MotU Creator Spotlight: Just Leave a Message After the Beep
This spotlight features the creators behind one of the comics from the Museum of the Uncanny anthology, which is now on Kickstarter. Writer Erik Allen and artist Luke Beatrice answered our questions about their process making the comic “Just Leave a Message After the Beep”.
How long have you been creating comics or working in your role?
Erik Allen: I have been writing comics for around 8 years.
Luke Beatrice: I’ve been making comics since I was 14, so 11 years.
Who or what are some of your creative influences?
EA: Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side are huge influences. I also love the work of Cliff Chiang, Elsa Charretier, and Tom King. There are so many artists and writers that creating such good work.
LB: My influences are mostly cartoons, like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Adventure Time.
What drew you to working on indie comics in particular?
EA: I am a big fan of indie comics and the freedom of storytelling and art. The diversity of indie comics and their creators is wonderful.
LB: In high school my friends and I made many indie comics. Self publishing allows us to hand our story directly to the reader without any middle men or filters.
What inspired you to write this particular story?
EA: I was in a thrift store thinking about cursed objects when I came across an answering machine. I had the story fully formed in my head by the time I left the thrift shop.
What did you enjoy most about making this story?
LB: The non-human creatures in the story were very fun to both develop and draw.
If the object in your story were real, would you want to see it in the museum—or avoid it at all costs?
EA: If the answering machine were real it might be the most boring thing to put on display. Even in a museum dedicated to obsolete technology, your eyes would skip right past it, but I like the idea of something so boring also being so dangerous.
LB: Avoid for sure!
What are some other comics or projects you’ve worked on (past or current)?
EA: I have been in a couple of other anthologies and I’m working a comic project of my own called Doctor Robot.
LB: I had a print comic called Fury’s Forge, and I had two Webtoons: Project E and Chaos, Pride, and Roses, both completed. I also have an animated short called The Little Piratemaid.
Which project are you proudest of, and why?
EA: I am very proud of this project, it came together beautifully.
LB: I would have to say Fury’s Forge, because we made the whole book and crowdfunded it in high school. It was my introduction to both drawing and visual storytelling.
Are you working on anything exciting right now that you’d like to share?
EA: I’m always working on my comic Doctor Robot and I am also working on [a story in an] anthology about Bigfoot that I am very excited about.
LB: I’m currently working on another project with VBC called Cover Bard which I’m very excited about.
How can we find you online and learn more about your work?
EA:
- Website: https://www.erikjallen.com/
LB:
- Website: https://www.lukebeatriceart.com/
- Instagram: @renthewarrior_art
Check out Museum of the Uncanny on Kickstarter to read “Just Leave a Message After the Beep” and other comics about the strange items in the museum.