Herron alum Ashton Dame on using Instagram as a platform for interactive storytelling

Like many visual artists, Ashton Dame (B.F.A. Printmaking '12) uses Instagram to share and promote his creations. His first post under @kreaturekastle dates back to November 28, 2011. Today, over 12,400 followers watch for Dame's content consisting mostly of sketches and works-in-progress as well as the occasional personal update.

In 2014, Dame pushed the boundaries of the photo-sharing social media network with an imaginative choose-your-own-adventure comic called "Quest of Death." Three years later, with more than 300 posts, the webcomic has gained an audience of nearly 3,000 followers who decide the fate of the story’s protagonist in the comments of each post.

We asked the Brooklyn-based artist about what he’s learned along the way and what’s in store for the next chapter of "Quest of Death" as he transitions to Patreon, a membership-based platform that connects creators with patrons.

HERRON: First and foremost, how would you sum up the comic?

ASHTON DAME: "Quest of Death" is a story about a guardian named Birt who's tasked with keeping corrupt gods imprisoned for all time. When those gods break free and seek to regain control of the planet, only you can help our hero stop them!

HERRON: What’s the origin story behind "Quest of Death?" 

DAME: At the time "Quest of Death" started, I was in a weird transition phase in my life. I had just left behind Indianapolis and all my old friends, went through a break-up and had no real job prospects. Needless to say, I was a bit down in the dumps. Then one day, while taking a shower, the idea just suddenly popped into my head: "Wait a minute, I should make a comic!"

HERRON: What inspired you to use Instagram as a platform for your webcomic over others out there like Tapas?

DAME: Instagram felt like the best fit at the time due to its insane popularity and built-in audience. It's easy to use, people already knew how to navigate it, and it could become searchable via the web without having to purchase a domain or hosting platform. Also, it was important to me to keep it free of charge.

Additionally, being a total newbie to comics at that time, I was really overwhelmed about how to format the whole thing and where to begin, and the structure of Instagram gave me a simple set of rules and parameters to work within, so I could spend less time focusing on page layout/composition and more on just having fun and making it. To top it all off, I noticed no one was really doing it, so that had some appeal.

HERRON: Do you have a disciplined production schedule?

DAME: I just post when it’s convenient for me. I often stay up late into the night working on it, then get a couple hours of sleep, then go to work feeling like a zombie all day, and do it all over again the next night. I tried sticking to schedules and various other things, but could never keep up with it. So I just agreed to do my best at any given time.

The main issue with the Quest has been my inability to post it regularly, which really bugs me because it's been received so well and I know the fans want more. Luckily, to alleviate this, I'm setting up a Patreon account just for "Quest of Death" and hoping fans will help fund it so I can take it on more seriously and see it to the end.

HERRON: Tell us about the "choose your own adventure" aspect of the comic. How does the voting process work?

DAME: The idea for making "Quest of Death" interactive came about later in the process of getting it all started. At that point, I already knew I wanted to post on Instagram and I wanted to make a comic, but that was about it. Then, after days of sitting at my desk for too long and coming up with nothing good, I had the idea to invite fans of the comic to help me write it since I clearly was struggling. After that revelation, I decided to keep the plot extremely simple just to get it started, with no idea how the whole thing would end. The story only began from point A without knowing where point B was. I even had fans vote on what to name the main character in the beginning, which was really fun.

The voting process is pretty simple. I post a series of panels, then on the last panel I allow users to vote by placing their vote in the comments section of that post. For example: "Our hero is walking down a path when he comes to a fork in the road. Option A = go left. Option B = go right." After a 24-hour period, I record all the votes, tally them up, and then take them offline. Whatever option has the most votes is what I draw next! 

HERRON: What are your top five must-haves for creation?

DAME: A vast array of music for all moods and feels; food in my stomach; a moderately tidy workspace; lots of pens, loads of Bristol paper; and getting adequate sleep each night, which didn’t affect me when I went to Herron, but just wait, kids, it’s coming…

HERRON: Will "Quest of Death" someday expand to print?

DAME: I do not foresee the original "Quest of Death" panels being put into print as the files were only formatted for the web. I anticipate keeping "Quest of Death" going in some shape or form for quite a while, certainly not stopping anytime soon this year. Plans are being made to revive it and eventually restructure it a bit so I can move the old content onto a website to have it archived for all to see. The Quest's reception surpassed my expectations in a big way, and now I'm encountering the unique dilemma where there is SO MUCH content on the page it can be a bit time-consuming to scroll down to the beginning of the feed to start at the story's first panel. I want to make it more accessible for newcomers.

HERRON: What future spin-offs or endeavors do you have planned?

DAME: "Quest of Death" will live on in various ways for a long time, in other shapes and forms, but the Instagram account does have a limited shelf life. I'm currently in the process of pitching graphic novel ideas to major publishers for a book that, while not entirely related to the Quest, will still feature old characters from within that same world. There's a massive world of things I want to show people that I have only barely scratched the surface on, and I think print is still a valid medium so I want to really go for it. I want to make a big ol' doorstopper of a book. 

Then, I want to turn my full attention toward the art-direction of an animation team to help me create even more wild and crazy projects to bring my characters to life. But I will always think of the Quest as my introduction to comics. I learned so much from it. I now have the skills needed to tackle a book and work with page-layout design and more involved stories that I previously couldn’t wrap my head around.

HERRON: How did your Herron education prepare you for self-publishing and promotion?

DAME: The skills I learned at Herron all revealed themselves to me later in life in seemingly indirect ways since my major didn't really mesh with comics. I majored in printmaking, which I fell in love with entirely. To be honest, I did not think very hard past where that would take me after graduation. I just got excited to make prints and completely immersed myself in the program and spent a ton of late-night hours in the studio figuring out how things worked and what didn’t work. Those were some really fun years.

In doing so, I think I learned more about how to build effective images and spent less time thinking about career-oriented planning. I was able to focus more on the art itself, which ultimately led to me finding my own path.