Long Story Short ★ PAUL CHADWICK

Classically Trained but TIMELESS in His Approach to CREATIVE STORYTELLING

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Hailing from an isolated island in the Pacific Northwest, PAUL CHADWICK is a quiet legend with fierce talent whose work, whether writing or illustrating, carries a much-envied signature of relatable human experiences.

BTP: I’ve wrestled with where to start this interview. You’ve had such a dynamic career and brushed up against so many interesting people that it boggles my mind. And yet...and yet, you live on a secluded island in the Pacific Northwest like one of those creative mad geniuses who needs a way to separate themselves from the world. There are a few of those in this area. But I think where I’d like to start is with STORY. Where did your love of story form, and how is it that no matter what you write, whether a blog post or a comic, that you’re able to get to the soul of the material so quickly?

CHADWICK: Well, everybody loves story. It’s emotionally charged learning. I think Brian MacDonald’s theory that storytelling was invented to impart survival information rings true. I imagine hunters and warriors came back with gripping stories, with life-or-death consequences, loaded with lessons for hunters-to-be. Same for gatherers — I ate the dark red berry and immediately started puking!

BTP: I’d heard that as well. It makes me wonder how many tall tales were born around the fire...and what was that branching off point where people embraced real fiction to perform or reenact for entertainment’s sake. Did it really all start with the Greeks? What are some of the greatest lessons that story has taught you about how to live?