Webcomic Creator Interview: Alex Hobbs of Wanderlust Kid

Alex Hobbs is the creator a webcomic known as Wanderlust Kid. It’s Alex’s take on life, video games, and much more as he illustrates the ideas that pop into his head. Alex was a contestant on the internet reality show, Strip Search, which was a game show for webcomic creators. Though he was the first to leave, he made a big impression and has only became better since the show. He was kind enough to talk about his time on the show and his comic, being completely frank about things. Be warned, there is some cussing.

Leo Johnson: To start with, what is it that you do when you’re not making webcomics?

Alex Hobbs: Not a lot. Between the workaday job and all the parts that make up the comic, my time is pretty much spoken for these days. When I do find a bit of time, my go-to is usually a video game. Like, right now? I’m all up on the new Luigi’s Mansion. I usually lose myself in a great RPG, though. Demon Souls, Skyrim, these are the altars where I pay respect.

LJ: Pretend we’ve never heard of Wanderlust Kid. What’s your elevator pitch?

AH: The articulate response would be that it’s autobiographical fiction in the vein of Penny-Arcade, but let’s be real. Wanderlust Kid is a fucking grab bag of ideas that come from personal experience and daily life as much as they do my imagination. I talk about the things I love or hate, and wish at length that magic was real. I would call it a bit Mary Sue if I didn’t find it as much fun to shit on myself as I do on others. Take that as you will.

LJ: Where did the name “Wanderlust Kid” come from?

The name sort of encapsulates a personal philosophy of mine. I make Wanderlust Kid to provide frivolous entertainment, and I mean that in the best possible way. It’s meant to emulate the kind of fun you would have as a child; some activity for the sheer sake of enjoyment. No pretense, no motive, just digging in the mud for no particular reason. It’s a feeling we tend to lose or ignore as we age and enter the adult world. The need isn’t gone, only our freedom to pursue it. We see it in our reliance to the entertainment industry for a diversion from the everyday. For me, Wanderlust Kid is my reminder that maybe we had it right when we were younger. We don’t always have to take the world so seriously and that being happy is synonymous with success. It may seem like a bunch of philosophical bullshit when compared with the content of the comic, but it’s why I do what I do so I put it right there in the name. What sensible person would try and draw pictures for a living? One who thinks there is a better way to happiness than what we are often told.

LJ: You were on Strip Search, and even though you were the first to leave, it seems like it was a great experience for you. What would you say was the best/most memorable moment in your time there?

AH: 

hat is hard to say.

I would have thought it was that final moment with Mike and Jerry. These guys are not only the reason I have a comic, but are also responsible for its sudden elevation into the public eye. People are reading these very words because of them. It meant so much to have them there, consoling me in a moment that had not been planned. It’s hard to quantify just how much that meant to me, but “everything I would have hoped” still rings true. Where would I be in a world without those two? I often wonder.

But that was just one of the many incredibly human moments I was subjected to that night and the following week. Graham, Khoo, and the rest of the crew were all so kind well after the cameras stopped filming. It was more than I could have ever expected for having known these people less than a day, and to get to know the other artists as they joined me in our Company of the Fallen was an experience I will not forget.

LJ: Just from looking at the art, Mike and Jerry from Penny Arcade are definitely influences on you. Have there been other webcomics that influenced you and the webcomic?

AH: I’m relatively new to webcomics both as a maker and a reader, so my inspirations aren’t specific to the genre. The PA guys were the catalyst and are obviously the most influential, but outside of that I really do love Kate Beaton’s work. Her art style is incredibly charming and I admire how she can portray academic subject matter in such a ridiculous way. It’s impressive how she can make an obscure topic immediately relatable and funny. I bet she would be cool to hang out with. I wonder what her favorite food is.

LJ: What made you initially decide to do a webcomic?

AH: I had no idea, or perhaps just didn’t care, that webcomics were a thing until maybe four years ago. My friends introduced me to Penny-Arcade, and I got hooked right from the start. It was as simple as that, really. Their work resonated with me, and over time I became less satisfied by passively experiencing that community. I wanted to get my voice out there, so I picked up a pencil and started learning how to draw for real. It was a grueling fucking process, by the way. I’m my harshest critic and I doubt I’ll ever think myself above improvement.

LJ: Describe the process of creating the comic a bit. What does it take to get an idea from your brain on to the page?

AH: A lot of the best comics I’ve made came from sudden inspiration. They aren’t all that easy, and more often than not I find myself tuning a script until right before I post it. In general, I’ll have the idea or joke I want to convey and form everything else around how best to present it. The art aspect is where I enjoy myself the most and spend more time than I should probably have to. I find inexperience a shitty excuse for bad art, so sit there until I get it right. This means a lot of reference images and scratching out line after line until it is of a quality I find acceptable. I want to be known for my art some day, and that won’t happen if I don’t put in the effort.

LJ: What’s been your favorite strip/page to create so far?

AH: My favorite joke is definitely the one I did about Minecraft in “A Bitter Cycle”. It communicates exactly what I was trying to say without any disconnect, something that does not always happen.

LJ: What makes your comic different from all the others on the internet?

AH: There are a million and one video game humor comics out there. The only thing that separates any of us from one another is our particular voice. That makes the person behind the comic just as important as the comic itself, and I believe that just because something has already been done does not mean it can’t be done better, or just as well. So why should you read Wanderlust Kid? Because I am going to do it better or at least damn well try. 

LJ: What’s been your biggest surprise or discovery since you started the comic?

AH: The biggest surprise was that I could actually do it. I never expected my comic to become anything, much less have it honored by being chosen for Strip Search. Until the show came along, it was just me sitting in a room during the late hours after work or school, drawing some pictures that maybe thirty people on Facebook cared to look at. To be where I am now is very humbling to say the least. But it was always about telling the jokes I wanted to tell while making the best art I could; a matter of pride more than anything. Meteoric success was never the goal, and maybe that’s what keeps me concentrated on the right things. I feel like it would be an easy thing to get caught up making a product to sell instead of a good comic.

LJ: What do you see in the future for the comic?

AH: I’m still figuring all my shit out, from style to voice to just about everything. My followers are literally playing witness to the birth of my creation, square one. Nonetheless, let it be known that I have grand designs in store for my comic. The plan is that Wanderlust Kid will be home to more than just my regularly occurring updates. You can definitely expect long-form stories from me in time, but for now I’ve still got some details to work out for the basic offering. I need to make some merchandise for one!

LJ: Where else can you be found on the vastness of the internet? 

AH: I’ve got a Facebook page for Wanderlust Kid, and I’m on twitter a lot these days under @alexhobbs_WK. If you want to contact me super personally, hit me up at ! I’m always down to talk. Getting to know so many more people has probably been the most rewarding part of all this.

Be sure to check out Alex’s great comic and read through the archives. As always, if there is any creator you would like to see interviewed, feel free to leave a comment or let us know on Twitter.

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