Squeaky: First, please tell me about yourself. 
Chris: Hello, my name is Chris! I go by chrismason_01 online. I’m a gamedev, graphic novelist, and jrpg enthusiast.
Squeaky: I see that you are graphic novelist and game developer, do you find yourself working on multiple projects at the same time?
Chris: Yes, I am currently working on two projects at the moment. I currently put 1 hr to each project a day. Keeping the goal time based instead of output based helps me commit to projects that will take awhile to complete.
Squeaky: If you work on projects at the same time, do you have any tips for balancing them? If not, what things would you do in order to balance more than one project if you had to?
Chris: Keep it small, and remember that it’s a marathon. Working on multiple projects can be fun, but with that, balancing/prioritizing with both projects is a must. I don’t recommend multiple projects if you get discouraged easily. It’s already hard enough with one project.
Squeaky: Can you walk me through your development process for one of your graphic novels?
Chris: Typically, I’ll start with an interesting concept/one shot and begin planning the outline of what I want to show in the novel. From there I script out my scenes. After I script everything, I then storyboard it. It really helps to go through all of these steps because youll learn that what sounds good in your head may not translate to script, and what works for scripts may not work for storyboards. Some people don’t need all of these steps, but I go through them to cut and trim my story to get it as light as possible.
Squeaky: Can you walk me through your development process for one of your games?
Chris: For games it’s similar except instead of the script and storyboards, it would be style guides and technical documents. From there, creating a minimum viable product or an (MVP) is what I’ll shoot to make, starting with doing any system work or programming if I’m not in an engine that will do it for me. After that, I go into actual gameplay programming which ends up being a pretty big part haha. Art usually comes last (or first if I’m not programming much) but since it’s a visual it can be made far quicker than the actual game.
Squeaky: Do you use any organizational tools/project management tools for your projects? If so, what ones do you use?
Chris: In college I used Clickup – which is a task management software that helps project managers and teammates keep track of tasks needed to get done. For my own projects I’ll use GitHub or a repository of some sort to put my games. I use the timer app to record my time.
Squeaky: Did you enter the graphic novel and game development industry at the same time?
Chris: So I’m not in the graphic novel industry, I just make indie graphic novels, for games I work in the simulation industry as a 3D Artist and Rigger. I do gamedev and 3D work in the day and comic work at night primarily.
Squeaky: How do you balance two different industries?
Chris: I use work to learn new things(or make small projects at home that will teach me something new) and usually try my best to not worry about stuff looking bad but what I’ve learned as a result of it looking bad.
Squeaky: How do you balance developing your skills for game development and graphic novels at the same time?
Chris: Always be open to learn and be open to socializing more. Nowadays it’s more about who you know than what you know. People who understand that, get ahead faster than those that don’t.
Squeaky: For people developing multiple skills and wanting to expand to different industries, what tips would you tell them?
Chris: Game dev is a never ending journey of learning, failing and trying again. It’s the most satisfying joy to release a game that came from your own head and that comes from hours of perseverance and patience. It will all make sense the more you do it. For comics, studying and reading more helped me understand the medium way more than I thought it would.
Squeaky: What things do you wish you knew when you first started in each industry?
Squeaky: What have you found that has helped you build a community?
Chris: Being supportive of others helped my own community. Socializing and being personable goes a long way. Sharing my journey as an artist has helped a ton.
Squeaky: Are there any last tips that come to mind for game developers and artists that are just starting their journey or stuck in their journey?
Chris: Give yourself a break and be okay with not being perfect. It won’t click in one day and it takes so many years to get to a decent level. Fall in love with the journey and you’ll be there in no time.
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