Hello! Meet Comics Artist O. Stevens, creator of the colorful and thoroughly enjoyable Lucky Cap Scouts (Silver Sprocket) as well as an assortment of other delightful webcomics.
Who are you?
I’m O. Stevens, I’m primarily a digital comic artist who has been posting comics online since high school.
What do you do?
I create a lot of short comics about strange creatures and characters, but I do work with other art mediums every now and again. I create clay figures, miniature environments, and a lot of cross-stitch!
Why do you do those things you just mentioned?
I’ve been drawing and creating art pretty much forever, I don’t think I’ve ever been not drawing or creating something. I’ve really clung onto comics in particular though because I’ve been reading them ever since I was a kid, especially graphic novels. Later on I got really opened up to the world of online comics as a teenager. It was amazing to me that anyone online could make whatever comic they wanted and share it with everyone instantly!
Where is the base of your operations?
I work in Southern California, around the LA/San Diego area.
Is that a good place to have a base of operations?
Southern California definitely has a lot of plus and minuses, but I think at the end of the day it is a great place to be creative. Everything has such an amazing variety, especially the environment. You can go from the busy beaches to the vast empty desert to the big crazy cities to the chilly little mountain towns. It really has something for everyone, as long as you can stand all the driving (though I can barely stand it myself).
You are a collector of mystery box figurines. Could you explain what those are for those who may not be familiar? Also, how many do you have in your collection and do you have a favorite?
Mystery box figurines are little toy figures that you get at random. The boxes they come in will list out what you might get, but ultimately whatever figure you get is a complete mystery. It’s like opening a birthday gift!
As for how many I have, it’s way too many. My favorite kind, and the first I started collecting, are the Smiski figurines. They’re simple, small, and glow in the dark, what else could you want?
What do you like about collectibles and figurines?
I’m honestly not too sure! I think I just like how they all go together and how you can just keep adding to it. There are plenty of people who try to get complete sets, but I like that I can have my own little random assortment of them. I don’t really feel the need to have a complete collection for any kind of blind box figurines, but it is nice that every few months I can decide to pick up a new box and see what I get.
Did any of your figurines inspire Lucky Cap Scouts? If so, or if not, how did this idea develop?
The designs for Lucky Cap Scouts definitely took inspiration from a lot of different figurines, but in particular, I think they took the most inspiration from Smiskis, Sonny Angels, and Molinta. I wanted to follow along with the blind boxes that are somewhat limited (same pose, expressions, proportions) but have a little variety to them, like the Sonny Angel’s hats or Molinta’s cute variety in outfits.
I think having the scouts look almost identical to each other adds a lot of fun to them. You have all of these little characters that all look alike but can act so differently from each other. They all go together well in a group but each have their own little personality, definitely inspired by the figures mentioned before.
Do you plan on continuing the story of the Scouts?
I would love to continue to make more Lucky Cap Scouts! I have a few different fun ideas of how to continue their story but it is definitely something I would have to think on to decide what would be best for them. It would be a lot of fun to have the possibility to design some new scouts, too.
What was your first comic, or art project, that you put out into the world? Did it get the reception you hoped for and how did that make you feel?
My first “big” comic I posted online was The Thirteenth Valley I had started in high school. Definitely anime and manga-inspired, it was a fantasy story about magic and sorcerers and all of that. It went on for a few years, I still had pages updating into college, and it definitely went all over the place. As you can imagine you go through a lot of different styles, interests, and art-creation processes from high school to college.
I think it had a pretty decent reception! Nothing gigantic but I always appreciated the kind comments people left for them and everyone that kept up with them even through all those years. It was my first experience making a long online comic and I don’t think how I make my art and stories today would be the same without it.
What other comics have you made and where can people find them?
I have quite a few short comics online. Some of my favorites are Sea Legs, RIP-OFF!, Apple Picking, and A Comic About Camping. They are all available on my portfolio at nonetoo.carrd.co, and my social media (@nonetoon for Tumblr, Bluesky, and Twitter and @nonetoonbunny for Instagram).
What’s next for O. Stevens?
Hopefully a lot more comics! I have a few different ideas in the works for both some short and longer form ones, we’ll have to see which I can get finished up first. I do have a longer online comic I am planning to start posting online the beginning of 2025. I feel like it’s a good way to start the new year!
If you enjoyed this interview with Comics Artist O. Stevens, check out recent interviews with comics artist Flo Woolley (Leeds, UK) and Fran Lopez (NYC)!
