The following is an interview with Anita Zaramella regarding her ongoing teen comedy web series, Dawn of the Dad. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Zaramella about the inspiration behind the series, her creative process in writing and illustrating the story, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: For those who may be unfamiliar with your ongoing teen comedy web comic, Dawn of the Dad, how would you describe the series’ premise, and what inspired you to tell this story?
Anita Zaramella: How would your teenage years have been, if your dad could pass through walls? It’s been all fun and games when Becky was a child, but now at 15 she’s not digging it anymore.
Dawn of the Dad talks about family, undeads, high school, and silliness, but what lies within it is what makes a family…a family.
Indeed, I wanted to draw stupid, grotesque stuff. The weird school about weird subjects, grotesque people, and old-school zombies are all part of my teenage experience, and what best way to celebrate my own family than writing about it (at large)?
BD: What can you share with us about your creative process in writing and illustrating the web comic, and what have been some of your creative influences?
AZ: The comic that somehow told me to just “do it” was Chew by John Layman. Its absurd gore filled with humor was the sign I was looking for that it could be done and appreciated.
It’s my first time writing, so on that side I’m experimenting a lot. It’s the best moment to try various workflows and type of stories. I think the drawing process is more interesting. For this project, I switched to digital and found that it helps a lot preserving the movement and freshness of the sketch into the finished page…mostly because I just skip the pencils stage and go directly to inks.
BD: What do you hope that readers will take away from your series?
AZ: I mostly want them to have a good laugh, even on bittersweet topics. I found my 20s to be the time I re-evaluated my whole family history and started to accept its less positive sides. I’m pretty sure this happens to a lot of people my age. If you’re lucky enough and things haven’t been really bad, you can discard even the stuff that made you feel worse as a child into laughter. That’s what I’m trying to do with my own story, and I hope it can be as thoughtful and liberating for someone else, too.
BD: How often do you release new issues of the series, and do you have any upcoming plans for releasing a collected edition of Dawn of the Dad?
AZ: The comic updates online once a week. I have no precise schedule for whole issues, as I work on my own pace. Rest assured that I have enough buffer to make sure it doesn’t miss a week!
Dawn of the Dad will be complete in three story arcs; the first five issues, almost completely published online, are the “First year” story arc, the “Second year” being halfway done and currently in the making.
BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
AZ: Besides Dawn of the Ddad, my other main project is the narrative indiegame Selling Sunlight: If you enjoy peaceful, pretty games, check it out at sellingsunlight.com.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Dawn of the Dad?
AZ: I share most of my updates via my Twitter, @anitacomics. The comic itself updates at dawnofthedadthecomic.com and on Tapas and LINEWebtoon.
