“When Ruben Gerard, writer and publisher of Ally (TM) comics, gave a talk at the Cypress Park Library, I was surprised. I expected him to drive up in a big, expensive car, wearing expensive clothes, and oozing with dollars. Instead he seemed so normal. I guess I was expecting an ‘untouchable’ person, but instead found an ‘okay’ kind of guy. So I ask you… should success be measured only in dollars? Or should it be measured in sense, the kind that may not lead you down the road to wealth, but definitely to personal satisfaction? Success brings a feeling of accomplishment that ‘dollars’ can’t buy. What you really want to do may not make a lot of dollars, but it makes sense to pursue your dreams.
At what age did you get into drawing comics?
Sometimes it seems like I’ve been drawing all my life. At eight or nine years old, I was drawing using ordinary notebook paper. It was always my dream to publish my own comic book.
Did you ever get pressure to go into some other career?
All the time. There’s so much competition and the opportunities don’t fall at your feet. For an independent comic artist there are a lot of struggles. Being a comic artist, or any kind of an artist just doesn’t seem to be a practical way to make a living. Very few people understand the comic book artist’s desire to create something that will bring enjoyment to others. Very few fathers tell their sons or daughters to go into an art career. You have to want it pretty bad, a real gut level feeling.
Were you ever afraid you couldn’t make a living as a comic book artist?
I’m still afraid I might not be able to make a living as a comic book artist. The comic industry is going through some hard times. I’m an independent drawer, so I have to be out there hustling at comic conventions and other sales events as much as possible to sell my books.
Tell me about your successes.
I’ve been publishing comics for about a year and a half. I started with comic strips because I like humorous stuff. I published a paper of comic strips called The Funny Papers. I then wrote and published a humorous book titled “What To Do With A Dead Barney.” It isn’t a morbid thing, it’s really very funny.
Since I always wanted to do a comic book, I decided to combine it with one of my other goals, to create a superhero. “Ally” came into existence. Even though I’ve published several issues of “Ally,” my heart is still into doing things that are more humorous in nature. Humor drawing tends to be more personal. Doing a comic strip is the perfect example of humor drawing, which is to make people laugh, not necessarily done for the artistic value.
I also created a couple of comic strip type characters of my own… They aren’t meant to be the perfect guy and girl. First there is Penny. Penny is on the brink of anorexia, or at least her body looks that way. Then there’s Penny’s boyfriend, Wade, who is no super hero. He’s got a big ‘gut’ and is kind of sloppy.
What do you see happening in the comic industry in the future?
I think computer graphics and the expectations of comic book enthusiasts will reshape the industry as we know it today…
Right now female characters seem to be what’s selling. Tomorrow, who knows? A little nostalgia, since the ’30s it’s been a roller coaster ride. We’ve gone through Superman, Batman, female heroes, thrillers, horrors and monsters. The ’50s to ’60s was the reign of Spiderman. We’ve seen just about every superhero possible, but they keep on coming.
Ruben Gerard can be reached at Windsor Productions, 541 W. Commonwealth, Fullerton, CA 92832.”