“Once upon a time…” So began a harmless rhyme Used to teach a simple tale Of morality defined. A villain, dark, and hero, true, Fought as they ought to do. For while opposing forces live There is no rest; the other pursues. The Hero--kind, strong, and brave Defeated the villain—selfish, heartless, and depraved. “Leave my village,” the Hero yelled, The Villain complied; the day was saved. The Hero won as Heroes should For evil cannot triumph over good. The village, at last, was safe; The Villain disappeared into the wood. “Beware the wood,” the elders say For only they can remember the day When good begat its legacy And evil was made to pay. Evil must pay....
RED A new comic book series about an old fairy tale.
--------------------------------------------------------- POLL RESULTS!: Who killed Mr. Body?
Professor Plum, in the Conservatory, with the Lead Pipe.(11%)
Miss Scarlet, in the Kitchen, with the Rope.(11%)
Colonel Mustard, in the Hall, with the Wrench.(11%)
Celeste Green, in the Laundry Room, with the Tommy Gun.(66%)
Be sure to vote in this week's poll!: What other fairy tale characters would you like to see in "RED"?
Q:Where did you grow up?What fictional place would you link it to?
A:I like to tell people I grew up in Maine, as that is the place I’m most proud of being from, but it’d be unfair to limit my answer to that.I’m from Maine by way of Philadelphia, PA; Niagara Falls, NY; and Boston, MA.But for the sake of the next question, let’s just call me a liar and a Mainer.
Maine is like Oz.Compared to the other places I’ve listed, it’s like stepping into a magical, Technicolor-enhanced land where nature controls the land more than the population does, people are nice without ulterior motive, and houses land on those that deserve crushing.
Q:When did you first seriously consider becoming a writer?What sources do you draw from in your work?
A:My aspirations as a writer began as most classic stories do: it was a revenge plot.I was a musical theater major that couldn’t get cast in any musicals.(In retrospect, that was wisely decided.)Befriending some classmates in a similar predicament, we decided to write, produce, and star in our own show and prove everyone wrong.Submitting it to the school, we proved our clout as script- and songwriters, and were granted the funds to produce our show…as long as we didn’t cast ourselves.The show was produced and, not long after, my deserving friends finally won over the spotlight. Luckily, I discovered how much I enjoyed writing.
Stylistically, I draw a lot of my voice from the TV shows I like:Spaced, Buffy, CloneHigh….I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that I watch a lot of television and movies, but the writing I see and hear there is very inspirational for me.
Q:Whatkinds of written work have you attempted, aside from comic books?How do they compare?
A:I actually ended up co-writing 3 musicals, while in college.After those, I was convinced that I couldn’t write dialogue to save my life so I took a playwriting class, wherein I wrote the first draft ofSaving Eva.Scriptwriting and comic writing are very similar for me because I essentially use the same process. I believe in allowing the artist to interpret the work independently, as opposed to dictating exactly what he or she should draw per page or per panel. (Luckily for me, Jeff's extraordinary in that and many other respects.)
In the past, I worked briefly as a video game reviewer and essayist. Presently, when not working on our comics, I'm penning a novel of debatable quality.
Q:Describe your partnership with Jeff.
A:Working with Jeff is one of the most natural-feeling partnerships I’ve had the pleasure of encountering.We’re on the same wave-length.Not only does he understand my humor and comedic-timing, but he knows when it’s not working as it should and can communicate that.He knows how to brainstorm and he knows how to edit; it makes all the difference!It sounds trite, but we really complement each other.
Q:Who is your favorite character you’ve ever created?And do you base characters on people you know?
A:I tend to relate most to the grounding-force characters like Eva from Saving Eva or Zombie from Genre Squad; the ones who think they are a voice of reason in cacophony of weirdness (when really, they're only adding to the noise). However, like any good parent, I love them all of our characters equally for their own, individual reasons. ...That being said, Mom and Dad from Saving Eva are beyond my control and that's the best feeling a creator can ask for.
I really don’t base characters on anyone I know.Sure, if I catch something that a friend or family member does or says that I find particularly hilarious, it’ll undoubtedly make its way into a script….But I’d be too nervous to assign a character to any person; I wouldn’t want to insult them by how I represent the personality.
Q:Do you have any side projects planned?
A:I'm active in the theater and dance community, so when not writing, I tend to spend a lot of time there. But other writing-related projects include getting back to my songwriting roots and improving upon the quality of my first novel attempt.
Q:Tell us 10 facts about yourself.
A: -Jim Henson is my hero.I wanted to be a puppeteer when I was younger and actually studied some puppet construction in college.That’s something I could really get into.
-I’m a middle child, but hope I don’t act like one.
-I’m not the only writer in my family.In fact, I’m not even the best writer in my family.
-Regarding training, I’ve only taken that one playwriting class I mentioned earlier.That is, other than what public school English classes provided.…Which actually was considerable, depending on the teacher.
-Deep down, I’m a reclusive cat-lady.I just can’t afford it to be reclusive or a cat-lady, yet.
-My hair hasn’t been its natural hair color since 7th grade.
-I’ve had glasses since I was 8.They’re my favorite accessory.
-I’m pretty darn geeky.I love video games, I play DnD, I write comic books….
-I actually haven’t read that many comic books.Enough to get me through a conversation, but nothing comparable to other comic book writers.…I probably shouldn’t have admitted that.
-That being said, Batman is my superhero of choice.
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POLL RESULTS!: Do you feel like you know Jeff now?
Yes. It's like we've been friends for years! (66%)
Yes, but not well enough to let him, like, house-sit for me. (22%)
No, I definitely wouldn't let him house-sit. (11%)
No! Keep him away from my house! (0%)
Be sure to vote in this week's poll!: Who killed Mr. Body?
Q:Where are you from? Does that influence your work?
A:I’m from Virginia, but I was born in Japan.Actually, I was there long enough to pick up on their cartoons….In a way, I’m very influenced by their animation.Not the aesthetic, but the concepts behind them; cartoons just aren’t for kids there.In their art, they try to reach all demographics.There are very few studios in America that see animation as something more than just for children—as art for the masses.For the whole family!
It’s become my goal to create an animated series that is for everyone; all age ranges.Like the Cosby Show…but animated.
Q: When did you begin drawing?What inspires you now?
A:When I was 3.I remember my mom used to tell me that I would scribble on everything.The first time I drew on paper, I drew Donatello (I had Ninja Turtle sheets).I think my mom still has it.I’ve come a long way since then.
Later, at school, I would draw Sonic and Garfield and sell them to kids at school.My mom found out and got mad.She forced me to give back the money.…I didn’t.
Today, I'm inspired by Glen Keane.All of his characters and designs have determined what Disney is today.It’s because of him that I feel the push to keep evolving—to keep trying new things until I can get to that point.
Q:What sort of artistic training do you have? What are your aspirations?
A:When I was in middle school I went to some art academy thing for the summer. In High School, I took IB art class.After that, I went to Virginia Commonwealth University and majored in kinetic imagery (moving pictures) and got a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts and Designs.What’s funny is that I went there to learn how to animate, but it turns out one of my teachers couldn’t draw, another hated industry animation techniques….I learned a lot of my style from my Illustration classes.Because of that, I’m actually more driven to succeed in Illustration now.
I aspire to be a well-known character designer and story artist.I think this website is a start….
Q:Draw how you met Celeste.
Q:What’s your favorite project to work on, at the moment?Describe your working process.
A:Genre Squad.‘Cause I get to see results of it faster!And I really love drawing Pirate and Zombie....
When working on our stuff, I read Celeste’s script, probably like, 3 times.And on the 4th time, I try to visualize it, storyboard it.Then I normally scan those thumbnails into the computer and do everything digitally from there.
...I’m particular about my environment, when working.I realize that it’s really hard for me draw if I’m watching stuff unless I’m watching The Office, since I’ve seen it so much. If I’m not doing that I’m listening to movie scores.Sometimes I get frustrated and go lay on the couch.Sometimes that frustration transforms into playing a video game….
I often sing to myself.I talk to myself a lot.I keep QuickTime open so I can record it in case there’s something to that madness….I get easily distracted if my workspace is dirty.And I drink tea when I draw.It’s exciting.
Q:Do you have any side-projects planned?
A: There’s the Witch Files thing….And Frostbite.I haven’t done anything new for it, but I’ve been thinking about it.I’m toying with an idea about a bear and a rabbit…but my plate’s so full already.Just look at my portfolio site! (http://www.jeftoonportfolio.blogspot.com/)
Q:Tell us 10 facts about yourself.
I have 2 bowling trophies, my favorite food is popcorn, I love driving, I’ve had multiple Nerf-inflicted injuries….I want a motorcycle but I wouldn’t ride it.I’m scared of riding them.What’s that….5?
When I was younger I had to hide the fact that I liked so many Disney movies.Because elementary kids are cruel.That last part isn’t a fact about me, though….More of a general statement.Anyway...right.When I was in second grade I made/ate a salad composed completely of four leaf clovers because I thought it would give me good luck.I'm still waiting to see if it worked...it better because if not, I ate a pile of grass for nothing.I used sand as salt!
Umm…my dad is a General in the Marines.When I told him I wanted to have a career in art, he actually supported me.My whole family is very supportive.That’s 8.2 more…. I get a lot of my ideas for stories and characters from my dreams.
And 10: I’m nice!And modest! --------------------------------------------------------- POLL RESULTS!: What does Robot need more?
A job. (12%)
A heart. (12%)
A tasty can of oil. (0%)
A sexy robot honey. (75%)
Be sure to vote in this week's poll!: Do you feel like you know Jeff now?
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