I’ve often wondered what parenting is like from a dad’s point of view. I know I can’t pry too much out of my husband, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one! I had a chance to find out a little about being a dad from experienced dad, Shawn Williams, as well as the background on newly-released Five Pounds & Screaming, Shawn’s graphic novel that follows the story of a young couple going through their first pregnancy.
MK: What is your background?
SW: I was born, went to school, went to college, work, and currently live all in small towns in central Wisconsin.
MK: Tell me about your education, career and hobbies.
SW: I studied Graphic Design at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. I have been working as a graphic designer full time for 10 years now at Krause Publications/F+W Media in Iola, WI. I work on several magazines, books, and internet/tablet based materials – including Comics Buyer’s Guide magazine, which I used to buy before becoming the graphic designer for it!
MK: Tell me a little about your family and experiences.
SW: I have a very cute little girl who turned 7 in July this year. She is really amazing and really the inspiration for creating Five Pounds & Screaming. I have very supportive parents, who indulge both my rants, and my geeky enthusiasm for sometimes-odd things (comic books, movies, games, etc.).
MK: What inspired you to pursue self-publishing a graphic novel?
SW: Well the time my family was expecting a baby I just found amazing. I was so nervous, but also so excited about becoming a father. I just found myself writing down dialog from conversations I was having at the time. I wrote scenes down – things I’d been a part of that I found fascinating. I wrote and drew Five Pounds & Screaming because I just had to – for me and for my family.
MK: Tell me about Five Pounds & Screaming and your other creations.
SW: Five Pounds & Screaming is a 142-page black-and-white graphic novel (basically a long comic book – they can be in any genre). It follows a young couple as they go through their first pregnancy. It’s kind of a story about when every-day life, turns into celebrating new life – in a small town. There is self doubt, anticipation, and morning sickness.
I also enjoy sequential art (comic books / graphic novels), which is a really intimate way to tell a story. Comic books do not have to be about super-heroes (although I certainly love that genre of comics). As people like Art Spielgelman (Maus) and Craig Thompson (Blankets) have shown us, the comics medium can tell nearly any genre story. So having always loved drawing and creative writing, I combined the two and created my first graphic novel. Having designed and learned about publishing from my day job, I decided to give self-publishing a try.
MK: How do you juggle your family and all your interests and your business venture?
SW: I admit I have not done a great job of this at times. Sometimes I feel spread pretty thin. Being in a relationship, being a dad, having a full-time job, and having what one might consider a childish dream – making a comic book – is a lot to accurately devote my time to. Not to sound dramatic, but having that strong urge to be creative can make things really difficult. I think my priorities have been incorrectly weighted at times – I even tackle this issue a little in the graphic novel. I have leaned hard on family and friends through the course of my life and I probably do not thank them enough for all they do for me! I want to thank my family and friends again for their support and understanding – even when I might have been a bit selfish with my time.
To finish Five Pounds & Screaming, I had to make time to work on it. For instance about 2 years ago I made a schedule for myself that I stuck to – I needed to ink two pages a week. That is much slower than most professional comics creators, but it was doable for me and my life. I worked on lunch breaks. I read to my daughter each evening, then worked when my family went to bed. I kept a bristol drawing board on my lap during Green Bay Packer football games and during movies that I watched. I wrote and drew on many weekends.
MK: How has your determination influenced your daughter?
SW: I wanted to tell my daughter the story about her parents and the early days with her, so she could read it both now and as an adult. My daughter has taken up drawing and certainly has a very creative imagination!
MK: How have you personally grown over the past few years?
SW: I would like to say I have become a little more confident, more comfortable socially, and a better person; but none of those things may be true!
MK: What challenges have you encountered along the way?
SW: I suppose like many people, some personal things have delayed me finishing my graphic novel earlier. And self-doubt has certainly been a factor. I’m slowly learning it’s all about the journey. I could list things that have been trying, but those things, good and bad, have made me who I am. It’s something I think about a lot – I’m the culmination of all my experiences…
MK: What advice would you give other parents who are looking to pursue their passions and dreams?
SW: I think you have to tell those closest to you, your dreams. Then make promises and stick to them. Both plans for your family and for your projects. Realize that chasing dreams can lead to difficult sacrifices. But kind of like the Eye of the Tiger song by Survivor – they urge you “Don’t lose a grip on your dreams of the past, you must fight just to keep them alive!” It’s true. But don’t let your priorities get too far out of whack. Telling yourself, “I’m doing this (project or whatever) for my family” – isn’t necessarily the same as being there for your family.
MK: Do you have any new projects in the works?
SW: With a friend of mine, Blayne Belter, I will be relaunching a comic strip called Supe & Indy as a webcomic in the near future. I also have a number of other projects I’m not ready to talk about just yet.
MK: Congratulations Shawn and thank you so much for taking the time to tell us about your graphic novel. Best wishes for great sales and your continued success pursuing your other dreams! Interested readers will find order information on Shawn’s blog or on Amazon.com.
