Paul Czarnowski: Creator of the Robots With Coffee Comic Strip.

I've known Paul, (or Paulie, as I so frequently call him) for many years.  We met back in the mid 2000's when he was assigned to be the stage manager for a live show I was producing at the time.  Of course we became fast friends, especially after he realized I was a fellow rock-n-roll lover.

Over the years I've gotten to know a few standards about Paul.  1. He's super creative and has a really intense way of pulling out his ideas into actual, tangible art (music, drawing, writing, I could go on...).  2.  He LOVES pancakes.  3. He plays bass in a (brace yourselves) Simpsons-themed, Ramones cover band.  Basically he's super fun and super cool.

Paul took a break from his busy day to let me ask him a bunch of questions and to let me take random pix of his workspace.  I sat down with Paulie to talk about his latest project, Robots With Coffee, here's what he had to say:

What IS Robots With Coffee, and how did it come about?
Robots With Coffee started when I was taking pictures of various action figures I had next to coffee mugs or takeout cups, and I would share it on Facebook. I would get a response from friends that I hadn't gotten for other things, such as the music I had made or general life events I'd share. People I hadn't heard from in a long time would text or call me about it. So I made a facebook page and called it Robots With Coffee, as a joke, and then I woke up one day and I had 300 "likes." (I now have over 600). I created a Twitter account, as a little more serious way to promote the facebook page, and I have 600 followers. It has allowed me to connect with people all over the place, and I had FANS. Who weren't my mom. A lot of response was from fan artwork of specific pop culture related things, but I decided that as this grew (organically, I've done one paid ad on Facebook as a test), I should switch the artistic content that I generate into a comic strip about characters I created, with backstory as to why these strips look the way they do, as opposed to something based on the works of others. I created a website late last year to organize these strips, create a platform for me to discuss things I'm into, and prepare for bigger stories I have planned for Robots With Coffee.

What is the name of your business and how long has it been operating?
Robots With Coffee, and about two and about three years. It started off as a joke, just me taking pictures of my action figures with coffee. Maybe about six months later is when I started drawing pop culture related comic strips for it. But it was October 2014 when I decided I would make it original content (comics of my own characters) with reviews, with plans for video projects; hopefully soon it'll be a multimedia blog as an added bonus to the the comic strips.

Who or what are two things that influence your work the most?

This is hard to nail down to just TWO, but the big thing is the need to not waste more evenings bingeing on TV, so part of this is the feeling that I accomplished something, even if no one reads it. Goofing off on the internet is more fun if I'm the one creating the content people (maybe) forward.

The other thing that influences the work I do is the work I've done before. I've edited & written for a rock magazine, I've played in a lot of bands, I've done a lot of hands on fringe work for fringe theater, and everything I do I take to the next thing I do. HOW well they were done is another issue, but I've always been on shoestring budgets to produce hobbies into real things.

But I grew up on daily comic strips like Bloom County & The Far Side, I watched a lot of cartoons, I quickly discovered cartoonists like Peter Bagge and Evan Dorkin when I got into comic books, and I listen to a lot of awesome rock n roll. Space Ghost Coast To Coast is one of the strangest and funniest shows ever and had a huge impact on much of my writing for a long time. The whole robot thing is related to an infatuation with a ridiculous 80's cartoon about shape changing robots.


What type of project/client is your favorite to work with?Any project with an end goal I can describe is the best, I guess. It takes a lot of preparation which I need when I have to translate my enthusiasm & frustration with whomever I'm working on it. I made an album knowing exactly what it should sound like (and what the CD packaging should look like) and it came out really close. "Really close" isn't 100% but usually the other option/result is "total disaster." I have been making comic strips on a personal blog for a while, but Robots With Coffee has a goal and I'm working to make it happen, starting with this comic.

What three things could you not live without (not people)?
I had to move suddenly, and gave away my beloved stereo and speakers. Just dropped it off at a Salvation Army. Things come and go, so I don't know if I would refer to ideals, goals, or a world of stuff that keeps inspiring me, or if there were actual things. Music is a huge part of my life, right? That stays. I need my pens. People who need drawings of farting robots.

What's the biggest misconception people have about the work you do?

I tell people I draw. They take a look. "I thought you said you were an artist." No, I just said that I draw. I never said how well. I don't mind it being an acquired taste. Several of these people who wince eventually "get me" and then they're won over. Actual, serious, amazing industry pros have taken their personal time to give me pointers and advice, so that's great.

Someone gifts you $1M, what's the first thing you do for your business? Call the people who want to help me and let them know that a minor hurdle may have been vaulted over, and then call an accountant or business planner. I have PLANS, I tell you! The comic strips are fun but they're the tip of the iceberg, and what's below the surface could be a more elaborate story to be told in different ways. I still plan on doing those things in some way even without the money but that would be swell. Time is the real foe in our plans.


What are you working on today/right now?
I'm finishing up a commission for a 1st grader's birthday party. Some people give me a family injoke and I turn it into a six panel adventure, which often gets reread to the kids as bedtime stories (from what I hear). These help pay for the website and printing the comic. I'm slowly working on my first superhero comic, Sad Vigilante. Beyond that, it's preparing the next Robots With Coffee comic (a coloring book) and researching more movies to review and things to write about on robotswithcoffee.com.

What does the next five years look like for you?
I have to redesign the board game "Life" so that I don't end up BANKRUPT or whatever the non-TYCOON ending is. Hopefully within this year some of the plans for Robots With Coffee start taking shape. In five years they could have come to fruition or I could just still be drawing bickering robots.

Friend With Les: Sarah Finer of Lowry Creatives

I got married just this past September 19, 2015.  My wedding gown was a one-of-a-kind, custom made creation of Mrs. Sarah Finer owner and proprietor of Lowry Creatives.

Sarah’s designs run the gamut from tiny appliques for costumes or simple but interesting pillow cases (and absolutely everything in between), all the way to the mother of all design behemoths like wedding gowns.  Sarah’s work is thoughtful and personal with a very solid grounding in problem solving through fabric, not to mention that it's super duper beautiful and feminine.

Welcome to my new blog “Friends With Les”, a place where I get to write about all of the cool things my friends do, create, support and love; and welcome to my very first blog subject:  Sarah Finer of Lowry Creatives.

Each blog will have a quick opening of my own personal perceptions and experience with the person being featured, and will end with a list of interview questions that my subjects answer themselves.  Also, peppered throughout each entry you will find photographs of each person’s workspace and other outtakes of our time together.

Without further ado, here is my interview with the lovely and super talented Mrs. Sarah Finer:

What is the name of your business and how long has it been operating?

Sarah:  I've named my business Lowry Creatives, so that it can encompass all of the various aspects/design lines that I create. My Design lines are: Zoe Kallos Couture (bridal and special occasion), Lethal Looks (costumes and dance wear), and Cherry Bombers (vintage inspired maternity gear). I like to separate my design lines with different names so people aren't as confused about what it is that I do. I consider alterations and custom interiors just to be a part of the overall name as opposed to giving them a specific name. I have worked for myself in some form or fashion since graduating high school, arguably even longer than that, as I used to create bouquets in high school at prom time in order to afford my own prom gown. I wasn't confident enough to make my own at that point. Sewing and creating has been helping me pay my bills for around 20 years. 

Who or what are two things that influence your work the most?

Sarah: I love doing bridal. I really like helping someone make their dream dress a reality and within a realistic budget. The wedding industry can really make things hard to afford, I try not to play like that - but still make it worth it for myself. I also really like finding the processes and methods of working that make my ideas and execution innovative and beautiful. My other inspirations come in finding niches that aren't represented, like my Cherry Bombers line, (the vintage inspired maternity gear). There are so many pin up and rockabilly gals out there who procreate too, and there aren’t many options for them to keep their individual style intact during pregnancy. I hope to launch that more fully in the next year.

What type of project/client is your favorite to work with?

Sarah:  My favorite clients are ones who trust my ability and my eye. They feel comfortable enough to give me a direction they want to go in, and trust me enough to make them look like a million bucks without micromanaging my process. 

What three things could you not live without (not people)?

Sarah:  Three things that I could not live without (as they pertain to the work I do), a pair or 7 of sharp scissors, straight razorblades (for ripping stitches), and fresh sketchbooks and sharp pencils. I find myself buying these things whether I am out of them or not, and the last ones, nothing feels or smells better than new paper and a freshly sharpened pencil. I even asked for a good old-fashioned desktop pencil sharpener for Christmas.

What's the biggest misconception people have about the work you do?

Sarah:  There are so many, where to start? 

One is that this is a hobby for me, I surely will want to do it for free/discount, and that since it must be a hobby that I’d also be happy to share all of my sources for products with clients, or teach them how to do my job for free because this is just a fun thing that I do instead of people realizing that this is my actual bread and butter.

Another misconception is that having something sewn from scratch is going to be cheaper than purchasing it already made and off the rack. Major nope there. Do not go to Macy's and find a dress for $300 and come to me asking me for the same thing for half the price. That just will not happen. First, I don't knock off other people's designs. It's insulting to that designer, and insulting to me. Secondly, those items are made in a factory overseas with little care, that pricing reflects that mass production discount you get. Getting something made specifically for you, custom designed with your personality and needs in mind is not at all the same thing. 

  

Someone gifts you $1M, what's the first thing you do for your business?

Sarah: I think I would move to Libertyville and open a beautiful boutique in the cute downtown up there. I am more of a small town gal than a city gaI.  I would make my brand and boutique a destination to visit. 

(Some progressive sketches Sarah made of my wedding gown while she was still working out the details):  

What are you working on today/right now?

Sarah:  This week I am working on sparkly bra/panty sets for a burlesque entertainer, draperies for a condo in the Gold Coast, a jacket for a Michael Jackson impersonator, and a military inspired jacket in black leather for a dapper gent. Also, spending some time sketching some options for a bride, sourcing some fabrics for that bride (and my bridal line), and working on my taxes. They are time consuming.

What does the next five years look like for you?

Sarah:  I used to know what my next 5 years would look like, and then I had a baby, and he's unpredictable. So we will see where everything goes. I'd like to get my bridal line together and get my maternity line together, and get the brand recognition out. Probably start with Etsy. The bridal line I would like to eventually show at the National Bridal Market weeks at the Merchandise Mart in September and in March, but booth space is pricey and I really need to invest or have an investor to get that accomplished. The maternity line, there are a few rockabilly festivals and burlesque festivals that I think would be a good fit to set a booth at and start getting the word out. Hopefully if I can get the brands moving by the time my son gets to be of school age they'll be big enough to turn into a storefront or just a larger operation overall.  

Thank you to Sarah Finer for opening up her studio to us and for giving us a sneak peek into the world of Lowry Creatives.

(An overall shot of Sarah's workspace):  

Next week, stay tuned for my next Featured Friend.  In the meantime, you can visit my instagram @LeslieKChicago to get exclusive video content of my time visiting Lowry Creatives, and to get even more exclusive content follow me on twitter @lkchicago, on youtube at https://youtu.be/yVtOmpDiIZg.  Also, find me on Facebook at Leslie Kerrigan-Leyh.