Interviews

Gamics’ Nathan Ciprick talks about blending comics with videogame storylines
By Michael Lafferty


“I believe in this site, this idea, and I'm giving it everything I have to make it a success”

There are game fan sites and there are game comics sites that use one, or so, panes to poke fun at the videogame genre. But when it comes to fan sites that employ comic-style artwork to promote and describe games in a fan-like manner, there is one that stands out – Gamics.

Gamics is the blend of storytelling through comic-style artwork, revealing story threads while paying homage to the game and the people who play it. It is also the inspiration of Nathan Ciprick, who does the majority of the work on the site (not all of it, simply because he does take submissions). The site is all about the joy the gaming, and that is reflected in the comic-style panels and stories woven throughout the site.

But Gamics is not just comic-style artwork. There are forums, videos, t-shirts, as well as some news – all featured on the site.

Nathan recently took time to talk to GameZone.com about this unique site.

Question: First of all, explain a little bit about your site, http://www.gamics.com/? It seems that rather than doing opinion cartoons and the like about games, you are more in the trend of creating stories within the framework of the titles, more in vein with a fan site rather than going for the easy (and often abrasive) joke. Is that a fair assessment?

Nathan: Definitely a fair assessment. I've seen my fair share of gag sites out there where people will bash on a game, but that's not at all what I'm about. I love games. Always have. I started with Pong at age 6 and have been there all along as games have evolved. So for me it's a chance to show my respect for the games I've played and loved over the years.

I know how much hard work and effort goes into a game so to have someone come along and rip it apart in a short-sentence joke, well, you gotta have thick skin to take that. I also believe that because of all the hard work that goes into a game there's more life to be found in any given game. When you play a game and really love it, down the road you're gonna want to play it again and recapture that magic, but it's tough because I often can't spare 10 to 20hrs to play through a game again. Gamics gives me a chance to revisit games and make them my own. Plus, I've heard time and time again from people reading the Gamics, "oh I loved that game, I'm gonna go play it again!" So in a sense with Gamics I'm giving my own spin on a Game while letting people recapture the great feeling they had about a particular game. Hence, the stories all fit within the framework of the game they are derived from.

I know for a fact that a fair number of people have started playing a given MMO because of the sense of "character" I've added to a game, or they've reactivated their account because I've provided an extra layer of role-playing to their experience.

Q: What gave you the idea to start this site? And what is the particular aim of it?

Nathan: Star Wars Galaxies was my first PC MMO (EQOA for PS2 was my very first MMO) and I was amazed at the great graphics and the easy to use camera system. So, I started taking screenshots to show some friends of mine who'd never played an MMO. I started as a Tailor in that game and I had my own shop with all the clothes I offered on display like a real store. It was a laugh to show friends a pic of me and my 'customers.' Then one day... It hit. I just thought, "Hey, I bet I can make a comic with that!" "Path to the Force" was born.

At first I was going to chronicle the game play aspects, but quickly learned that would grow stale so in the fourth episode I added my own fiction to it, and haven't looked back since. "Path" was hosted on an SWG resource site for about a year, and it was just my Sunday afternoon hobby. Then FFXI came out and I started a Gamic for that game as well. Once EQ2 came out and I started up that Gamic as well, I figured it was time to bring 'em home and get my own site. Hmm, what to call it? That was my next question. They aren't comics exactly... Hmm, Games, Comics, Games, Comics. AHH!! GAMICS!! "game-icks"

I love to tell stories and Gamics is my outlet to write everyday and have an audience for my work. I'm constantly learning new story development techniques and feel I'm bringing more and more to each new Gamic I start. It's also a great challenge to me as a writer since I try to dip into a wide variety of genres. I've made 17 different Gamics so far ranging from sci-fi to fantasy, horror, comedy, and drama. I love to just throw a story out there and see if I can measure up to the high hopes I have for it in my head. So far I don't think I've fallen on my face!

Q: The artwork is very impressive. How long does it take to create an episode? Is this a full-time job? What is your background that led you to this?

Nathan: Thanks! The positive feedback I get from my readers is very encouraging. Timelines for creating the Gamics varies wildly. For my ongoing serial stories like "Path to the Force", or "The Zero Man" for Matrix Online, it usually takes close to two hours for a 2-page weekly update. That's from having only a dozen screenshots and no story to having the completed product.

For other Gamics (like the GTA ones, or the Mafia one I'm working on right now), they are only three-panel Gamics with less flourish than the serials so I can do those in a half-hour or less. I've tried to establish a wide variety of layout styles in the Gamics I've made to show aspiring Gamic artists that they don't have to mimic me, and that any style is possible. For "The Red Book" based on Freedom Fighters I use only one image per page and the rest is just text. It's a story with one image to emphasize the story.

For "File Under Doomed!" based on Doom3 the story is like a dialogue transcript with accompanying images. Simple, complex, they're all Gamics. 

And yes, it has become a full-time job! I was an Interactive Software Designer working in Web and Mobile development for years, and while I enjoyed the work I knew it wasn't what I "wanted" to do! I realized if I didn't make a change my future was not going to be mine. I have always wanted to be a writer. I studied creative writing and screenwriting at University, and was able to get a number of gigs out of school, but not enough to sustain myself. Then, I sorta fell into the corporate world and whoooosh there goes five years of your life.  

So... I quit! My original intent was to write a novel (which I'm nearing completion of), but in that time Gamics.com launched and in just a few short months it has taken over!! I still write several hours a day, but now from 7am to 7 or 8pm I'm plugging away at Gamics.com. 

I'm self-taught with the graphic skills, but I think my success has come from knowing to study others and then find my own style. Picasso was a brilliant realist painter before he turned to his abstract work. You gotta know the rules before you can break them! As a writer I have found my own unique voice after years of practice, and now as a Gamic artist I'm starting to find my own style after studying a wide variety of Comic book layout artists. Oh, and practice! 

Q: What is your personal involvement in the world of MMOs? What games do you play? 

Nathan: My involvement in MMO's started with EverQuest Online Adventures for the PS2. I wasn't much of a PC gamer, but I always knew of MMO's.

So, with EQOA I thought here's my chance. I was blown-away. I couldn't believe the massive environments, the cool way you interact with people, and of course the addiction factor!

Eventually I moved on to SWG, which I still play. Then came FFXI, however I'm done with that one and I ended the Gamic called "Tales of the Crystal Few" after 50+ pages. Then came EverQuest 2 and the Gamic "The Immaculates."

EQ2 I never really got into though because Gamics was making me very busy (plus I got in on the Matrix beta!) I'm a huge Matrix fan so I'm all over the MegaCity now, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where "The Zero Man" will go. I've also made three short-Gamic stories based in the Matrix world and have plenty of other ideas. I'm Rezoman on the Proxy server if anyone wants to join me! 

Q: What, to you, are the most compelling aspects of playing MMOs

Nathan: The massive environments, and the people. I LOVE digital environments. Games like the GTA series, or Shenmue for example have such amazingly realized virtual worlds so I love to just explore and see what's out there. I sometimes play on my data projector so the game is up there in front of me 100 inches big and I sink into the couch and just disappear! I consider it the REAL MATRIX 1.0!

Then there's the people. I've met some great people playing SWG that I'm still in touch with. The odd thing about doing the Gamics and getting a fan-base for the stories is that my characters become somewhat "famous" within those worlds. There've been times where I've been running around with my Wookiee character E'nac, and out of the blue someone will say "Hey, you're E'nac!! From that Gamic!!" Then they'll run over and take a screenshot beside me as we both wave.

People want to just say hi, or they want to be in the Gamic, or they want to adventure with me. So that's cool to have people who want to help me.

Q: What do you hope Gamics.com evolves into? What are your career goals?

Nathan: I write a daily column at the site called "Today's Word." I get to talk about anything game related I happen to think of. Today I had one of my contributing Gamic artists write the "Word" to share his perspective. I'd like to quote him here if I may: "It's a revolution, people. Maybe not an important revolution or even a particularly impressive one, but I'll be damned if I'm not proud to be a part of it."

People have said to me that Gamics is one of those ideas that you think should've already been thought of. I know I'm not the first guy to put comic bubble to game art, but I did recognize that there is a lot of potential in that idea and it deserved it's own space on the web. People have been doing fan fiction forever, and this is just the next step.

I like Machinima.com where people make films from games, but I think many people are daunted by the editing needed to create a game film. Gamics is more accessible to the person with a desire to write, but less technical skill. I expect to see Gamics evolve into "the" place on the Net for Game Comics and I want it to be a portal for any aspiring writer to showcase their work.

That said I also hope to see more interaction with the Game companies themselves. I was recently contacted by a Marketing firm working with Atari to use Gamics.com as a promotional site for their just-released game "Act of War". I wrote a preview, showed screenshots, but I also made a Gamic of the opening part of the Game to quickly and easily show people how dynamic the game is. Then I gave them the opportunity to download the demo, or buy the game.

So Gamics offers a new way to showcase a game from a marketing point of view that you can't find at any other site. With the serial Gamics I make for the MMO's I have people returning every single week to catch the latest episode of the story, and I give them a chance to be IN the Gamic. I know there are people who have played a particular MMO longer because they've been a reoccurring character, or they long for a chance to be in the story.

I've also been contacted by two businessmen, who are putting an MMO together for the future, and they already want me on board to promote their game via Gamics. Web sites need content, content, content to drive repeat visits, and Gamics delivers a unique dose of content every day.

Of course, I'd also love to be on the other side of the controller, so to speak. Gamics.com has become a working resume for me and hopefully one day a game company will find my work compelling enough to hire me to craft their story. I recall reading on, I believe it was Bioware's (site), that one way to work your way into the Game industry is to show you really care about games. What have you done game related? Do you have a Web site? etc. I think I have that base covered...

Q: You offer more than just a vehicle for game-related episodic artwork, but you also market t-shirts, and give fans the ability to e-mail art. What kind of response do you get? How many hits do you generally get per month?

Nathan: Gamics.com T-shirts, get 'em while they're hot!! Heh-heh. The community is a big part of Gamics' success so far I believe. People consistently visiting every day, several times a day to read the stories. Since day one I've had the door open to allow anyone and everyone to send in their Gamics that I will post. My only requirement is that you treat the material with respect. I don't want the Gamic that is going to rip a game apart. Show me why you love games. Tell us the story you'd like to see within that game world.

So far there are over half a dozen Reader Submitted Gamics in regular rotation and I know there are just as many if not more in the works.

I also have a section called the Character Page where people can simply send in a screenshot of their character and a brief bio and I'll put it together to show everyone who you are. I love to see other people's take on making a Gamic, and there's a really supportive Forum community, which is constantly growing to get feedback. As for the response, it's been fantastic. People tell me they really love the work, and they read the stories over and over. As a writer that's a great feeling. The site has only been live since this past November and I see my numbers pretty much doubling month over month with thousands and thousands of people coming each month. I believe in this site, this idea, and I'm giving it everything I have to make it a success.