Interviews

VanCAF's Andrea Demonakos on Cons, Creators, and Fans
VanCAF's Andrea Demonakos on Cons, Creators, and Fans
VanCAF's Andrea Demonakos on Cons, Creators, and Fans
Andrea Demonakos is one of the many women in comics whose hard work is never properly appreciated. Working as an organizer and coordinator at Emerald City Comicon, then ReedPOP, and named last year as the new festival director for the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival, Demonakos is an integral figure in the comics convention and festival scene, and that gives her a great perspective on the comics community. ComicsAlliance reached out to Demonakos post-ECCC to find out more about what it takes to run a comic con, why comic conventions are so important for creators, and what advice she has for first-time attendees.
Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota Dive Back Into 'Johnny Wander'
Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota Dive Back Into 'Johnny Wander'
Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota Dive Back Into 'Johnny Wander'
Ahead of the Johnny Wander omnibus release, ComicsAlliance talked to Hirsh and Ota about what it was like to revisit their old work, how they set boundaries for their comic, the Kickstarter process and if they see themselves returning to autobiographical comics in the vein of the omnibus.
Talking Body: Kat Verhoeven's Dishes on 'Meat & Bone'
Talking Body: Kat Verhoeven's Dishes on 'Meat & Bone'
Talking Body: Kat Verhoeven's Dishes on 'Meat & Bone'
If you are what you eat (or at least what you dream about swallowing whole), Meat & Bone's Anne Verbeek is soon destined to become Jane Fonda's Barbarella. To clarify: Anne isn't a cannibal, but her deep-seated body issues are manifesting in ways that are catching both Anne and her friends off guard. ComicsAlliance spoke with Meat & Bone creator Kat Verhoeven about her queer slice-of-life webcomic, the far-reaching influence of body image, and well-rendered chins.
Hockey And Happy Endings: ‘Check Please’ Creator Ngozi Ukazu On Finding Another Way Into Sports
Hockey And Happy Endings: ‘Check Please’ Creator Ngozi Ukazu On Finding Another Way Into Sports
Hockey And Happy Endings: ‘Check Please’ Creator Ngozi Ukazu On Finding Another Way Into Sports
Ngozi Ukazu is a sensation in the world of webcomics. Her series Check, Please has an amazingly strong fandom --- translating the comic into other languages, indexing it, creating fanart and fanfic --- and her Kickstarter to print Check, Please Year 2 destroyed its goal in a matter of hours. Check, Please follows Eric Bittle, former figure skater, during his years at Samwell University. He joins Samwell's hockey team and, well, it changes his life. ComicsAlliance had a chance to chat with Ukazu at Emerald City Comicon about hockey fandom, relationships, and finding humor in all kinds of situations.
Take a Tour of Toronto in the 'Yonge at Heart' Anthology [Back Pages]
Take a Tour of Toronto in the 'Yonge at Heart' Anthology [Back Pages]
Take a Tour of Toronto in the 'Yonge at Heart' Anthology [Back Pages]
There are many cities which could be considered a "home" for comics, and Toronto is right up there as one of the biggest creative communities in the medium today. With a number of the most famous writers and artists in comics today hailing from Canada, and a rising number of conventions and events taking place across Toronto itself, there's a real sense of activity coming from the city these days. And with Toronto itself also having a fascinating history of its own, why not explore that a little? With Toronto Comics, editor Steven Andrews has been able to bring a sense of that spirited community to comics, and currently has a Kickstarter running to help fund the latest in the series of anthologies themed around Toronto --- and featuring comics creators from the city --- to life. To find out more about the project, ComicsAlliance spoke to Andrews about his work on the series, and what readers can expect should the latest volume be funded.
Archie's Creative Team on Wreaking Havoc in Riverdale
Archie's Creative Team on Wreaking Havoc in Riverdale
Archie's Creative Team on Wreaking Havoc in Riverdale
In this week's Archie #18, the rebooted Archie universe is getting a few pretty notable additions. First, Cheryl and Jason Blossom --- having already appeared in the last arc as Veronica attended a boarding school --- are making their way to Riverdale with designs on, well, pretty much destroying everything in their path, as is their wont. Second, long-time writer Mark Waid is being joined for the new arc by the new regular artist on the series, Pete Woods, who presumably does not want to destroy everything in his path. Although really, one never knows. To find out, I spoke to Waid and Woods about taking on the iconic Archie characters, the influence of Riverdale, and if --- when! --- we will finally see Jingles the Christmas Elf show up.
Nom De Plume, Nom De Guerre: Megan Lavey-Heaton and Isabelle Melancon Reveal ‘Namesake’ [Webcomic Q&A]
Nom De Plume, Nom De Guerre: Megan Lavey-Heaton and Isabelle Melancon Reveal ‘Namesake’ [Webcomic Q&A]
Nom De Plume, Nom De Guerre: Megan Lavey-Heaton and Isabelle Melancon Reveal ‘Namesake’ [Webcomic Q&A]
Escapist fantasies are seductive in their power to take us away. Whatever mundane, excruciating chore you find yourself mired in, forget it. Imagine yourself in a fairy tale, where the fantastic and enchanting and eye-catching come to life. Or fashion yourself with some unshakable destiny, charted on a world-saving path that is only yours. In Megan Lavey-Heaton and Isabelle Melançon's Namesake, Emma Crewe gets both of those — she's plopped into a world of inter-stitched classic fairy tales (Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz) to find herself expected to serve as a "Dorothy." Her fantastical escape might not be quite what she expected. ComicsAlliance spoke with Melançon and Lavey-Heaton about genre subversion, color choices, and the problem with "grimdark."
Why A 'Nightwing' Movie Could Be Vital For Roma Representation
Why A 'Nightwing' Movie Could Be Vital For Roma Representation
Why A 'Nightwing' Movie Could Be Vital For Roma Representation
Last month Warner Bros announced plans for a Nightwing movie from Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay, set within the evolving DC Cinematic Universe. The announcement is a logical next step for the studio, as it places a spotlight on one of the most popular characters in the Batman family. It's also news that makes a lot of fans of the character nervous, as Nightwing is one of the few positive mainstream representations of Rromani identity in popular culture. Many fans fear that this element of the character won't make it to the big screen, in the latest example of live action comics adaptations ignoring opportunities for diversity and minority representation.
Mike Kingston 'Headlocked: The Hard Way' Interview
Mike Kingston 'Headlocked: The Hard Way' Interview
Mike Kingston 'Headlocked: The Hard Way' Interview
Mike Kingston has described Headlocked, the comic he writes with artist Michel Mulipola as a cable TV drama-style take on the world of professional wrestling, centered on an aspiring actor who gives up on theater to focus on making it in the King of Sports. With three volumes funded through Kickstarter campaigns, the series has become a cult favorite among wrestling fans and comics readers, both for the ongoing story and the involvement of pro wrestlers as writers and artists for bonus stories included in the paperbacks Now, as the campaign for Headlocked Volume 4: The Hard Way is rolling along, I sat down with Kingston at Emerald City Comic-Con to talk about bridging the gap between comics and pro wrestling, the strange journey he's taken, and what it's like to share a table at a comic book convention with the legendary 16-time world champion, Ric Flair.
Sarah Graley on the Gothic Aesthetic of 'Kim Reaper'
Sarah Graley on the Gothic Aesthetic of 'Kim Reaper'
Sarah Graley on the Gothic Aesthetic of 'Kim Reaper'
College student Becka thinks her fellow classmate Kim, described by Becka as "100% cutie with a booty," is basically an angel. And she is, sorta. Kim's an angel of death, a part-time grim reaper. Look, we all take odd jobs in college to make the ends meet. ComicsAlliance spoke with Kim Reaper series creator Sarah Graley to chat about Becka and Kim's shenanigans, odd couples, and what it takes to be hired as a grim reaper.

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