Aaron and Christie Riddle with Simon and Aford.

Q & A with AFORD's Creator/Artist/Writer Aaron Riddle

How did you learn to draw so good?
A little turtle taught me....heh...heh. Actually it is from years of practice, practice and more practice. I have been drawing ever since the young age of 5, when my parents would spend their time with me "doodling" on a large pad of paper. That became my hobby throughout my childhood. Some kids collect baseball cards, others play sports...I drew cartoons. There are many books out there which can help you learn the basics of drawing but the key to getting good at anything, is practice!

Why draw a comic strip about a turtle?
There are two answers to that question. One, I grew up reading and have been strongly infulenced by the comic strip Garfield and Peanuts. I have always had a liking to comic strips that show the personality of animals. I decided at the young age of 10 (when I first started doing Aford), that I wanted to portray the personality of forest animals in a humorous nature. I chose the turtle, because from childhood, that was my favorite animal. I would collect box turtles every summer, and keep them as pets, letting them back into the wild before the cool autumn days arrived.

Where did you come up with the name "Aford"?
I hate answering this question. Anyhow, I was a dumb kid at the time, and was just looking for a simple name for my character. We had a FORD truck at the time, so I went with the name "Aford"....pronouncing the "A" in a long manner.

Who are your biggest influences in comic strips and art?
My biggest influence has to be Jim Davis, the man who does "Garfield". I have, and always will be, a huge fan of the "Garfield" comic strip and cartoons. Charles Schultz (Peanuts) is also an obvious influence for any cartoonist. He was a simple, quiet man who was able to make it big doing what he loved to do...draw! Jim Toomey, who does Sherman's Lagoon, is also great. On the classical side, Albrecht Durer is also a favorite of mine. Living during the 1400's, he was an amazing artist and has made some of the most detailed drawings you will ever see...simply amazing.

And the most frequently asked question, how do you think up all of those funny ideas for your comic strip?
This is a question I wish I had an easy answer for. To tell the truth, they just sort of pop into my head. I know the personality of each of my characters in the comic strip "AFORD". I know how they react to a situation. So, I try to put them in wacky, odd, and humorous situations and see how they would react to it. It really is hard to explain...I guess it's just my natural talent. :)

BACK