Always Raining Here is a webcomic about two lovesick and confused teenage boys growing up in British Columbia. The comic, by two talented ladies, is written by Bell and illustrated by Hazel. The main characters Adrian and Carter experience unrequited love and self-discovery amidst a host of geek culture references and painterly artwork. Always Raining Here was nominated for Best Webcomic by IGN in 2014. I talked with Bell about the comic’s conception, funny fan comments and the comic’s future.
Ryan: What inspired you to create the comic?
Bell: We were bored and wanted to do a comic. We both love BL [boys love] manga, and we were keen on doing our own version of it. That’s kind of how the comic came around. Can’t say there was a whole lot of inspiration behind its conception.
Ryan: What is the most fun thing about working on a webcomic? What is the most frustrating thing?
Bell: The whole ride surrounding the comic, like going to places and meeting new people is great. When it comes to actually working on the comic, I would probably say that coming up with their dialogue is my favorite part. Hazel’s favorite part is when the pages start to come together (or when the end is in sight). There are a lot of frustrating things about making a comic! I think the worst thing is knowing that a part of the story is off, or “could be better” and not knowing how to improve it. Hazel’s got a laundry list of frustrations so I’m going to just say “a lot.” But in the end, it’s worth it.
Ryan: You get a lot of great and funny comments on the pages. Do you have a favorite one that sticks out?
Bell: There are a lot of hilarious comments on the pages. This comment is probably in the top 10:
Ryan: Pages 147-152 were crazy! How long had you been planning those pages?
Bell: This scene was probably planned since we finished volume 1, and were planning volume 2. It was probably the only thing about volume 2 that I was set on back in 2013.
Ryan: If Adrian and Carter exchanged Valentines this year, what would they be?
Bell: Carter might get his sweetheart daffodils as an upgrade from ripping flowers directly out of flowerbeds. The kid is maturing. Adrian is more of a guy who would get a booking at a restaurant. If he gave a gift, it would be something they shared.
Ryan: What can we expect from Always Raining Here in 2015?
Bell: Pain and Suffering.
Ryan: Anything you’d like to say to your fans?
Bell: Thank you very much for all your support! ARH has really taken off recently and it’s been a wild ride. We hope you guys continue to read ARH through 2015.
Always Raining Here can be found at www.alwaysraininghere.com. Volume 1 of the comic is available in hard copy from their site. There are some hilarious ARH valentines to send to your unrequited love in 2015 here.
Fabulous Nothing 
Great interview! And wow, how did I miss that comment! Lol. ARH was the first webcomic I discovered and it’s ruined new in the best possible way ever since 🙂
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Thanks! It’s such an amazing comic!
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