-QRD - Current Issue   About QRD   QRD Archives
QRD #65 - Getting by with friends
QRD - Thanks for your interest & support
about this issue
Interviews:
Jason Young
Jamie Barnes
Mike VanPortfleet
Scotty Irving
Shaun Sandor
Ben Vendetta
Ben Link Collins
Nick Marino
Joe Kendrick
Brian John Mitchell
Carl Kruger
Reviews:
Candy Reviews
QRD - Advertise
Silber Records
Twitter
Silber Button Factory
facebook
blondena
Silber Kickstarter
Interview with Nick Marino Creator of Super Haters
October 2013
Nick Marino
Nick Marino is the megaforce behind the Audioshocker podcast network.  He also made my favorite webcomic Super Haters & he even took part in the Silber 5 in 5 series.  Unquestionably one of the handful of people that caused me to keep making comics.

QRD – I’m a big fan of Super Haters.  Do you think it will ever come out of hiatus as a daily strip again?

Nick – Nope. Super Haters is on its deathbed. I plan to end it for good with #500 on June 25, 2014, which is the 5th anniversary of the webcomic.

QRD – Did you start doing reviews & podcasts as a tricky way of promoting your own comics?

Nick – Ha-ha-ha no! When I started podcasting in 2007, I actually believed I had a unique perspective on the entertainment industry & I’d be making the world a better place by telling people what was “good” & “bad”. Eventually I realized that I was full of shit & there was nothing special about my opinions. But I already had this podcast website & everything... so why not use it to promote my other art?

QRD – I know you did some snarky punk zines as a teen, how did those prepare you for making comics?

Nick – Eh, they sorta didn’t prepare me at all. In college I made offensive comic strips for the student newspaper & quickly learned that having an editor sucks compared to self-publishing. & when I started printing my webcomics in 2009, nothing I learned from photocopying zines in the 90s was still applicable.

QRD – Some of your comics you do everything, others you “just write”, & others you take on a varying amount of the chores.  How do you figure out what parts you are going to do for a story & what’s your ideal working situation?

Nick – When I have a story to tell, I’m willing to do any step of the comics creation process that my collaborators don’t want to do. That normally means production (scanning, cleaning, or formatting), lettering, & sometimes coloring. When I don’t want a collaborator (or a collaborator doesn’t want me), I’ll do everything (though I hate drawing). My favoritest thing to do is just write the story! Although, now that I think about it, I’ve never just written. So I guess I don’t know if it’s my favorite thing.…

QRD – How many podcasts are you doing a week now & how many would you do ideally?

Nick – Uggghh… I dunno how many I have. I lost track!!! Ummmmm… let’s do the math together... two weeklies, four every-other-weeklies, & two podcasts where I don’t do any of the talking, but I’m still involved in editing & posting them. Is that ideal? I dunno. I just keep cranking ‘em out.

QRD – What’s a pet peeve you have with other people’s podcasts that you try to avoid?

Nick – I hate -- HATE!!! -- when people try to emulate radio, especially NPR/This American Life style of production.

QRD – Does telling so many personal stories on the podcast create a weird thing where strangers think you’re good friends?

Nick – I’ve found that my personal stories really get people to open up in the comments & share about their own unique experiences. I love that exchange. & I’ve become good internet friends with a lot of our dedicated listeners. I find it really rewarding.

QRD – Do you ever think of making your podcasts into videocasts?

Nick – Nah, I don’t have a passion for video production & I love the illusion of audio. It becomes interactive because the listener imagines the physical aspect of the conversation.

QRD – You worked for a while with search engine optimization as your day job.  Do you think that’s benefited your podcasts & comics?

Nick – For a time it really benefited the AudioShocker website because I went nuts with the SEO. We were getting crazy traffic for a ton of weird searches. But my SEO antics were becoming a detriment to the health of my blog, so I cleaned up my act. Now I focus on using relevant images & succinct text to get quality traffic, not quantity traffic.

QRD – Do you see yourself as ever being in a band again or doing a tour performing your songs?

Nick – A band? Probably not. That is, not unless I was running everything. I’m too controlling & opinionated about my music to share the decision making. Maybe solo... just me & a guitar. But I’ve never toured! I dunno if I’d like it.

QRD – A lot of your content (comics, podcasts, music) you have available for free.  Do you think they should be free or is it just no one will pay for them?

Nick – I believe that people should financially support the art that they enjoy. I’ve made most of my art available for free for a number of reasons & it would take me an entire essay to explain those reasons to my satisfaction. Suffice to say that I look forward to creating more opportunities for people to buy my work in the future as I continue to prove myself as a creator.

QRD – What would be your dream job in the comics industry?

Nick – I don’t know that I have one anymore. Frankly, the comics industry is a pretty depressing business. Shitty contracts are everywhere, from the indiest of indies all the way up to the crappiest of corporates. Real estate... now there’s a good industry!

QRD – Has the move to California effected the art you make or your artistic career in any way?

Nick – Yeah, I’m happier here & I think my work shows it. Things are less forced now. & -- although this is also a drawback in some ways -- I’m no longer entrenched in a local community of creators, so I’ve found myself gravitating towards more personal & fulfilling projects.

QRD – Anything else?

Nick – Brian, you’re great. Seriously, thanks for all of your support. It means so much to me. Oh, & Ultimate Lost Kisses #13-14 are fucking brilliant! Everyone should get their hands on those mini-comics.


Other QRD interviews with Nick Marino:
Indie comic creator interview with Nick Marino (February 2011)