(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an interview with Robert A. Kraus, owner of RAK Graphics and creator of independent comic characters like Thundermace, Stephen Darklord, and Chakan, the Foreverman. Robert’s success comes purely from his own creativity, and his willingness to do nearly everything himself and in his own way! Robert is a native of Akron, Ohio and can be seen all over the Midwest and at small cons in his home state. Thank you, Robert, for taking the time to share with our readers!)

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

WALLY MONK

“Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and how you got into drawing? And were comics your first love, or did you at some point have different aspirations for your artwork? How old were you when you made your first drawing and thought, “I’m going to publish that one day…?”

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“I am a late bloomer as artists go. Sure, i drew a bit as a kid, but I mostly liked being outside and playing sports and enjoyed reading much more as a pastime than art. Comic books, sci-fi books, in addition to most of the classic authors. I came from a big family, and books were everywhere as well as trips to the library. I still am addicted to reading, and at the time I wanted to be a writer more than an artist.

I got serious about art in 10th grade. I attended a vocational high school and we did rotations in several vocations to see if any appealed to us. Carpentry and graphic arts and commercial art were all interesting to me, but I decided on trying for commercial art. I was terrible, but I told the teacher, Mr. Schwartz, that if he let me into the program I would really try to get good. He let me in, and I started doing tons of work to become more adept. Around this time, late 70s, I rediscovered comics, and started writing and drawing my own characters. I loved the medium because it was a mix of my two passions, art and writing. In the middle of my senior year in high school, I got a job at an ad specialty company as a staff artist and have been a professional artist ever since.”

WALLY MONK

If I’m correct, you started self-publishing during the black-and-white comic book explosion of the mid-80s. What was that time like, and did you ever dream of producing comic books before that? And what was your original vision for RAK Graphics?

ROBERT KRAUS

“I actually started publishing before the explosion, before RAK Graphics, as a way to get my artwork and ideas out there. I published two books, Straight From the Sketchbook and Aliens of The Cosmos.

I learned a lot from those two little projects. So I guess my original vision that eventually came to fruition under my RAK Graphics label was to get all these ideas I had out to other people. 

There was no internet, so it was hard to showcase and exchange ideas back then. My publishing company facilitated that for me.”

WALLY MONK

Chakan the Foreverman is arguably your most popular title and character. He was a back-up story in the original Thundermace comics. Did you expect Chakan to become as big as he is, or were you surprised he took the spotlight? It seems, from looking at your current offerings, that you really love drawing dragons!

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“Chakan was the backup feature, and I put him into the Thundermace book because I knew that story was going to take a while to tell, and wanted readers to have a short complete character and story to satisfy them while the Thundermace story unfolded. Chakan was perfect for that. I was able to tell snippets of his long existence in 4-8 page shorts. I was surprised at how much fans loved him. That was cool. Did I expect to have a video game and to sell 100K+ graphic novels? Not a chance (laughs). The grey warrior has been good to me!”

WALLY MONK

One of the many notable traits in RAK comics is that you never used word balloons in the early issues. Your comics were more like illustrated books. What was your reasoning for that, and how was it received by your fans?

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“I was never a fan of word and thought balloons, in fact, I liked the old comic strips like Foster’s Prince Valiant, where the text blended with the art. Burne Hogarth did a great Tarzan of the Apes book where he used mostly type blended into the art that I enjoyed. Plus, although I loved Marvel and DC Comics, I wanted to do my own thing, experiment with a media that employed text and art. I wanted to take my own path and see where it lead me, good or bad. I do things my way, and have been able to stand out a bit because of that.”

“I love the characters in mainstream comics, but I do not want to play in that sandbox when I have a perfectly fine sandbox of my own to have fun with.”

– Robert Kraus

WALLY MONK

You continue to promote your own work through RAK Graphics, and have branched out from comics into a card game (Dragon Wars) and collecting stories in the now popular trade paperback format. Did you ever consider working for one of the big comic publishers? Why or why not?

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“I have worked for many gaming companies, and of course SEGA, as well as doing commercial work for decades, so I just enjoy doing my own thing. I am selfish in that I want to create my work and see what happens. I do not mind taking a risk a major publisher may not want to take. As I said, I love the characters in mainstream comics, but I do not want to play in that sandbox when I have a perfectly fine sandbox of my own to have fun with.”

WALLY MONK

RAK Graphics had some other interesting series – two that come to mind are Stephen Darklord and Buce and Gar. How did these two series come about? And were they explored as much as you would have liked? Would you like to revisit them some day?

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“Darklord was a sci-fi/men’s adventure yarn, kind of like the Executioner Mack Bolan paperback series meets Mad Max movies in the comics. It was fun, I would like to revamp and finish that tale one day. Buce and Gar was the case where my good buddy James Groman had this amazing talent and story and I wanted to help him get it out there. Fun stuff, and also a sci-fi type book done in a time where there was not more than the traditional spandex superhero or superhero team books out there. I have always thought comics should be a broad range of styles and stories. Now with print on demand and the internet, there is a healthy dose of all things out there, not like when I started out.” 

WALLY MONK

RAK graphics survived the independent comics crash of the mid-1980s, and you’re still drawing today. What makes your company different from the dozens of companies – even major ones like Eclipse and First – that shut down during that time? What allowed RAK to survive when others failed?

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“Being different, having a wide variety of offerings – books, games, toys. Wildlife to visual poetry to fantasy art, a portfolio where everyone can find something to enjoy! Too many just try to do one art style or a single product. Being a one-trick pony is the surest way to have a short and rocky stint in the art biz.”

 WALLY MONK

How do you see your comic properties in today’s market?

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“Not to brag, but I feel I am as good at what I do as anyone else out there. Of course there are better writers and artists than me, but my concepts and stories and how I put them together hold their own against the top competition across the US every week I am at a comic con. I am proud that I can compete at a high level while still retaining an outsider art/writing presence.” 

WALLY MONK

Your business model is much different than mainstream and even many other indie publishers. Have you thought about taking your properties to companies like Image or AfterShock, where creators retain ownership of their own characters? The independent comic environment seems to be much more organized than it was decades ago.

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“I would like to some day have another company publish and promote my work, but not at the expense of my creative freedom. If one of those want to work with me, that would be fine. I could use some editing help and their bigger distribution footprint, but I have a loyal fan base that supports what I do.”

WALLY MONK

It seems like a lot of comic book talent came out of the Greater Cleveland area. Ryan Brown, Dan Berger and many others (including Brian Michael Bendis) all hailed from somewhere in Northeast Ohio. Did you know any of those guys during the 80s, and if so, do you have any contact with them today?

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“I have met many talented people throughout my career, but I have always been an isolated creator. Actually, until the Facebook thing, I had no idea how many other creators were out there. It’s amazing how many talented people there are. I have always been this little island where I write and draw and then disperse my creations and then return to my island to do it again.”

WALLY MONK

Comic books are a tough business. They were then and they are now. What would you tell the next young Robert Kraus about starting up an independent comic company?

ROBERT A. KRAUS

“I would just tell them to do it. That their challenges will be different than my challenges were, but that there are always ways to get around them if you never give up and stay true to your dreams. Also, that it takes hard work, so if you do not enjoy the work, do something else. I myself have loved doing what I do for over 40 years!”

* * *

Thank you, Robert, for sharing your story with Paint Monk’s Library. To learn more about RAK, please visit his website and online store at www.rakgraphics.com. Photos in this article provided by Robert Kraus.

As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)