When I’m looking for people to interview for Best of Columbus readers, I try to find interesting and innovative people. I’ve found another good one here. Tracking down Max Ink is no easy task. The Columbus Comic Book Artist and Writer has been busy pulling off incredible feats of strength and endurance. Luckily, I was able to talk with Max during one of his rare moments of downtime.

What’s your work environment? Do you work out of a studio of sorts?

I have a drawing table at home, but I rarely use it. One of the things I love about making comics is how simple it can be to make them. All you need is paper, pencil & ink. That’s it really. When I write my comics, I’ll do that at home with no distractions. But when I draw my comics, I’ll either be out in the living room on the couch or I’ll go to a coffee shop or the library. I use a computer in order to spiff up all the art that I draw and make it look the best it can be. But all the art is hand-drawn, and if you see me drawing Blink at Stauf’s in Grandview–that’s my usual hang-out– don’t hesitate to say “Hi.” I love talking about comics . . . almost as much as I love creating them.

You’re a bit of a local celebrity. How did you make that happen?

I’d estimate that there are maybe 200 people who could be classified as “ardent” Blink readers  . . . give or take a few dozen. There might be 10 times that number who have seen/read/heard about Blink thanks to me giving away thousands of free Blink mini-comics as well as the Blink comic strip that ran between 2008 and 2010 in the Short North Gazette. I don’t know if that qualifies me as a “celebrity” or not–thanks for the compliment.

You’re working on So It Goes the 2^nd graphic novel of Blink—something that’s going to take years to complete. How do you keep up your energy and excitement for the project?

I’ve been writing and drawing comics in one form or another since 1980. When I created the character Blink in 2003, I somehow knew that I had something extraordinary. And so I’ve already spent years writing & drawing Blink comic pages as well as learning what it takes for me to make a good story. As a matter of fact, the first chapter of So It Goes, “Wonka Wonka Kochalka,” was originally conceived in 2004 and it’s taken me 8 years to figure out how to write that story well enough to actually publish it!

I’ve also made copious amounts of notes and sketches (over 2,000 pages of them) and have figured out character backstories as well as future Blink plotlines. I have lots of stories to tell and I am eternally grateful that I have these wonderful characters with which to tell the stories.

Wow, amazing results on Kickstarter! 100% funding for your project in less than 24 hours. How did you pull that off?

I studied what comic book projects were successful over the years that Kickstarter.com has been around and did my best to ascertain why they were successful. I did my best to provide a good explanation about what I’m doing and why and provided a variety of rewards for people to choose from.

My friend Brant Jones helped to make a great video for the project and I think that helped, too. The video is what most people first check out when they go to the project page. Good videos or bad ones can sometimes be a “make or break” aspect of a Kickstarter campaign.

Lastly, it never hurts to have lots of Facebook friends . . . who are also real friends. Over 60% of the pledges so far have come from Facebook.

You feature Columbus neighborhoods and landmarks in your Blink stories. What makes C-Bus special to you?

I moved to Central Ohio in 1985 and have seen the city grow and change over the past few decades. There’s also plenty of history here–we’re celebrating 200 years this year! There are tons of great spots in Columbus that have oodles of character and charm and I love showcasing them in the comic. I get a kick from people reading Blink and seeing their favorite hangout or—even better—when they try something new because of reading about it in the comic.

In spite of all the growth in the city, one thing that has remained consistent is the people. Overall, I’d say the people who live in Columbus could be termed as being “nice,” and I like that. I have met so many good people in Columbus and that’s definitely worth celebrating.

Keep up with Max Ink online at http://maxinkcomix.squarespace.com/