Many superhero scribes are home-based due to the freelance nature of the job. For a few years, Wolverine and the X-Men creator Jason Aaron's old workplace was like this: A laptop pc positioned on his lapdesk while the writer lied on his bed. Before that, he typed in scripts on a a computer in his son's bedroom. It was only a year ago when he made the decision to acquire home office furniture.
I'm Working Here!
Before building his own work area, Aaron had a difficult time crafting stories when his children were home. He had to relocate his laptop from the living room to another bedroom when his family arrived. When everybody went to sleep, he had to bring the scripts to the kitchen table.
Aaron confessed he can only function in complete silence. Music and radio can get him sidetracked easily. Whether it is people coming and going or a TV blaring in the next room, Aaron cannot concentrate with any background sound.
This caused the prolific creator to have a spot he can call his own. He wanted a room where he can close the door and block everything else out. He aimed to regard his freelance job as a 9 to 5 job in a home work area.
Aaron's Secret Lair
Aaron decided to turn their guest room into his work space. The experience made him feel like a new man. Comparable to having his own touch screen phone, the comics writer asked himself how he ever existed without a home office before.
Having his own workspace in a larger home made him produce more comics. The writer said he no longer has any alibis for not crafting stories. He sits in his home office daily in wonder of the books, toys and comics he uses as guide. He does play with his toys as he writes stories. He is a comics writer, anyway. As he easily gets sidetracked, he did not add a TV in his home office. Aaron hangs art on the walls, though, because it keeps him motivated.
Other Secret Lairs
Just like a Batcave differs from Superman's Fortress of Solitude, Aaron's buddies in the industry also have home-based offices that are awesome in their own way. "Venom" penciller Tony Moore works in a workshop above the storage area. He originally had a room for work, but having an infant at home may not be ideal for imagination. Moore said his wife would walk into his home office to talk to about a bill. He found it difficult to get back on track instantly when his attention is disrupted. For illustrators, getting into the zone is important to produce good comic books.
A few superhero artists, though, can work with interruptions. Comic book penciller Kevin Mellon's work area is found on the same spot for watching TV and sleeping. Mellon stated he had days when he would work non-stop until his eyes give out.