Here at downthetubes we were delighted to hear award-winning comic creator Rachael Smith was hoping to bring her autobiographical webcomic Nap Comix to print, and thrilled she had time to answer some questions about the project, just ahead of exhibiting at MCM Expo in London this weekend, and also just as the Kickstarter hit its initial goal, which means that now, Rachael is hoping to hit stretch goals to make the final book even more special than it already is.
You can check out the Nap Comix Kickstarter right here, right now. The book will include the first year’s worth of comics, as well as some exclusive content.
Based in Manchester, Rachael Smith is best known for making comics that deal with mental health issues with warm, relatable humour, such as Wired Up Wrong, Quarantine Comix and Isabella & Blodwen.
Oh, and one of her limited edition enamel badges sits on on my desk, alongside another by Garry Floyd, to cheer my working day.
Aside from continuing to draw Nap Comix, published on Webtoons, about being a new mum, this year she’s co-created the thoroughly marvellous graphic novel Who Killed Nessie? with Paul Cornell, published by Avery Hill Publishing, out now, and, as she tells us below, has a new project in the works, too.
Rachael also wrote and drew the humour comics for Titan’s Doctor Who, Tenth Doctor comic series for three years, and has created work for The New Yorker, Image, Boom! Studios, and Mad Cave, among others.
For those unfamiliar could you tell us what Nap Comix is, from your perspective, and where folk can find it?
Nap Comix is a collection of short diary comics about being a new mum. I mainly make them when my son Henry is sleeping – hence the name! I’ve been making them since Henry was four months old…he’s almost three now which is very scary, haha! You can read all the comics on Webtoon here.
Was Nap Comix your first webcomic? What prompted you to start it?
No, my very first webcomic was called “One Good Thing”, which I started in… 2009 maybe? It was when I had just started therapy and I was trying to be generally more positive about the world around me, so I would draw one good thing that happened to me every day. It was a good exercise!
Another big webcomic project was Quarantine Comix, in 2020, where I would make a diary comic about life during the pandemic every day. That one got picked up by Icon Publishing in 2021 and is now a really nice graphic novel!
With Nap Comix, I started it because diary comics have always been how I’ve grounded myself and made sense of the world around me. Never have I needed more of a grounding than when I became a mum! I was also told, by lots of other mums, when I first gave birth to Henry, that mums tend to forget the very early days, and I didn’t want that to happen to me – I wanted to try to record everything – even the bad, hard stuff. Then I just kept going!
How many people read Nap Comix on Webtoons?
It has almost 80k views on Webtoons, and 252 subscribers.
If someone reading this interview hasn’t read Nap Comix, where should they start? From the beginning, or are there sequences that you have found particularly resonated with your readers?
I mean, I would start at the beginning just because it’s easier to then just scroll through the whole lot? But you can dip in anywhere you like! You don’t really have to read them in any order.
Has the strip evolved in the telling in any way? By that I mean, obviously, life events have shaped it, but has your approach to drawing each episode changed?
I used to be a lot more regimented about it I think – only because the rest of my life felt like chaos, I liked having control over the drawing aspect, haha! I had rules like the comic has to fit on one A4 piece of paper, and I had to do it in less than an hour (usually because Henry wouldn’t nap for longer than that), it had to be kept in black and white, that kind of thing. These days I’m a lot more relaxed about it, there are longer comics and splashes of colour now and again.
It takes a huge amount of self discipline to create a regular webcomic. Apart from the life events the strip reflects, have there been any practical challenges to creating Nap Comix during its run?
If Henry has been poorly, or if I’ve been poorly, or if both of us are poorly at the same time – then obviously it’s more of a challenge. I took a few weeks off at one point just because everything felt a bit much. Other than that I don’t think I’ve missed an update.
What would you say to anyone thinking of starting their own web comic?
Definitely do it! It’s a great way to practice and get your work out there at the same time. Just be aware of promising too much – don’t set a schedule you can’t keep to realistically. And try to have a bit of a buffer of at least three episodes ahead.
What has been your biggest reward creating Nap Comix?
There’s been two, really. The first is the Kickstarter! We funded in two days. I hadn’t realised how many people there were out there who just really, really liked this project. It’s been wonderful. I’m very grateful to my readers.
The other one is a little difficult to talk about. I had a miscarriage earlier this year, which I made an episode of Nap Comix about. After I posted that comic, the outpouring of love and support and ‘I feel seen’ messages was overwhelming. It helped me knowing I wasn’t alone, but also warmed my heart knowing I’d helped others like me. I think that comic will always be one of the most important things I’ve ever made in my life.
If you would like to read it, probably best to read on Insta. It’s nice to see it in context with all the wonderfully kind, empathetic, positive comments it got. (Read Part One | Read Part Two)
Has the process of creating Nap Comix been cathartic in ways you perhaps didn’t expect, given the life events you have been through since starting it?
Definitely. It helps me to take a step back from everything and see my life for the wonderful, chaotic, exhausting, amazing mess that it is, haha! I love it. Nap Comix, just like “One Good Thing” did all those years ago, helps me look for the joy in everything.
Have you always wanted to see Nap Comix in print, like your other comics, such as the new Who Killed Nessie? graphic novel, and Quarantine Comix?
Yes, I always wanted it to reach as many folks as possible, especially other new mums who aren’t so sure of themselves. I’m excited that the book will open up a whole new audience of people to my little comics.
Now the book has hit goal, just two days into the campaign (congratulations!), what are you planning to encourage additional backing?
Thank you! Yes, we have some stretch goals already planned. If we reach £8000, then the book will become extra fancy and be printed with spot UV on the cover, and have french flaps.
If we reach £10,000 each book will come with an exclusive, hand-signed and numbered bookplate. If we reach £12,000, then each book will come with stickers and colouring sheets.
Finally – yes, finally! – what else are you currently working on?
I’ve been writing and drawing a new comic which I’m hoping to publish as a webcomic next year at some point. I don’t want to say too much about it because things are very nebulous with it still, but it involves space, and wolves, and love.
Watch this space: rachaelsmith.org 😉
Rachael, thank you for your time and good luck with all your projects!
• You can check out the Nap Comix Kickstarter right here, right now!
Head downthetubes for…
• Follow Rachael Smith’s work on Facebook | Instagram | Linktree | Shop
• Rachael is appearing at: MCM Comic Con London this weekend (24th – 26th October 2025) and will also be at Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival in Harrogate (15th – 16th November 2025)
• Broken Frontier Thought Bubble Preview Interview: “There Are Hard Parts and There Are Wonderful Parts. I’m Just a Mum Trying Her Best” – Rachael Smith Gives Us the Lowdown on the Collected ‘Nap Comix’
• Subscribe to Nap Comix on Webtoons
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Comic Creator Interviews, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features
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