Bored Panda reached out to Martin Rosner, the artist behind HotPaper comics, to learn more about his journey and creative process. Martin shared the story of how he began creating comics:

“I started making comics once my depression started getting better. It's not that the comics helped, more that I felt well enough to make them. Just so happened to be at a point in my life when I had enough free time to draw comics. I saw someone posting a comic a day on Reddit, their goal was to do that for 100 days. I said that's something I could do too. Once I started, I never really stopped.”

We asked Martin about how he decides what to share with his audience and what to keep more personal. He explained:

“I make comedy-based comics cause that's what I like to read. From time to time, I'll have a thought or feeling I wanna share. If I think it might help someone feel less alone, I'll make a comic out of it. It's also a nice change of pace for my readers. It's nice to not box yourself in, telling yourself what kind of art you can or can't do.”

Martin elaborated on his creative process and how he selects which drafts to develop further:

“I make a lot of drafts but ultimately decide on gut feeling alone. I also ask my artist friends, who make me laugh, for input. If they say it works, I'll turn the idea into a full comic. Sometimes I'll join a trend if I enjoy it myself, but I try to keep that to a minimum so I don't turn into a fad.”

Considering the impact of social media on his work, Martin noted:

“Social media definitely dictates a lot of how I make comics. Mostly the format. Always short and easy to understand. Sometimes I'll get caught up in numbers and try chasing a trend, but I'm lucky enough to never completely succumb to what the numbers dictate.”

Reflecting on the overall impact he hopes his comics have, Martin added:

“Hope my comics make people laugh and that they can use my art to connect with others.”

During our follow-up conversation, Martin shared further insights into his journey as an artist and his creative approach:

"My journey as an artist, honestly, was less of a premeditated decision and more of a stumble upon a passion. I've always been a creative soul, fond of doodling, scribbling, and drawing in my spare time. Comics felt like a natural and appealing way to put my inner world on paper and share it with others."