Nick Cagnetti is a cartoonist based in Arizona and a graduate of Arizona State University with experience doing storyboards and commercial art but he’s been drawing forever thanks to a life-long love for comic books. He’s been making his own regularly since 2012 with books like Infinite Wonders and The Spirit of The Shadows but he’s best known for his work on Pink Lemonade.
PINK LEMONADE #1 by Nick Cagnetti
Nick Cagnetti is one of the cartoonists that inspires me and I’m happy to feature here. Looking back, I found my glowing review of Pink Lemonade #1 from 2019, when it was published by Drew Ford’s IT’S ALIVE. Nick and I talk about the legacy of Drew Ford, one of the great champions of offbeat comics. Pink Lemonade is now published by Oni Press.
“I try to keep pushing myself, to get even better. I try to make stuff I enjoy personally, that makes me smile.”
— Nick Cagnetti on his craft.
Comics can change the world, or we hope so. I’ve earned my stripes over the years championing comics of all types: comics that aspire to be pure art; comics that pursue social justice; comics that emulate literary fiction; comics by everyday amateurs; and comics by the best artists in the business at a professional level. Which comics are truly worthy of attention or best represent the medium? Well, the best comics are the ones worth reading, with something to say, and have a distinct level of authenticity. Cagnetti’s work rises to that level, much in the spirit of Daniel Clowes, Darwyn Cooke and Mike Allred. The professional cartoonist’s career is all about evolution and progress. It’s great to be able to chat with Cagnetti, a young talent who has already achieved a level of excellence he can be proud of.
I am a fan of all sorts of styles, from very simple to hyper-realistic. What matters most is that the comics, and the cartoonist, have that X-factor, that certain quality that gives the final product a compellingly human touch. Often, among all the genres and subcategories, what I truly love is offbeat and eccentric comics. That’s why I made a point of bringing up during our interview that old cult classic Marvel Comics favorite, Howard the Duck. It is not everyone’s cup of tea but that is the whole point. It was the brainchild of writer Steve Gerber. The tagline says it all, “Trapped in a world he never made!” Cagnetti’s own Pink Lemonade main character could definitely say the same thing.
The Spirit of the Shadows
Pink Lemonade is a must-read and needs to be added to your shelf if you don’t already have it. Pink Lemonade is published by Oni Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster. You can also keep up with Nick Cagnetti and his ongoing projects, like The Spirit of the Shadows. Just go to his website, Radical Realm Comics.
The Spirit of The Shadows new ashcan.
I also want to mention Nick’s new work, with Daniel Ziegler, on The Spirit of the Shadows. He will have ashcan samplers available at the upcoming Arizona Comic Book Arts Festival on March 9th and those comics will also be available on Nick’s site. And one more bit of news: keep an eye out for a comics project Nick did with writer Zack Quaintance. It’s an anthology called, Death of Comics Bookcase, presumably about the demise of Zack’s comics blog, and will be launching a campaign soon on Kickstarter.
Here is the video interview. I encourage you to give us a view, LIKE and COMMENT. Every bit helps in order to keep things moving along smoothly. You’ll miss a lot more cool stuff if you don’t visit! Thanks.
