Episode eight: interview with Ryan Claytor
Welcome back the Mr Jones design podcast!
This week we sit down with Ryan Claytor, designer of our most recent limited edition release - Step right up. We talk to Ryan about everything from his career in comic books to his experience of designing a watch.
Ryan explains how he ended up designing for Mr Jones Watches.
As he is a watch collector himself, one day he was researching new brands and discovered Mr Jones Watches. A fan of creative watches, Ryan has Timewise by Clifford Richards.
Ryan then reached out to Crispin, founder and director of Mr Jones Watches and pitched an idea for a watch.
Discussing his inspiration for Step right up, Ryan tells us of his interest in gaming history and love for carnival games. As some carnival games like shooting galleries rely on a time limit, he thought it would be a good idea for a watch.
With a passion for games, Ryan tells us that he collects pin ball machines and has 13 in his basement!
Ryan explains how he often plays them with his family and it was something that occupied him well during the pandemic.
A day to day comic book writer, professor and illustrator, Ryan explains how he found designing a watch and working on a smaller scale. He was surprised at the detail included in such small watch designs and found it helpful to know the movements before designing the watch.
Ryan found his love for comics from his childhood and then turned it into a profession in college while studying studio art.
A professor at Michigan state university, Ryan teachers a course on comic books and has a podcast where they interview comic book professionals and his students.
Ryan explains that his course teaches both storytelling and illustrating and how they work together to create a comic book.
Ryan explains his creative process, first scripting the words then creating the drawings, going back and forth from hand drawn to digital. Experimenting and evolving his process by research other comic book creator's method.
Ryan explains how the comic book industry has developed over the last 10 years, explaining it is more digital now rather than physical books.
As well as comic book creating and teaching, Ryan also does illustrating and neon sign commissions and is collaborating with Josh Goodacre.
Currently working on a pinball and arcade book collaboration with Nick Baldridge. Coin-Op Carnival, an illustrated magazine. It is co-written and Ryan illustrates the book.
Find Ryan's work on his website and see Step right up here.
Have any questions for Ryan or any of our other artists? Please leave them below.
This episode was recorded in July 2020.
This is the last episode of the first series of the Mr Jones Design podcast, keep an eye on your email and our social media accounts for news on series two.