Artist Spotlight: Elijah Bobrosky

 This week on Flight Patterns, I was privileged to interview the one, the only, Elijah Bobrosky, a fellow writer and artist. I've thoroughly enjoyed the work of my multi-talented friend, and I'm very excited to introduce you to him today. Or rather....let him introduce himself. 

Flight Patterns: What kind of person are you? How would you describe yourself?

Elijah Bobrosky: Ah, a question I have been asked many times, often after they’ve caught me deep in a conversation with myself and also with a look of general fear. Really though, to answer both questions, I’d have to use the word “enigma.” If I were a character in a book, I’d be most accurately compared to Tom Bombadil in The Lord of The Rings: does his own thing and lives in his own world without bothering to explain it to anybody.

I also consider myself a bit of a thinker, but far from an intellectual. I get lost in my thoughts very very… very often but many will tell you I’m not exactly the sharpest bulb on the Hanukkah tree. 

I am described by my friends as “graceful,” “mysterious,” and “well-worded.” I find this odd as I’m usually either tripping over something or speaking gibberish.

I am described by my brothers as “annoying,” “absent-minded,” and “mean.” The absent-minded one, I agree with.

The police describe me as “wanted,” “dead,” or “alive.” They even hang up autographed pictures of me from time to time.

FP: What things do you enjoy doing?

Bobrosky: I enjoy writing (of course), drawing (also of course), music (both making and listening to it), having very long and in-depth conversations with myself, and acting out scenes from my projects. Although there is a downside to that involving being chased across my house by my main character, who just so happens to be an assassin. The sacrifices we all have to make for the sake of the story

Of course, my all-time favorite is attempting to be the most annoying person on the face of the earth, but that’s not usually a popular hobby. 

My favorite fantasy authors are Cressida Cowell (How to Train Your Dragon, The Wizards of Once), Christopher Healy (The Hero’s Guide Series), William Joyce (The Guardians Series, Ollie’s Odyssey) and Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell for the jaw-droppingly exciting Edge Chronicles series.

I also love the work of Lemony Snicket, Phillip Ardagh, Max Brallier, Tom Angleberger, and SO. MANY. MORE.

My favorite music artists are NF, Rend Collective, Colton Dixon, Livingston, TobyMac, and Pentatonix, though this does change over time.

FP: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Bobrosky: Hopefully not living under a bridge. (It's rather dark under there and I don't like the feeling of water dripping on me.) I don't know if I can confidently see myself anywhere in 10 years because MIT so rudely ignores my requests to send me a time machine, but hopefully a successful author/illustrator/musician living in a decent house. I would definitely have a private lair/studio for both quiet thought and the occasional bout of maniacal laughter, and perhaps be married with 1 or 2 children.

FP: What's one thing about you that you think more people should know about?

Bobrosky: Oh I know this one. The number one thing people need to know is, if you ever run into me…

…don’t take me seriously. Ever. Doing so too often will likely lead to you being highly offended. Plus it’s hazardous to your health.

FP: Tell a little about your writing.

Bobrosky: My style of writing contains a whole lot more than a fair amount of sarcasm, humor, wisecracks against my own characters, and the occasional use of good old-fashioned nonsense. In other words, some people might describe it with the word “unorthodox,” but only the crazy ones. It also addresses death sometimes a lot more than I’d like it to, which, obviously, is frowned upon in most places, but I never try to glorify the killing of another human being.

You’ll also find a lot of philosophy, some moral quandaries, and normally a rather back-talking narrator. The one thing you won’t find, especially not if you look, is a fourth wall. (But I consider that to be a small loss.)

FP: Tell a little about your drawings.

Bobrosky: I mainly draw characters from my works in progress, both to aid my writing and for the satisfaction of completing a drawing I’m proud of. (Faces, however, I believe to be vastly overrated and avoid drawing them if I can get away with it.) Sometimes I try the occasional self-portrait or landscape, but I also love to draw weapons. 

Some advice on creativity:

Take inspiration from everything.

Look at things in different, unexpected ways. Look at something and ask yourself, “how can I draw inspiration from this?”

Taking inspiration from the new is still a good technique, but taking inspiration from the unexpected can give your stories a unique twist.

FP: Anything else you think is interesting/want to share?

Bobrosky: I don’t believe so! Thanks so much for having me.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

 And as a special treat, a sample of Elijah's work

The Villain’s To-Do List

(CW: Mentions of violence, firearms, and feeding people to Fluffy)

1. Morning

• Wake up

• Brush teeth

• Practice evil laughter in the mirror (at least 5 minutes so tutor doesn’t scream)

• Feed Fluffy before he eats one of the henchmen

• Find bad reason to whack henchman

• Whack henchman (and feed him to Fluffy—two jobs done)

• Refill the shark pit (and feed the sharks… perhaps a repeat of past two steps?)

• Attach bronze spikes to shoes

• Practice fighting dirty

• Polish armor and get dressed

2. Afternoon

• Get some fresh air (and perhaps rob a bank or two while I’m at it)

• Armed assault

• Go back to lair and feed Fluffy again

• Car chase (likely Amazing Man, perhaps Mr. Stupendous)

• Exchange witty dialogue and be carried off to jail (bring dynamite)

• Poker night in jail tonight

• Beat The Kraken at checkers

• Escape jail and go on organized crime spree

• Feed Fluffy for the third time

• Mindless destruction

• More mindless destruction

• Lunch

3. Evening

• Attack those two old ladies that gossip around my secret entrance

• Buff scratches out of armor plates (from car chase)

• Reload freeze ray

• Fire freeze ray at incompetent henchman

• Feed Fluffy desert (frozen popsicle)

• Punch loitering teenagers (polish brass knuckles)

• Echo evil laughter into the sunset (charge megaphone)

• Let whoever last attacked me know that they will rue the day they ever crossed my path

• Look up what “rue” means

• Change out of armor and into silk pajamas

• Give Fluffy midnight snack

• Watch R-rated horror movie for appropriate nightmares

• Bedtime

Thanks for reading. Questions? Comments? I love to hear from you.