Here is an interview given in 2011 by the lovely Jorge Cham, creator of the webcomic Piled Higher and Deeper (cf this post).

This is quite a good example about where to find the ideas for a comic, and how things can start unexpectedly. It is indeed always easier to write about situations you know or live on a daily basis than starting from the scratch when it comes to this kind of media.

Unlike in literature, where extensive research can be needed to create the storyline, comics are mostly for relaxation, fun and quick-reading. But knowing the field your comic focuses on can only be very helpful. This is especially true with PhD: the author has been himself in his characters' shoes, from the students' to the teachers'. For example when Cecilia becomes an assistant professor, Jorge Cham was starting his university teacher carrier as well. As for the advisor professor, I am relieved to know that this character does not have any real life model...

The career information about Jorge Cham are present in this interview as well. He is now taking care of PhD almost full-time, still giving conferences (well, mostly about his comic... !) but not working much as a teacher anymore.
Nevertheless, his research papers and a few conferences are available online. I haven't had time to check out the conferences yet but the papers are a very interesting reading!

I also took note that Jorge Cham first posted PhD on phd.stanford.edu before Google launched... It seems like being a PhD student in the mid-1990's really was some kind of fun.

Making a comic: PhD example

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