Category Archives: Kristen Gudsnuk

ECCC 2017 Panel Recap: Artists Who Write: The Craft and Creation of Comics

Dark Horse Comics panel on Artist/Writers

There is a special hybrid in the comics industry: the artist/writer. This is a combination of skills common enough in some circles (webcomics and indie graphic novels) but not so much in others (ongoing comic book series). That said, an artist/writer is also in a unique position for those projects where the roles of artist and writer are shared. Dark Horse Comics hosted an engaging and informative panel on this subject during Emerald City Comicon this last weekend that featured cartoonists Matt Kindt (Dept. H, Ether), Kristen Gudsnuk (Henchgirl, The Secret Loves of Geek Girls), and Adam Warren (Empowered). It was moderated by Patric Reynolds (Joe Golem).

ETHER by Matt Kindt and David Rubin

ETHER #5 by Matt Kindt and David Rubin. On Sale March 15.

Matt Kindt focused on ETHER, which he writes and David Rubin draws. Kindt is completely in love with all aspects of comics and continually finds ways to push the medium. But he is also quite appreciative when he teams up with an artist that is on a similar wavelength. “I can give David Rubin, say, a page with six panels and he can find a way to turn that into a 12-panel page.”

EMPOWERED by Adam Warren and Karla Diaz

EMPOWERED: Soldier of Love #2 by Adam Warren and Karla Diaz. On Sale March 22.

Adam Warren encouraged any aspiring cartoonists to not worry too much about a formal cartooning education. Warren said that, after he discovered manga, he was ultimately compelled to relearn comics after attending the Joe Kubert School that provided him with a traditional comics education.

HENCHGIRL by Kristen Gudsnuk.

HENCHGIRL TPB by Kristen Gudsnuk. On Sale March 29.

Kristen Gudsnuk stressed that she is self-taught. When she first developed her Henchgirl webcomic, she did not have to consider how to create the same comic for print. But, she did learn that she would not be able to continue drawing her comics on the subway. She redrew the first four issues of her print comic and went from there. A tip from Cliff Chiang really helped. He scans his pencils and prints them in nonphoto blue and uses that to ink on.

Whether the issues are technical or more general, a panel on the creation of comics has something for everyone. It definitely has the potential to inspire. And plenty to relate to. For instance, Matt Kindt admitted that he feels he is no longer qualified for any other job than being a cartoonist. He says he was never really good at being your typical office worker in a cubicle. But there was one bright spot. He worked out his schedule where he did his drawing from home and, while he was at “work” in the office, he would do his writing. For any aspiring cartoonist, finding a job that is so amenable to your dreams is nice work if you can get it.

For more details, visit Dark Horse Comics right here.

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Filed under Comics, Dark Horse Comics, ECCC, Emerald City Comicon, Kristen Gudsnuk, Matt Kindt, Seattle

Preview: HENCHGIRL #2

Henchgirl #2-Scout-Comics

October sees the return of HENCHGIRL, by Kristen Gudsnuk, published by Scout Comics.

From Diamond Previews:

Check out the comic that io9.com calls “A terribly fun read!” Mary Posa hates her job. She works long hours for little pay, no insurance, and worst of all, no respect. Her co-workers are jerks and her boss doesn’t appreciate her. He’s also a supervillain. Cursed with a conscience, Mary would give anything to be something other than a Henchgirl. Playboy billionaire Greg Gains is holding a masked ball for the elite of Crepe City; Mary and the Butterfly Gang have orchestrated an infallible heist to infiltrate and relieve Gains of his gains. What could go wrong?

HENCHGIRL #2 is listed as Diamond Previews Item Code: AUG151680, will be in your local comics shop on October 28th, and is priced at $3.99. Find it in your current Diamond Previews.

Be sure to visit the Henchgirl site right here.

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Filed under Comics, Diamond Previews, Kristen Gudsnuk, Scout Comics