Patreon-exclusive interview with Scott Base (Bad Space Comics)

Hi there, beautiful people!

Doing something new here ...

Patreon has a beta feature that allows you to create "collab" posts with other creators. Not everyone has this feature yet, but the cool thing is that Scott (Bad Space Comics) and I are testing it out with this post, and you can let us know your thoughts in the comments. I am sure you'll be seeing this feature soon on your own accounts!

For those on Scott's page and new to my page, my name is Dr. Sheena Howard, and I am a writer and ghostwriter. I've written for Marvel, DC comics, and more. My Patreon page offers content at the intersection of storytelling and creative entrepreneurship, empowering creatives to get paid and thrive.

Personally, I have been thinking long and hard about who I could collaborate with (who also has the feature), and also about how I could utilize the collab feature in a mutually beneficial way (for both my members and the members of the person I am collaborating with).

I found the perfect opportunity when I met Scott Base, founder of Bad Space Comics. In this post, Scott was gracious enough to grant a Patreon-exclusive interview, which I know you will also find informative and inspiring.

Scott has over 1k Patreon members, bringing in over 2k a month, and I wanted to get some advice on how he does it while creating amazing art.

Check out this multi-media Patreon exclusive interview with Scott Base of Bad Space Comics below:

Interview by Dr. Sheena C. Howard with Scott Base (Bad Space Comics)

Can you tell my Patreon community about your latest comic series project or what you are currently creating?

Sure! I write hard sci-fi horror. So, mini comics that explore the world we live in through the mind-altering discoveries of science - but with a really dark lens. I think at heart, I’m grappling with the deep nature of our species, and all the darkness and weaknesses we have built into us. We live in interesting times, and I use my work to come to terms with that. 

Meanwhile, I’m actually in the process of writing my first full-length graphic novel! Which means trying to reorganise my life around making that a priority: changing up my work space, setting myself a bit of discipline, and also experimenting with new styles and techniques. It’s actually really exciting!

At the same time, I want to keep creating the mini comics I do. So it’s going to be a bit of a balancing act. I’m quite obsessive, and I find it discombobulating to switch projects, so it will be interesting to see how that all shakes out!

Image courtesy of Scott Base, Bad Space Comic

I notice you have a vibrant Patreon community with over 1,000 members and over $2,000 in monthly income. Many of my Patreon members would LOVE to reach those numbers. What advice would you give to my community of creators to help them grow their Patreon membership? 

I def don’t think there is one right way of doing this - it varies depending on the kind of work you’re doing, and while my supporters do get to see exclusive comics and behind-the-scenes art, a lot of them are there primarily to support me making these comics, which is pretty amazing. 

I think for me, the primary thing is making sure the work you are doing is genuine. I don’t think Patreon is about buying and selling; we’re a little divorced from pure capitalism here. So, focus on being good at what you do: experiment, explore and keep pushing yourself. Spend some time to think about what that means; this is a place that allows your real creativity to be nurtured, so make sure you lean into that opportunity. 

Outside Patreon, expand your presence. I built a website very early on with a subscription button. Yes, all the people you want to reach are on Social Media, but those platforms aren’t particularly reliable, and we are at the whim of their (often horrible) decision-making. So I would suggest making sure you have a broad presence online. Not only will this help you reach more people but it ensures you don’t have all your eggs in one basket. 

What is your long-term vision for Bad Space Comics?

Honestly, to keep telling stories. I feel like a lot of modern science fiction is just rehashing the tropes of earlier sci-fi, and is very science illiterate: more sci-fi cosplay than anything inspired by the reality of our amazing world. And as long as I’m not finding the science fiction I want to see out there in the world, I guess I’m just going to just have to write it myself! 

But yeah, ultimately if I could become completely self sufficient doing these stories, that would be the dream.

Image courtesy of Scott Base, Bad Space Comic

What is the inspiration behind the comics you create?

I started doing these comics as a way to escape the absolute horror-show of my day job - which is working in politics. I felt like I was spending all my time and energy fighting this huge, awful machine, and it was crushing me, little flower that I am! So I decided I had to do something separate from that, that was just for me, and comics and sci-fi have always been the love of my life, so these short stories were the result.

Thematically, the natural world is at the heart of my inspiration. I LOVE that we live on a mote of dust and think that it is everything, while on Jupiter, a single storm is raging that is bigger than our entire planet. It makes me giddy with excitement. 

Finally, I’m so inspired by other comic creators. The 90s was a bleak time for comics; ten whole years when there was hardly anything worth reading. But now we’re in a new golden age of the medium, with so many more voices and genres and I am like a kid in a candy shop.  

I see you offer one-on-one comics coaching. My members might be interested in getting some coaching from you. What’s a frequent question people come to you for coaching on, and what advice do you give those people? 

I’ve only just launched that, so I will have to get back to you! But usually it’s been on pacing and clarity: making sure your stories are actually saying what you think they are saying. Letting the story breathe and tell itself. 

But also more prosaic stuff, like how to get in print, and how to reach your audience and so on. 

I love working with other comic creators, so this is about connecting with others as much as anything. It’s such a buzz. 

Image courtesy of Scott Base, Bad Space Comic

Hope you enjoyed this interview, and to connect with Scott, find links to his socials below:

Website with free comics!: CLICK HERE

PATREON: CLICK HERE

IG: @badspacecomics

Bluesky: @badspacecomics.bsky.social

I have my first book out! CLICK HERE

If you like this post, let us know in the comments. We'd LOVE to hear from you!