John Burwaood is one of the creators featured in our latest anthology, Welcome to Mina’s. John’s current interests are creating short story comics, creating graphics for skateboards, and doing illustrations of bands. He would like to start working on a graphic novel sometime soon, and push his style artistically in a bit of a different direction. I sat down with him [virtually] to get some insight into comics, diners, and the creative process.
Kathleen: What was the inspiration behind your story for this anthology?
John: My inspiration was the articles that popped up in local newspapers in the 1920’s that vilified people for having mixed race relationships. One article called a young woman who was dating a Chinese man “hysterical” when she was expected to end her relationship with him.
K: What is your favourite part of the creative process?
J: When I have my story worked out to the point where it’s structurally solid, I can start to have fun with it. I then work on the fine details, like the sequences where I can use a few extra panels to convey a moment that I want to be impactful. That would be my favourite part.
K: What’s your go-to diner order?
J: I live in Richmond, so most diners I eat at are Hong Kong style cafes. I usually order baked spaghetti that’s covered in cheese or baked Portugese chicken with rice. I always get a Hong Kong style iced coffee milk tea or iced lemon tea with it.
K: This anthology is set in Vancouver. What’s your connection to the city? How would you describe the city to an outsider?
J: I’ve lived my whole life back and forth between Vancouver and Richmond. It’s a very outdoorsy place considering that it rains so much. Many of us like outdoor activities and people are more laid back than you’ll find in many metropolitan cities.
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If you haven’t already, check out the Welcome to Mina’s KICKSTARTER!