Interview: Brady Canfield and Wombat Rue

Adding to the list of must-haves for any trendy city, Utah’s very own Wombat Rue satisfies the comic book genre. The creation of Park City resident Brady Canfield, Wombat Rue follows title character Rue and his band of merry mates as they navigate the ruined country side of Alanova, which was destroyed in preparation for a world-ending Armageddon that never came.

Check out the interview with Cold War and Air Force veteran Canfield:

Rita Totten: Where does the name “Wombat Rue” come from?

Brady Canfield: The name "Wombat Rue" happened back during the Cold War. Those of us in the Air Force tasked with defending the US from the Soviet Union missile threat were called "Combat Crew". It was on our uniforms, trucks, offices, letterhead. You get the idea. One day while driving to alert, I was following another alert vehicle, which was old and rather beat up, and the "Combat Crew" logo on it was so weathered all that was left was "ombat rew". I saw that and thought "that looks like Wombat Rew, could be a comic book character". I changed the spelling a bit, and created the story from that.

RT: How long where you in the Air Force and in what capacity?

BC: I served in the Air Force for 20 years. My primary duty was as a physicist, so I mostly worked in or around research laboratories managing programs, with the occasional non-physics job (e.g., combat crew).

RT: How long has Wombat Rue been alive?

BC: The concept of Wombat Rue began in 1990, but was on hold while I was in the Air Force. Off duty, I would write and draw notes about the story, and then put them away until the time was right. After I stepped out of the Air Force, it took me about 6 months to find, dig out, and sort the notes. They were on whatever paper was available when I had an idea--sketchbooks, notepads, stickies, napkins, etc.

RT: Do you have any art or design background?

BC: I had a strong desire to be an artist ever since I was little. I turned my mom's paperbacks into flipbooks, using the small blank corners for my canvas. I informally sketched throughout high school. For college, however, my family strongly insisted art was recess and I should be in science or engineering. So my degree ended up being math/physics, and later on I received a graduate degree in engineering. That said, although I was a physicist in the Air Force, I always viewed physics as a different kind of art form--a sort of in depth study of nature. I also drew any time I could, including regular life-drawing sessions, where I could both practice art and indirectly learn from other artists.

RT: What made you finally take the plunge and bring Rue to life?

BC: When enough people saw and liked what I was drawing, the positive feedback gave me a push to make it into a full story. Also, without Air Force duty, I discovered what a lot of free time was. It was great for about a month, then got old, so I became busy with the comic book. Did I mention I LOVE drawing? I do!

RT: There seems to be some Cold War references in the stories of Rue and the other characters. I'm assuming this comes from your time in the Air Force, correct?

BC: There aren't any deliberate references, but when I look back at the story (I have 12 issues outlined right now) there are definitely strong influences from my life experiences.

RT: What do you hope to accomplish with Wombat Rue?

BC: I want to tell a story, and more importantly, I want people to love it and to become as connected with the characters, as I have.

RT: Could you explain the political undertones of the story?

BC: There aren't any intentional political undertones, and there aren't any hidden messages or agendas. The only politics are within the story itself--a formidable warlord wanting to conquer the world for himself. When he goes missing, his tightly controlled empire begins slipping into chaos. And nobody yet knows exactly what happened (except me of course).

RT: Do you do other design work?

BC: I do life drawing regularly. I love drawing "gestures"--2 or 3 minute quick sketches of a person. They seem to be the link between cartoons and "fine art". I've also dabbled in painting and would like to pursue that more, time permitting.

RT: If people are interested in your work, besides the story of Rue, what can you offer them?

BC: I have received positive feedback on my life drawings and may start selling those. I may begin combine them into a single book, or sell them individually. Also, I have three other comic book stories floating in my mind, including one that launches from the life story of my intrepid grandmother, Lucile. She was a real cowgirl, a Montana native and a force to be reckoned with!

RT: Are you a Utah native?

BC: I am a Utah transplant, flourishing well in the Utah climate. I'm originally from Montana, but was stationed here twice in the Air Force, and was also on the US National Skeleton team for years (another story), so have been a part on Utah either directly or indirectly since 1997.

To check out Brady’s work and order your very own copy of Wombat Rue, visit his website www.wombat-rue.com
or his Facebook page www.facebook.com/Wombat.Rue