Sherard Jackson

**Sherard Jackson** is the author and illustrator of the Western webtoon series *Darbi*!

## About

Sherard has been working as a comic book artist, colourist and writer since 2001, working for groups such as Antarctic Press, Image Comics, DC, BOOM! Studios, Devil’s Due, Dynamite Entertainment and Big Head Press.

## Sherard Jackson's AMAs

*A Darbi AMA (Ask Me Anything) was hosted on the Darbi Discord server on July 23rd, 2020! A transcript of the questions the fans posed and the answers Sherard gave are given below!*

@Azy\_K-47: How come it took Dolla so long to have the blue in her eyes but it took Myrin like 3 days

@sherardyouare: Because Myrin came from a place of rage at the cows, and Dolla came from a place of pain

@Claimour: Are some/any Darbi charactery based on someone you know/knew in real life?

@sherardyouare: yep, to some extent 😃

@Shedim: Was art always your profession?

@sherardyouare: I've had other professions: commercial art, graphic design, but art was always the primary focus.

@dpeng: do you have a timeframe for those whore getting killed as a dino?

@sherardyouare: next season

@th3n0v1c3: if you could have a pet dinosaur in real life (guarantee it wouldn't eat you or your friends. everyone else is questionable xP), what would it be?

@sherardyouare: an apatosaurus. Low maintenance 😃

@Azy\_K-47: Question 2; Nell stated that Darbi’s siblings were all born to destroyers. If all siblings were given the same treatment as Dolla/Myrin, could they have the blue in their eyes?

@sherardyouare: good question! They could get there depending on how they were triggered

@Ragingwerewolfdude: Important question
Will Peet ever get laid without Darbi interrupting

@sherardyouare: lol, you’ll see soon 🤣

@Shedim: Your story is very authentic, do you write everything yourself?

@sherardyouare: I do. 100% . Has to come from a place of honesty.

@shemmir: Hello there I'm curious as to how the fast pass helps you as an artist?

@sherardyouare: it’s been beneficial. I’m. Grateful for it.

@Azy\_K-47: Third question (?): I actually don’t think Dolla is dead. A CHARACTER AINT DEAD TO ME UNTIL I SEE THEIR GUTS SPILLED. Will we be seeing more of Dolla?

@sherardyouare: 🥺😭😭😭

@dpeng: are you a fan of anime? if so which ones are ones you really enjoy?

@sherardyouare: yep big anime fan. Though I’m more of an old school anime fan— anything pre-2010 just has an energy that’s not duplicated with China

@Azy\_K-47: What’s with the low count of female destroyers to the point where Dolla is the last female? I’m sure that they could reproduce?

@sherardyouare: that’s going to be explained more in season 4. Also, that ties into how/why Myrin was trigger before I Dolla...

@th3n0v1c3: are you someone who sets aside specific times for work? or do you just sit down and work until you feel finished for the day?
since darbi is a full time series (i expect based on what others have said. most artists on other webtoons have said they can spend 80+ hrs on their comics) i imagine there's a balance between meeting a deadline and getting through those days where you just feel "meh"

@sherardyouare: I work to maintain a schedule. Either morning to afternoon or night into morning

@Ragingwerewolfdude: Will you cover their abilities in later issues such as peers "voice"?

@sherardyouare: yep😀

@Azy\_K-47: Oh boy.
Does Meeka ever tell Loot how his biological sibling abandoned him?

@sherardyouare: Meeka and Loot will have that discussion soon

@Claimoar: This question always interested me. If you kill a good character, do you get any kind of satisfaction (can not find a better word) as in the coming catharsis following the death of said character the readers (and you ofc) would feel?
I read somewhere you have to love the character to get it killed for greater good (ie catharsis). Did you ever have a problem or hesitation to write off for example Nell or Charmer?

@sherardyouare: it’s not satisfaction as much as it’s a completion of that character’s arc

@Shedim: The characters in your story got their fair share of trauma. That makes them relatable to people who have also experienced trauma (even if the characters are dinosaurs). Is this on intention?

@sherardyouare: absolutely. The key themes of darbi are family, identity, and trauma. They develop you.

@SnowYuppie: Any plans for another intermission going over size & maybe aging
Everyone looks like they've grown so much

@sherardyouare: I’ve been thinking about that. Probably not, because I want to move away from categorizing everything in the series. I am considering doing a tabletop RPG that would serve as source material...

@Azy\_K-47: Tuck mentioned that Nell had a type of savage that he’d never seen before. What caused her to mellow out?

@sherardyouare: having her own child and maturing helped her. And a few other things I’m looking forward to showing everyone😀

@dpeng: When darbi mentioned that dolla was getting poisoned by the feathers and it was to combat the drug that made eyes blue, why did it not work? also do eyes only turn blue due to drug or naturally as destroyers?

@sherardyouare: it worked but only temporarily. Slowed her down...

@shemmir: So based of your work schedule you most likely enjoy coffee...
But what's your favorite?

@sherardyouare: true lol. And Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is awesome

@Claimour: By the way, who is your favourite character in the entire series? We need names 😄

@sherardyouare: heehee that’s a secret.........but it’s probably our trio of darbi, peet and Dolla...😄

@Darbi: Is there as of now any plans for a Darbi spin-off of any kind?

@sherardyouare: plans for a spin-off....YEP😀

@MissSteelFox: Will we be seeing more or, per say will Darbi and his family be interacting more with the crocs? I’ve always wanted to see how big the adults were when mal scolded Darbi for trying to attack the “baby” crocs who call her aunt, that she treats as her nieces and nephews.

@sherardyouare: more croc action is coming. Bet on that!

@SleepyBear: Did you hear about the recent discoveries about the Spinosaurus?

@sherardyouare: yep. Is really cool

@Azy\_K-47: Kharma said Shay couldn’t go berserk on her kin, yet in the latest chapter we saw her killing her cousin after Smalltoe told her to nest. Was she able to do it because it was Smalltoe setting off the trigger?

@sherardyouare: yep. She consider smalltoe more like family than her cousins.

@Claimoar: Expected that answer 😄 is there a scene/moment from the comic you look back at and say: Darn, wish I could take it back or rewrite it? If so, which one? 🙂

@sherardyouare: there are a few, being self critical..... but I work to make the next scene or episode better than the previous

@dpeng: if Shay and dolla went 1 v 1 who would win?

@sherardyouare: ooooh!! Good question. I would think it depends on who had the best strategy at the time....

@Shedim: I like that you didn´t took humans as protagonists. Did you ever got criticized for this decision?

@sherardyouare: not criticized as much as questions. The “why dinosaurs?” And “why are they talking?” Questions pop up a lot
And I’ve always loved dinosaurs. Made sense to me to make a series about them.

@Claimoar: Also will be there ever a flashback so we could see baby/teenage Tuck and Nell?

@sherardyouare: yep!😁😁😁😁

@Azy\_K-47: Is Kharma not considered a Destroyer? Dolla said that she was the last female, but Kharma said that she (we) is a Destroyer. Do Destroyers only refer to the ones with blue eyes?

@sherardyouare: Kharma technically isn’t a destroyer. She was trained by one— Goudry— that’s why she could move how she did when she killed Myke

@SleepyBear: Do you ever plan on using Carnotaurus? They’ve always intrigued me with how they could probably run almost 40 mph and just how unique they look

@sherardyouare: I do, going into season 4. I wanted to use them this season, but they didn’t fit story wise

@shemmir: Do you do custom shirts or are you planning on adding any other prints?

@sherardyouare: I do: www.sherardyouare.threadless.com . Shirt designs there.

@Azy\_K-47: Darbi’s dad is a Destroyer, I’m guessing. Is he in a higher ‘rank’ than Mezmehr?

@sherardyouare: it’s not so much what his dad was, but what Nell was...
...which is also why Dolla being a Destroyer is so important...

@Claimoar: Completely unrelated: Have you seen Primal by G. Tartakovsky? What do you think of it?

@sherardyouare: Primal is awesome! Darbi is better tho...😁😁😆😜

@MissSteelFox: Darbi is 100% my favorite thing ever. Can’t wait to support it more and see how far it goes. Can imagine an animated series.

@sherardyouare: you rock!
A Darbi animated series.... I’ll look into it....

@dpeng: Who would you consider the smartest most intellectual character in Darbi?

@sherardyouare: Shay and Meeka.

@Shedim: You also tackle some philosophical topics in you story. Like reincarnation, afterlife and meaning of life itself. That´s sometimes hard to digest but you do it in great way. Like after the fight against Todd where Charmer reappeared again. Will we see more of that in the future (I like it 🙂 ) ?

@sherardyouare: absolutely. Doing a fast pass episode now that deals with that...

@MissSteelFox: In the D-Fam What is the current power ranking between all the living siblings? Like if they had a free for all to the death battle.

@sherardyouare: oooh! I like that! Let’s see: strictly violently...... Dolla, Shay, Darbi, Peet, Meeka.

@Azy\_K-47: Are female destroyers generally more vicious and ferocious than male ones? Jermayne’s father (I didn’t pick up on a name) said that Dolla, as a female destroyer was worrisome

@sherardyouare: oh absolutely!

@SleepyBear: How long does it normally take you to write and make an episode?

@sherardyouare: 5 -6 days

@Orca/Stazi: Question: Who would you say was your favorite character to design? Least favorite?

@sherardyouare: favorite is Darbi..... because....darbi😅 least favorite was Rhed (sooze’s daddy) lots of odd colors....

@Manda: Sherard, i really loved the Stookie sisters and their Savage Song. (i kinda want coasters with the "Do,Re,Mi,La,Fa,So,Ti,Do" artwork hehe.)
The panels were lighthearted and funny, will we get to see how they came upon the lands and found the Legendary (i forget the name of the dinosaur) and will there be any flashbacks of them first being told the tale of Darbi?

@sherardyouare: nice! That was Luman and Rhyett, not the Stookies😅 but thanks! Quick side note: I hadn’t come up for a nickname for those two.....any suggestions?

@Orca/Stazi: I vote Sirens~

@sherardyouare: fucking brilliant!

@Rattler Winter: What made you choose Darbis colors?

@Orca/Stazi: Toothpaste colors 🤣

@sherardyouare: good question! For me, I was thinking in terms of animation: how characters have distinctive color schemes you can immediately recognize in 2 seconds flat. Also, a white feathered dinosaur covered in blood looks funny as shit🤣🤣🤣

@sherardyouare: toothpaste colors, or..... flag colors maybe?😁😁😁😎

@Little Death: Could any fan made characters feature as a side character? (Background character)
Stupid question? Lmao

@sherardyouare: I wish😃 it’s just....copyright laws are a Bish...🤣🤣

@dpeng: I read that you were involved a scanner darkly how much of a party to play in making that movie And how happy were you with the way it turned out?

@sherardyouare: scanner darkly- up until Darbi- was the best job I’d ever had. It was also the most demanding. I did most of the backgrounds in the movie. BTW the scene where Keanu comes into the house, narrating, turns around, and sits down..... I think we called that scene the “computer killer”. Lol

@Shedim: Will you ever visit europe for conventions (when it is possible again) ?

@sherardyouare: I’d love to, would need to be invited...... and would need to survive this plague we’re currently in😅

@shemmir: Wheres your favorite place to travel/visit

@sherardyouare: I really liked going to the Phoenix Conventionafew years back... and Kansas City. BBQ there is amazing

@Rattler Winter: I wonder how a plague in the Darbi world would turn out 👀

@sherardyouare: 😁 season4....

@Claimoar: Considering all that social and ranking stuff mentioned over and over... am I right when I think that Darbi can never be the alpha because he is a male, given the female roles (see Nell, those flying whatever things that wanted Mal dead and so on and on) so far? Sorry for the repost, my connection died

@sherardyouare: he can be alpha, because it’s about who can take charge of the pack. It is harder for him though

@Moonbyes: are spinos all destroyers, or did we see an outlier? & what are their species called? (a ‘you’ll see’ answer is also acceptable 👀)

@sherardyouare: species nickname would be finback savages. And not all are destroyers, just those that are triggered to it...
Also: destroyers come out of predatory species.

@MissSteelFox: Once covid dies will there be fan meet ups? I’d love to see the IRL D-Fam and hang out.

@sherardyouare: will see what I can do

@Shedim: A theory:
The ratkin revere Darbi for killing Todd. So they suppose to be the first mammals and also the ancestors for mankind. That would make Darbi the first legendary hero for humanity imprinted in the collective memory. The first legend and hero ?

@sherardyouare: 1)ratkin....love that. And 2) absolutely.

@dpeng: will the D-fam Be getting any strong new allies ?they been looking reeeeally outnumbered

@sherardyouare: indeed they will😁

@Orca/Stazi: What scene in the series was challenging for you? Be it story, drawing/design

@sherardyouare: the Black Snow episodefromseason2. thatwasa painful one to work on

@MissSteelFox: Who is Peet’s official love interest at the moment or will he even have one? Or is he just a player 😂 I thought he and rhyett had something special going on.

@sherardyouare: Peet’s got plenty of love to go around. Lol

@MissSteelFox: Aye Peet the love machine

@Moonbyes: how far along is the series?

@sherardyouare: so far, 3 seasons.... a few more to go

@Manda: Hiatus after season 3 mind. I hope you'll all be here waiting with me
yeah but Spin-off!!!!

@sherardyouare: absolutely😎

@Darbi: Random question I know but: What kind of music do you associate Darbi & Co. with?

@sherardyouare: all kinds, but mostly southern influences

@Rattler Winter: We should make a playlist and vote on songs to be each chracters 'theme song'

@sherardyouare: that would be friggin awesome! Do it, and I’ll put together a Spotify playlist for it

@dpeng: for animating darbi would you rather do a series of episodes or a few long featured movies?

@sherardyouare: would prefer to do a series, but a movie series would be just as awesome!

@Rattler Winter: So, toad juice is pretty obviously based from LSD type stuff. Will there be other things based off of other drugs later in the series?

@sherardyouare: there already is. The Flayed used it in season2😎

@Darbi: Sherard, if you were to make a playlist/soundtrack to the series what is one artist you would include on it?

@sherardyouare: And old one.... https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6cOgzrj0i4hbVjxatGnWuE?si=TzOtCqhXQW2qtmlIutiE6g

@Little Death: Would we be able to art collab? And others can join in if they want to anyone in the server I mean

@sherardyouare: can’t collab. Busy schedule...😢

@MissSteelFox: I will personally volunteer to help moderate or whatever the RP Chat and make it my job to eat anyone being weird or sexual. I enjoy RP’ing a ton so I think it be a blast. @Manda

@Manda: I'll consider it, everything goes through Sherard first 😄 @MissSteelFox

@Manda: Sherard do you approve of there being a Roleplay section for the die-hard roleplaying fans? shall we make it a thing?

@MissSteelFox: pls dad

@sherardyouare: I do approve, on a few conditions:....
1) be cool with each other and 2) no monetary gain from it..... fan-related Roleplay

@Orca/Stazi: Question: When you start the story process, do you have events that are pre planned or is it sometimes a spur of the moment "This sounds cool so I'm gonna try and work it in?"

@sherardyouare: story elements are planned. I have an outline for season. Change it up when the story calls for it

@sherardyouare: Also: and seriously considering a tabletop RPG. If. Launched, would you guys play it?

@Shedim: Yes!!!

@Manda: Yes!!

@Rattler Winter: I would play it like I play Skyrim. Constantly.

@GypsyBird: Do you envision the characters with specific voices when you write their lines?

@sherardyouare: I do indeed😀😀😀

@Claimoar: Also the last question... will we ever know the reason why Tuck had not told Peet he was his father? That kinda foreshadowing (you can tell me when we are back) is killing me D:

@sherardyouare: you will. When you learn why it might make you cry.....fair warning😨

@MissSteelFox: Didn’t Peet already come to some sort of conclusion that tuck was his dad when they were talking and being attacked by the chickies?

@sherardyouare: he did, but he still needs to find out why he can do his “thing” and why tuck his the truth from him

@Claimoar: That shout scene really reminded me of the Lion King. Instead of Simba we got Peet and Tuck was still alive... sorta

@sherardyouare: lion king....with more blood and guts. Lol

@MissSteelFox: By any chance when Sateen and her kin were slaughtering the males of mal’s kind. Did they ever actually cross breed? If so will we be seeing a new species pop up in all r shit?

@sherardyouare: great question! She could with some of them, but the rest she couldn’t, and their bloodline died. Sateen wasn’t very forward-thinking in her ways
Also, that was the reason she panicked when the two males she’d brought with her died: they were already blooded in and could reproduce with the females

@MissSteelFox: Truly unfortunate. guess that’s what happens when you punch Darbi repeatedly. And f with mal n her kids.
Can you explain blooded in? I think I know what you mean but in case I’m wrong.

@sherardyouare: raised as Maheovatan