3 Questions With… Andy Warner
I met Andy at a comic show about a year ago. Andy makes educational comics. I’m almost reluctant to say that because of the baggage that goes with that phrase. Much of the time, educational comics can simply be boring. Andy’s work does not suffer from that. He presents the material in a thoroughly entertaining and often humorous manner.
I’ve read his books Pests and Pets and Spices and Spuds. The level of research that must go into these must be absurd. I’m fascinated by the information he shares that I had no clue about. And with almost each story and topic, I am floored with the effects and repercussions the subjects have on disparate things.
It’s like your favorite history podcast that you just can’t get enough of. Fiction was never so fascinating.
Andy just released another book, this time with Daniel Whiteson. Do Aliens Speak Physics? This one isn’t a straight up comic, rather prose punctuated with loads of Andy’s art and comics. Regardless, it’s certain to be a page turner while expanding your mind.
Why comics? (What compels you to create in this medium?)
I like that comics are really complicated, even though they might not take a lot of time to read. You’ve got to think about what goes on the page and what doesn’t, how your drawings make the story work, and how design elements like the background, shading and contrast are affecting the reader’s attention and focus. It’s fun to keep so many things balanced, while also handling all of the work yourself. Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved to both read and make comics. It’s a really accessible way to tell stories, and there’s not a big establishment of gatekeeping and highbrow folks that take themselves seriously. Most of all, though, drawing is really fun. It’s cool to get to do it for a living.
What are you currently working on?
A book for the History Comics series for First Second about the California Gold Rush. It’s been really fun to write and now I get to draw a bunch of gnarled old prospectors! The research for it was cool because I got to dig through a lot of old books and photos.
What was the book/comic that you fell in love with when you were a kid/teen?
I always really loved Larry Gonick’s Cartoon History of the Universe series. I remember so much from them years later, and they inspired me to make my own history comics from a really young age. He’s got a great cartooning style, and he’s funny. I had a lot of his books growing up.
You can find Andy online at
