Meet Bill Maus

We recently connected with Bill Maus and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Bill , thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

This is a very good question. I lose my way just as often as the next person, but I do eventually find my center again and find reasons to look at the bright side of things. To find silver linings when I can and find the glass half-full again. Do I have it all figured out-? Of course not. But I choose to believe that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. I’m open to that thought being a metaphor but when I consider the commonly believed odds of existing at all during this specific period in time on this specific planet, I do try to concentrate on the good things instead of the bad things (of which there is an endless amount, Im aware…) I do know that, if I put out negative energy towards the people around me, it’s SO easy to watch that grow. It’s actually effortless. –so I would rather put out positive energy, even though it takes more effort. I like to see people smile and feel valuable. Our time here is so short, I want to spend that time trying to have each others back and recognizing that we’re all in the same boat, even if we are taking on different roles, goes a long way towards connecting us with each other.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Im a freelance comic book artist and cartoonist. I also paint and dabble in music and video production. I have been working in this field since 1991, getting my first comic book penciling job for Eclipse Comics. Ive mainly concentrated on working in independent comics for many publishers over the years. Im known mostly for my comic book runs on 1First Comics’ ZEN Intergalactic Ninja and Entity Comics’ Nira-X: Cyberangel, which made her first television appearance as a background prop/dialog gag on Apple TV’s Sidequest Episode 2. I continue working on those series as well as freelancing on many other titles. I also draw commissions for collectors as well as working on commercial ad work for clients. You can find all my social links on my webpage at www.billmausart.com , plus I update when new projects or books may be coming out and update my online store with new art to buy.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

If you are an artist who is early in your journey, I can tell you three things that helped me grow and get more work and connections. First is to be dependable and easy to work with. Being a team player goes a long way and if people are happy to work with you, they will be more likely to want to work with you again. Second can easily be working in peripheral fields that will lead you where you want to go. I wanted to draw comics…but sometimes I had to letter somebody else’s book, or maybe color a project or be an inker. Do not dismay if you aren’t working on the dream project right away. Taking small steps towards where you want to be is better than standing still until you get exactly what you want. And honestly, the lessons you learn along the way will be things that will make you stronger. Third thing can easily be building up your work ethic. Get a reputation of turning in assignments on time and work with as many different types of people as you can. You’ll learn what you like to do and more importantly, what you don’t like to do.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

The ideal client might be a wealthy person who simply lets you create as you wish and lets you off the chain to run wild (totally acceptable, by the way) but more often than not, your relationship with the client is more of a dance and each situation can be very different. It becomes a dance- between expectations and what is actually possible for the time constraints and budget available. When you’re talking to a new client, try your best to get to know them. See where they are coming from- my goal is to make my client happy. I want them to see this project and I want them to smile and think this is very cool. Making their ideas come to life is very satisfying, but knowing where the boundaries of control and vision are is a two-way street. It’s just as important for the client to be aware of your boundaries as well so that you can come together in the middle and have a successful project.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

art by Bill Maus. Zen © Copyright Steve Stern and Dan Cote. Nira-X ©copyright Bill Maus.

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