Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Tom Gould via phone call on June 11th, 2025. Some of the questions/answers have been rearranged, edited, and paraphrased to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
You’ve been faithfully posting a new comic every Friday since 2014, what inspired that commitment?
I graduated from John Paul the Great Catholic University in California. Matt Martinusen was starting a Catholic men’s blog called The Catholic Fellows. He thought it would be fun to start a comic for the Men’s blog. While the other writers moved on, Matt encouraged me to continue. There wasn’t a meaning to Friday at first, it was originally a deadline for the blog. But as I continued Tomics after the blog ceased, I figured I would keep posting on Fridays as that day has significance for us as Catholics.
How has your creative process evolved over the years?
I think I definitely look stuff up more. It used to mostly be Bible puns, but now I like to use the knowledge I have or acquire to teach the faith. So I’ll be more careful when looking up stuff. I use a Wacom Tablet, and I like to handwrite the lettering. I found a free website where I could turn my handwriting into a font, and have turned my handwriting into a font to save time. It helps with spacing and sizing of letters. I have tried to both streamline and keep the process personalized.
Your comics bring Scripture to life with humor and visual storytelling. How do you strike the balance between being reverent and being funny—especially when depicting scenes with Jesus and the apostles?
That’s a tough one. There are certain lines I don’t cross and not everyone is going to agree with where that line is. My approach to humor is to invite people into the stories. It’s trying to encourage people to the Gospel but understanding that people often think in turns of puns and jokes. I try to make the apostles look silly during the Gospels because they were bumbling fools at times in the Gospels. I don’t do that with Jesus and I don’t recharacterize individuals from how they are portrayed in the Bible.
You occasionally dive into the Old Testament and the lives of the saints. What’s been one of your favorite “non-Gospels” comics to create, and why?
For the Old Testament, in the story of Adam and Eve I portrayed Satan as a sock-puppet. Besides that, Moses puns are fun. The Israelites are freed from slavery and can’t help but complain soon after. Like what’s God done for us lately? I dial up the denseness about Exodus and the Israelites to point out the ridiculousness of their complaints.
You contributed artwork to the Council at Daybreak game from The Catholic Card Game. What was that collaboration like, and how did your style fit into the world of Catholic tabletop gaming?
Matt had made the Catholic Card Game already. He was great with reaching out to people to collaborate with. He got Fr. Mike Schmitz and Pints with Aquinas to make suggestions for the cards.
A few years later Matt had this idea to make a Catholic Mafia game (based on One Night Werewolf). This game was more illustration focused. I had fun making this game! Matt had all the names of the cards and concepts. I gave him a few test things and he either approved them or added adjustments. I was pretty free to design the cards/characters how I envisioned them.
If a young Catholic artist approached you wanting to evangelize through comics or visual storytelling, what advice would you give them—spiritually and artistically?
That’s a tough one, but I think definitely being knowledgeable about the faith. I have to relook up stuff about Catholicism to make sure I get it right. Before college, I had my Catechism. During college I had philosophy courses to help build up the faith. Nowadays, I look up things in the Bible, the Catechism, and Catholic Answers. I think I take for granted at times how valuable having this knowledge is.
Another thing is not to wait until the art is perfect to start. I think having a deadline where you have to post something helps you get over perfectionism. And the main thing is you are serving God in your art. As long as you are trying to represent the faith well and God well that’s the main thing.
Be open to criticism if you get the theology wrong.
Who do you consider your patron saint?
For my work and my confirmation saint is Lawrence. I connected with the gallow’s humor and his story is short and almost fairy tale like.
The Holy Family is another one I pray to a lot especially as I draw comics about them. Mary and Joseph are the two saints physically closest to Jesus.
Another saint that’s connected to me a lot is Joan of Arc. Her story is a strange place where theology sticks itself with history. Joan brings God into the reality of the war between France and England. Saints that have a very clear space in history help me.
Anytime I do a comic about a particular saint I ask them for intercession.
Where’s the best place for my audience to read your comics?
Instagram is where I am most active and I like the formatting. I think the slides are nice.
Patreon, Tumblr, X, Facebook.
Patreon patreon.com/Tomics
Facebook facebook.com/TomicsComics
Twitter/X X.com/TomicsComics
Tumblr tumblr.com/TomicsComics
Instagram Instagram.com/Tomics.Comics
About Tom:
I’m a lifelong cartoonist from a big Catholic family. My art was inspired by animated superhero shows and the ever-popular “Peanuts” and “Calvin & Hobbes” comic strips; my faith was formed by my parents, several church communities, and my small Catholic college. I’ve been posting weekly “Tomics” for just over ten years now, and I hope to continue using my gifts to bring people closer to God in a way that’s accessible, faithful, and fun.
