We got in touch with the artist behind the series and asked him some questions about his recent work. First, we wanted Hawkins to describe a pivotal moment or experience that significantly impacted his growth as a comic artist. We found out: “I've always drawn and made comics, but I really started focusing on it back in 2018 when I started my current comic project, Inky Rickshaw. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I coincidentally got a big surge of followers and I did my best to keep everyone entertained during lockdown.”

Asked how his style has evolved over time, Ricky said: “I'm constantly trying to get better at art. Comics are a blend of realism and over-exaggeration, and I find myself improving the most when I spend time doing studies from life as well as learning from other artists. I'd say that, over time, my style has become simpler and more stylized as I learn from some of my favorite artists like Bill Watterson and Eiichiro Oda.”

We were also wondering what challenges the artist faces when transitioning from conceptualizing a story to translating it into visual form. The author of ‘Inky Rickshaw’ shared with us: “The hardest part of making a comic is fitting the idea into the format. I try to use four square panels every time because I like the way it looks on social media, but sometimes I have to scrap an idea because it ends up being too wordy to fit into that format. Ideas need to be conveyed strongly and in as simple a manner as possible."

Lastly, we wanted to know if Ricky could give any advice for aspiring comic artists looking to break into the industry. He told us: “I'm still an aspiring artist myself, but I'll say that one of the most important things is to keep creating and striving to improve as those are lifelong pursuits. Make the art that interests you, and you will eventually find an audience. It also helps to nurture a positive attitude and a good sense of humor!"