy film.  That turned out to be a huge effort.  Trying to find crew and cast, scheduling it all.  In the process though I had been doing storyboards.  It was just a small jump from that to comics.  So I started teaching myself how to draw comics.  My first big project was ‘The Rejects’ which Nate Frisoli.  It was entered in DC’s Zuda Contest.  Shortly after I also entered the first version of Cubicles.  I didn’t win but it did earn me a paycheck with the DC logo.  After losing, I rebooted/redesigned/relaunched Cubicles and sent it to Red 5 Comics.  They picked it up and here we are.

7)         The quality of creator-owned material out there at the moment is fantastic and seems to have come at a time when the big publishing houses are making dramatic changes; changes that some think may be quite costly. Does creator-owned offer more freedom and what’s the greatest advantage of a creator-owned product?

The big 2 have some great characters and I would love to draw them.  But I think with creator-owned, you know the writer/artist are passionate about the stories they are telling.  Creator-owned does offer more freedom but at the same time there are drawbacks.  Most likely you don’t get paid, you don’t have much funding and you are doing a day job to make ends meet.  So it is tough to finish a project.  I think that may be why the quality is great, because there is a lot of love and determination in the projects that actually finish.  I think the biggest advantage is that it gives people who aren’t Jim Lee a chance.  Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to be Jim Lee.

8)         What do you think of the changes that are taking place in the industry at the moment? Will they succeed?

For me, it’s already succeeded.  I don’t read DC except for Vertigo.  However with this relaunch I am actually going to pick up a few titles.  Top of my list is the Suicide Squad with the awesome cover of Harley Quinn.  I am also happy about the digital releases as well.  I don’t buy a lot of print comics because I don’t want to store them and I don’t want to throw them away.  So digital gives me infinite storage.  The only thing I don’t like is this same price as print.  I feel like it should be cheaper then print.  I know they will reduce the price after 4 weeks but I still feel like I am getting scammed.  

I like the idea of simplification as well.  I don’t really understand how there are different x-men, spider-man, Deadpool titles.  In one universe Spidey is dead?  That’s way too confusing.  I tried to read Blackest Night but couldn’t figure out the correct order.  The only superhero book I read is Invincible because I know I can just pick up the next issue and it will continue the story and not reset everything.  So if DC can hold true to their relaunch, I’d be interested.

9)         How exciting a time is it to be in the industry at the moment, especially with such changes taking place? Will it open up new opportunities for writers and artists, or could big publishers become much more insular and harder to get into?

I know I am excited for September.  I am not sure how long that excitement will last.  I am thinking October.  I think it may become harder for new guys to break in to the Big 2.  They may have to stick to what they know to manage their profit margins.  Really I have no idea how the business works.  But I did watch the Kirkman manifesto video and I think he made a lot of sense.  Established pros should be doing their own creator-owned stuff and the Big 2 should have to actively search for new blood.  Humberto Ramos self published his book, FairyQuest, and that sold out at SDCC (Yeah, I got my copy).  Womanthology raised $82,000 on Kickstarter.  It’s a brave, new world for creator-owned and self publishing.

10)        Will you be picking up any other new DC titles and what do you think of the September relaunch?

Yep.  Suicide Squad, Grifter, Teen Titans, and Red Hood are the ones I am sure about.  Of course I will have to wait an entire month to buy them digitally.  I refuse to pay the same as print for a digital comic until someone can explain to me why I should.  If there is a good reason then I will pay the same.  But really I think if the pros would move to creator owned, then the big 2 wouldn’t have to pay the unknown artists as much and they could charge less for their books.

That’s one of the things I really like about Red 5 Comics.  Their digital books are priced very competitively.  You can pick up a trade of Atomic Robo for 4 bucks.  Meanwhile DC/Marvel are charging 4 bucks for a single issue.  There’s a real disconnect there I think.

11)        What have your all time favourite comic books been? Who are your favourite characters?

I have a pretty short list of comics that I read on a regular basis.  Top of the list is Hellboy.  Great character, I would have to say he is my favorite.  Comics I am reading are Umbrella Academy, Invincible and American Vampire.  I loved Scott Pilgrim and I Kill Giants.  If you get a chance I would suggest picking up Mondo Urbano.  I just read Bonnie Lass and I got to say that it is a great book.  It’s another book that started as digital first and is now finding its way into print.

12)        If you had to choose who would you say have been your biggest influences?

Harry Potter.  I love that story.  I think it is both epic and simple, dark and fun.  My goal in life is to create something as wondrous.  Mignola also crafted a great world with Hellboy/BPRD.  Joe Kelly’s I Kill Giants was the first comic to move me emotionally.  Artistically, I think Jim Lee.  I am always amazed by what he does.  WildCATS was one of the first comics I read.  After him I think it may be Ben Templesmith because he showed me that you don’t have to draw like Jim Lee to be successful.  Artistic influence by Skottie Young, Eric Canete, Mike Mignola, Joe Mad, Sean Gordon Murphy, Humberto Ramos, Ryan Ottley.

13)        What does the future hold for Walter Ostlie? Have you any current projects in store?

Fame and Fortune.  Cubicles Volume 2 may be next on my list.  I do have this story idea that I’ve been dying to put to paper, but I just haven’t unlocked all its secrets yet.  When I do though, watch out!

I also started up a sketchblog called Drawn Blanks with some of my local art friends.  We pick a new theme every week and post up new artwork Monday thru Saturday.  Just point your browser to http://www.drawnblanks.com/

14)        Finally, what advice do you have to offer for those wanting to write/draw comics and get into the industry?

Go write and draw something.  Then finish it.  Even if it is horrible, finish it.  I know everyone says that, but it is true.  I had the chance to do a Marvel portfolio review at SDCC.  During the review, I showed Cubicles to the editor.  He said that he wished he could have me in the room for the rest of the reviews because I did what you are supposed to do.  I wanted to make comics, so I made a comic.  I didn’t wait around for Marvel or anyone to hire me.  I think having a finished product gives you instant cred.

I’ve been in Q and A’s with editors and comic creators and people ask the question ‘how do I break into comics?’  Which the pros respond with ‘make your own comic.’  Then someone will ask the same question again and get the same response.  I think it was asked 4 times.  I am not sure why no one understands that you don’t need anyone else to make a comic, especially the Big 2.

I’d like to, once again, thank Walter for his time and wish him continued success with Cubicles and his other upcoming projects.

For more information on Walter and his work please follow this link to his site: http://www.walterostlie.com/

Cubicles is currently available from ComiXology at: https://comics.comixology.com/#/series/6589