'Unapologetically Rhode Island': Creator Will Henry on why 'Wallace the Brave' is so special

"Wallace the Brave" shines a light on the things that make Rhode Island ... well, Rhode Island.

"It's unapologetically Rhode Island," said Will Henry , the creator of the "Wallace the Brave" comic strip, Wednesday night at a special event hosted by The Providence Journal at Maury Loontjens Memorial Library in Narragansett .

From Goat Island to Potters Cove, Henry said he likes to put Rhode Island references into his strip because he loves his home state and he believes many of the themes – from hard-working, loving parents to poking fun at tourists – resonate with his national and international audience.

"Wallace the Brave" chronicles the life of a young boy and his friends growing up in Snug Harbor, a town in Rhode Island. Will Henry is the pen name of William Henry Wilson, who grew up in Matunuck and now lives in Jamestown.

When Henry showed his depiction of Goat Island – literally one goat on a small hill of grass – he said he got emails from fans across the country asking if Rhode Island does indeed have a small island with one goat on it.

He said he likes to think of himself as Wallace, but admitted he's probably more like Wallace's goofier friend Spud. He modeled Wallace's parents off his own parents, and said the adventures of his own sons, ages 4 and 6, provide inspiration for the strip.

Henry showed the audience the very first "Wallace the Brave" strip, and also gave them some insight into the process of being a comic strip artist. He said he is about a month ahead with his strips; he prefers to color his panels himself (some cartoonists allow their strips to be colored in by someone else); he showed an example of one strip with a bunch of red marks from his editor; and he said unlike some artists who use computers, he prefers the feel of drawing with pen, pencil and paper.

Henry's love for his work was evident as he fielded questions from the audience and drew a sample Wallace and Spud, quickly and (seemingly) effortlessly. But he acknowledged a daily strip takes him about three hours to complete, with the larger Sunday strips taking even longer.

The presentation made good on a promise Journal editors made to the readers who complained when "Wallace the Brave" was briefly removed from the paper: that the Journal would bring "Wallace" back and offer an opportunity for readers to meet the artist.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 'Unapologetically Rhode Island': Creator Will Henry on why 'Wallace the Brave' is so special