East Providence Firefighter Has Artistic Flair

Most people come home after work and talk about their day. Rick Billings of the illustrates it.

A firefighter for more than 16 years, Billings creates a monthly comic book for 1st Responder, an industry magazine reaching fire departments up and down the East coast. From firefighting zombies to badge-wearing clowns, Billings’ comics offer a satirical look at life on the inside among East Providence’s bravest.

His foray into the world of visual art started long before his post at Ladder 1, Station 2 in Riverside. Billings, who lives in Barrington with his partner, Kathy Kirman, and her daughter Hayley, is a lifelong illustrator and painter. His work has been showcased in various galleries and art shows throughout the state. He was one of 200 people selected as a Providence Art Club’s featuring of local artists sponsored by Fidelity Investments.

When it comes to creating comics, Billings draws inspiration from his daily work. From procedural gripes to workplace culture and personalities, Billings is able to bring his station to life in a funny and artistic way.

In a comic titled Right Tool, Wrong Place, Billings depicted a firefighter who was playing an action video game, in which there was smoke and fire. True to his training, the character says, “Heavy smoke, take out windows!” and proceeds to smash the TV screen.

When it comes to comics, the fire department has not been Billing’s only muse. Before contributing the 1st Responder, he often submitted the cartoon Bear and Picasso to the Providence Journal’s now-defunct R Tunes page, which featured comics from the public. The title characters were based on Billings' two pets of 20 years ago. True to his process of turning real life into illustrated art, when the pets died, so did the comic.

Billings says this is typical of the life cycle of comic strips, and one that the 1st Responder is not immune to.

“When I retire, I don’t know if I could keep writing comics about the fire department,” said Billings. “My comics are ways for me to comment on what I see every day. If I don’t have exposure to something every day, it can’t make its way into a comic.”

While Billings said he loves his post within the department, he said the comic strip helps him deal with the ups and downs that can come with any job.

When an in-house mishap or funny exchange happens, Billings immediately sees it as an opportunity to make artistic commentary.

This has prompted many at the firehouse to jokingly warn each other, "You better watch out, or you'll end up in a cartoon!"

It was at the urging of a friend some 17 years ago that caused Billings to look into taking the required test to start training for the department. Before that, he worked in what he described an “unfulfilling job” in a hospital kitchen.

While his careers may have changed over his lifetime, one thing that always remained constant was his love and talent for producing art.

With most, it would seem as if their creative outlet was their hobby. But with Billings, one quickly gets the impression that his day job is his hobby, and that the rest of him is pure artist.

Besides contributing comics to the 1st Responder, Billings also runs reddogart.com, a website that showcases and sells his artwork. He is also illustrating a book he has written with plans to shop it around for publication.

“The book has been a labor of love for me,” he said. “When I retire, I’m going to need something to fulfill me. I really believe in the book.”

Between pulling nights at the station in Riverside and producing eclectic art, Billings will have a lot to keep him busy, well into his retirement.